January 2005 — Exclusive
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Life With a Handheld Computer: Confessions of a School Administrator
The leading edge of technology is not the best place to be if you are running a school. Administrators need to be efficient if they wish to be effective. Once a technology has begun to mature, however, they should consider how it can help them. In this article, I make a case for handheld computer technology, also known as personal digital assistants or Palms after the original model.
As a former district computer director and programming teacher, I have been riding the technology treadmill since the 1970s. Several years ago, I was given a handheld computer to help with my work as an elementary principal. After giving it a try, I decided that its features were not worth the trouble.
Then in March 2003, I attended a New York Talks Conference sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was aimed at helping administrators make better use of technology. As part of the deal for attending the conference, I was given a new Palm Tungsten T handheld. After a year and a half, I find that handheld technology has advanced to the point where it now has a place in my life at work and beyond.
Before I go on, I must mention that the Tungsten T is no longer available, and Palm (now known as palmOne) currently offers newer alternatives with additional features and/or lower prices. Handhelds from competing companies like Hewlett-Packard and Dell have also continued to improve.
Key Features
The foremost reason that I gave my current handheld a serious look is its sharp, backlit color screen — it is attractive and easy to read, even in the dark. This makes a huge difference as the older screens were dull and dim. The other key feature is that the built-in batteries recharge whenever you place the device in the docking unit connected to
your computer. This is the same unit the computer and the handheld use to synchronize (or sync) databases, applications and files. With readability and recharging convenience taken care of, I looked further for features that might make my new friend worth the trouble.
Chief among these features is Novell GroupWise, which handles my calendar and e-mail. Although handhelds come with calendar software, you should try to connect to the system supported by your district. At sync time, calendar and e-mail changes made on either device transfer, so I can read and respond to e-mail without being at my desk. I can also make appointments while I am somewhere else without carrying a date book. School secretaries, or anyone else I give access, can also add or edit appointments from their computers. In addition, reminders let me know when events are scheduled. Unless you hide in your office, life as an administrator is likely to be hectic to the point that you often feel as if you suffer from attention deficit disorder. I now find that I am much more likely to be on time, which reduces apologies and improves my image.
Handheld Office
Most computer users do word processing, and most administrators use spreadsheets and presentation software. My handheld came with Documents To Go from DataViz, which contains Microsoft Office-compatible versions of all three types of software. To make the most of these applications, I recommend an external keyboard, which allows for data entry and editing in a manner similar to that of your computer. While handhelds allow for data entry without add-on keyboards, the devices’ built-in capabilities are best for short notes or memos.
