Wichita Schools Standardize on the Palm TX
Wichita Public Schools is standardizing on the wireless Palm TX handheld computer for its seventh-grade technology program, Palm announced today. The school district purchased nearly 730 Palm TX handhelds as part of a major renovation of its technology curriculum for middle schools.
These Palm TX handhelds join thousands of other Palm handhelds in use by students, teachers and administrators throughout the school district. The Palm TX features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies for wireless communications.
"The Palm TX is a super learning tool," says Eldon L. Chlumsky, coordinator of technology education for Wichita Public Schools. "We are very excited about the wireless capabilities. Now students can access information and communicate from anywhere in the building and on field trips."
The district will begin implementing the handhelds into the seventh-grade technology curriculum next year. The handhelds will be used in the district's 14 middle schools and two alternative schools.
Instructional Technology Specialist Jim Clark says, "Handhelds can facilitate new learning experiences. We have used them successfully at the elementary school level and found that students are more productive. They want to get their hands on the devices the minute they enter the building. At the middle school level, we expect some students to become in-house experts. These student technology leaders can help drive instruction, aid learning and even help teachers try new things."
Sixth-graders start with a nine-week course learning graphic and presentation technologies, keyboarding and software methodology. Students do research, create multimedia presentations and use technology tools, such as Palm handhelds, to present their projects.
Seventh-grade students learn the functionality of the handhelds, get comfortable with web searches, and learn software applications for math, data collection, quizzes, eBooks and animation.
Eighth-graders will use the Palm handhelds and other technologies during "Robotics and Communications Technologies," an 18-week program that introduces students to video production and the use of applied technology in a model world. The curriculum covers ethics and safety, computer-aided drafting, and introduction to electronics, and provides an overview of energy and power, flight and aeronautics, construction, and ground transportation.
In addition to the middle schools, 100 district site technology specialists each received a Palm TX. These specialists offer on-site technology support, train staff and keep track of inventory. With the Palm TX, they now communicate wirelessly over the entire district.
Schools can take advantage of the Palm Education Purchase Program.
Source: Palm Inc PR
Article Comments
(15 comments)
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.
RE: Palm TX in schools.
This is the state requiring teaching of special creation. They are already cutting edge. Of course they rejected the OS that has all that garbage than Palm Os promised years ago with Cobalt and never quite got around to delivering.
RE: Palm TX in schools.
Don't you consider the T5 the world's best handheld?
The TX has a slower CPU, no drive mode, no internal storage drive, crippled Bluetooth, and a smaller capacity battery. Aren't all of those negative factors when comparing it to the TX?
Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX
RE: Palm TX in schools.
I once considered the T5 and TX to be sidegrade equals. But recently I had to return my TX for repair because the speaker broke. I then noticed I misse my WiFi.
I use WiFile to grab files on my T43 IBM Thinkpad.
I now do all my Hotsyncs by WiFi.
And I found my surfing pages like cnn.com or the weather straight from my bed either late at night or in the morning. Or I could be in bed reading an ebook or listening to an MP3 of my favorite talk radio shows and I would need to do quick Google search. The TX is great for that.
The CPU speed is just fine. It even plays 320x480 full FPS movies. For the rare movies that require just a tiny bit more power, I simply used PXAcloxer and set 416mhz.
Drive mode: Well... I copied over the Drive mode files from my T5 and use that. But you are right, that has to be put back in future Palms since not everyone knows how to hack the files like that.
No internal storage, not really an issue. I now use 1 x 1GB, and 1 x 2GB SD cards.
BT, never use it to be honest.
Smaller battery? Never noticed. Battery life is very good imho.
And finally, a MAJOR factor is the new lower cost. The T5 cost me 599$cad and the TX 399$cad. I like the lower cost of ownership. If I have to buy another one, it is affordable.
Hey, did you guy see Futureshop.ca is selling the LifeDrive for like 349$ CAD now? :-\ Is it due to end of life or just a store liquidating its own inventory?
RE: Palm TX in schools.
But I really wish Drive mode and the T5 "Files" file manager came with the TX. I don't like the idea that user's who don't know how to hack ROM files will not enjoy the full potential of the TX.
RE: Palm TX in schools.
In considering a TX, I have thought that it offers no drive mode advantage over a T5. If I were to get one, I am certain that I would just carry my little card reader and use that to transfer any file I wanted to get to a desktop. That is as easy to carry as a cable and if I am going to most newer desktops they already have SD slots, so I would need neither the cable nor the card reader, just the card itself.
Do you use a card reader, desktop sd slot, or cable more?
RE: Palm TX in schools.
I already have a card reader I can plug into my laptop. But, I am trying to get rid of all superfluous cables and peripherals. I am trying to clean and simplify my IT setup.
That is why I am trying to reduce all equipment to:
1- IBM Thinkpad (my model does not have a built in SD)
2- Linksys WiFi router.
3- Palm TX
4- 4-in-1 printer/fax/scanner/copier
So all that to say that I do use the SD Drive Mode utility from the T5. Palm left it out of the TX either because there was a license fee or they felt users do not use it enough.
RE: Palm TX in schools.
Get one of those new Sandisk Ultra II + SD cards wth the built in USB port. It feels a tiny bit fragile but it works very well and can be used on nearly any computer, anywhere.
Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX
7th Graders? I hope they buy hard cases
RE: 7th Graders? I hope they buy hard cases
Whatever happened to the school in Raleigh/Durham NC that had standardized on the Palm IIIc? I wonder how long those lasted/held up...
Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX
OLPC
Ironically the One Laptop Per Child may run Win CE in the end...
Surur
They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...
Now, now
I think the Palm OS is best for students my age, but for myself, I'm Windows Mobile Powered nowadays.
The TX is a great handheld though, though I prefer my HP iPAQ hx2415 (WM2003SE, BT, Wifi, 520mhz) over it anyday. I got my girlfriend to buy a TX, and she's very happy with it.
Overall, that's pretty awesome.
Zire 72, Zodiac, Kyocera 6035 (sold), Kyocera 7135 (had issues), Compaq iPAQ H3650 (sold), Treo 650 (for free cuz of my 7135!) HP iPAQ hx2415
RE: Now, now
> (sold), Kyocera 7135 (had issues), Compaq iPAQ H3650 (sold), Treo
> 650 (for free cuz of my 7135!) HP iPAQ hx2415...
13 years old and that's ALL you've had so far?
Sheesh.
Palm as a learning tool
An example of educational use is the site
http://www.handheldclassics.com
The site is for the study of Classical Greek and other languages using the interlinear method.
Texts of Homer the Bible etc. can be read in Greek and taken wherever you go!
Help is needed to enter more texts for this Project
John Jackson
http://www.handheldclassics.com
Latest Comments
- I got one -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Don't we have this already? -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -richf
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -dmitrygr
- Palm phone on HDblog -palmato
- Palm PVG100 -hgoldner
- RE: Like Deja Vu -PacManFoo
- Like Deja Vu -T_W
Palm TX in schools.
The Palm TX is the world's best handheld and teaching kids early how to be organized and efficient in managing daily responsibilities is very constructive.
With Windows Mobile, the kids would likely never seriously integrate mobile computing into their lives.