A pilot study conducted this past summer was designed to see if younger grades would benefit in note taking and data collection on the Palm™ handheld computer. Using this type of computer with young students is untested ground, so we selected two classes in Massachusetts to pilot their use: a second grade at Morse School (Cambridge Public Schools) and a fifth grade at Farley School (Hudson Public Schools).

Initial response
The second graders were paired up and given one Palm to share. Prior to starting the study, we had reviewed available Palm software and it appeared that few programs were suitable for the younger age group, and, in fact, many of the applications used Grafetti™, a pen-based shorthand that might interfere with the learning of cursive writing. But we found that the second grade students were immediately engaged by the Palm's different applications (e.g., Date Book, Address, To Do List) and spontaneously shared with each other their methods of getting from one application to the next. Some students stopped using the pen pointer, finding it easier to tap on the screen with their fingers. But any frustration they voiced was not with the pen or the small size of the screen but with the fact that it wasn't in color.

Initially students were guided through the performance of specific tasks. They were later encouraged to do more open-ended investigations. Some students moved from one group to another to show off a new application they had discovered. When a student occasionally tapped into an endless loop, she simply clicked the main screen to investigate another Palm application.

Student investigations
When a handheld computer with an attached temperature probe using an ImagiWorks™ interface box was used by pairs of second graders, almost all the students were able to work as teams to ask questions, design procedures, take notes on the Palm and gather data. The technology enabled students to engage in active, creative and reflective investigation of the environment.

For example, two boys first took the temperature of the air, then looked around for areas on their playground that might be different. It was a sunny day, so they investigated the shady area around a tree, the temperature down a drainage hole, and both the basketball blacktop and the white line that bordered the court. After taking notes on the Palm and discussing the differences, the students turned to the shoes they were wearing. How different is the temperature of the air from my shoe? How does the temperature of my shoe compare to the temperature in the shade?

But it didn't stop there. They were intrigued by things that made the temperature change. As the two stood and reviewed the readings, they compared and discussed differences. Then they verbalized their own experimental procedure: Let's test the temperature of the air, our shoes, and our shoes while we walk. As a result, they discovered that a probe is ideal for real-time measurements that change over time. And the handheld makes this possible in the field because of its size and portability.

Amazed by the differences in temperature, the two boys became eager to write down possible reasons on the Palm. If something is in the shade, shouldn't it be cooler? Is my foot warming the probe? Although this age group does not yet formalize the idea of friction and heat, these two young boys were well on their way to developing an understanding based on the context of their investigation.

Fifth grade experimentation
The fifth graders were similarly paired up and each student was provided with a handheld computer equipped with a temperature probe. Two preparatory lessons were given to ensure that all members of the class were able to use the computers and temperature probes and the teachers understood how to encourage independent investigation.

Like the younger learners, the fifth grade class willingly shared their discoveries within their group and were curious about every change on the Palm screen. They quickly adjusted to using the small pen to tap their way around the applications. However, very few of the fifth grade students moved outside of their own pair until asked to share with another group. Students asked questions and listened for group instructions, but the atmosphere didn't hold as much excitement and students didn't share as much as the second grade class had. The older students appeared more focused on completing teacher-directed challenges quickly.

After the students felt comfortable with the equipment, the whole group investigated a shallow pond near their school. Each pair was assigned a location around the pond, and while one took notes and drew their location on the Palm, the other collected temperature data. It was early spring and the water was covered with pollen. After a few days of warm sunny weather, a cool breeze was blowing.

Within their groups, the students took the temperature of the air, the pollen-covered surface of the water, and just below the surface. The results were unexpected. The water was warmer than the air and the deeper the probe went into the water, the more the temperature increased.

The students did not believe their results. They expected the water to be cooler. Several groups repeated the measurements. Why the difference in temperatures? Did it matter if the day before was sunny? Does a slight breeze affect evaporation at the surface of the pond? Would the evaporation change the temperature of the pond?

Students started off by saying that the pollen acted as a blanket over the pond. But was this really true? After taking several readings at their locations, the students decided to collaborate with other teams. Was the data the same for your location? Did the temperature always increase in deeper water? They shared theories and, just as the second graders had, started to design methods for testing their assumptions. One group climbed on top of a big boulder so that they could reach and test water that was exposed directly to the sun and not covered with pollen. One boy yelled to his partner and other teams that the temperature of the water without the pollen cover was cooler and that the temperature increased more slowly as he tested further below the surface of the pond.

Meanwhile, other teams started to investigate areas not covered by water. What was the temperature in the trees around the pond? Was the temperature on the ground also cooler on the surface of the ground or below the leaves that covered the ground. Students soon found that the ground was colder than the water.

By now several groups were working as one team. They shared data, discussed theories, and formulated further tests. The final test that the students designed involved a partially dried-up vernal pond, several meters from the larger pond. Would the vernal pond experience the same temperature difference as the larger one? The students discovered that the further away from the large pond they tested, the cooler the temperature readings.

After returning to the classroom, the students wrote their data on a white board. Their joint drawing allowed them to share theories and data and to formulate a group understanding. After the groups shared and discussed their findings with each other, they concluded in their own words that water appeared to hold more heat than the earth or air. They had begun to explore without knowing the terms heat capacity, convection currents, solar radiation, evaporation, etc. What a great opportunity for a science teacher to guide students to further investigations.

Comparing classes
Since the pilot classes were from fifth and second grades, part of the research study was focused on comparing the readiness of different age students to use handheld computers. During the introductory class, the major difference between the second and fifth grade class was the speed at which they investigated the Palm. While both groups were clearly at ease with the technology, the fifth graders covered almost twice the number of tasks as the second graders.

Significantly, the first and second lessons differed markedly in the lack of student collaboration, especially in the second grade class. Whereas only a week earlier students had been easily and naturally sharing the handheld computers, they now sat separately from their partners and were noticeably bored unless a Palm was in their hands. In some groups, one student in the pair chose to let the other have time with the Palm while he or she wandered around the room, until it was their turn to hold the Palm.

It appeared that in order for the students to be engaged and to develop a sense of ownership, they needed their own handheld computers. We tried this during the third week and it seemed as though the students became more actively involved.

New learning possibilities
It is the nature of young students to question their environment. Even very young learners can create and design their own procedures when they are provided with the opportunity to analyze data within a meaningful investigation.

Both the second and fifth grade classes were undaunted by the technology. They easily moved between note taking and data collection. And the handheld computers gave students the opportunity to connect their questions and investigations to the data while in the field. This pilot project suggests that portable technologies and software - in the hands of young students - provide enhanced opportunities for systematic investigation, critical thinking and cooperation.

Carolyn Staudt is a curriculum developer and a teacher professional development specialist at The Concord Consortium.
carolyn@concord.org

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