Handheld Devices

With $10,000 I can begin to supply my library with a fair amount of technology for busy teachers, reluctant readers, and research enthusiast (and those who are not so enthusiastic that need a little help!)

I would start with low-end MP3 players. I would purchase 12 MP3 players for student use equally for $600. If a teacher needed one, of course, I would not deny access to it. However, the primary reason for the purchase is for reluctant readers to listen to downloaded books and see the joy of getting "into" the story. I would download various books to the device in order to make it user ready. I would hope to know my students well enough to know which of them have a difficult time finding books they enjoy and want to finish. I hope students would listen to the book on the MP3 player, then wanting to read it on their own. I truly believe if students can find a way into a book, we'll hook them for life! I would suggest that teachers to use an MP3 player to play books for students. When time is limited, but "read alouds" are vital, a teacher could allow the class to hear a story via the MP3 player hooked up to portable speakers.

The second item I would buy is a mid-range Ebook Reader. Again for lower and more reluctant readers this might be just the way to get them hooked on reading. Because of their price I would be unable to purchase many of them. I would purchase 10 of them at approximately $300 a piece, totaling $3,000. With Ebook Readers students can read a book on the computer, which they would believe. It might take the intimidation out of reading a big novel. Higher-level students would not be excluded having the same access to the Ebooks as other students.

The final item I would purchase with this money is Internet Tablets. I would purchase sixteen at $400 a piece totaling $6,400. These tablets would be used in the library for research purposes. In collaborative groups students could use this portable device to complete class projects. They would also be utilized to work on Web 2.0 sites, again in collaborative groups. Teachers would be able to use Internet Tablets in their classrooms for various purposes. If teachers have assigned students to do assignments on a Web 2.0 site, they could explain in small groups how to do it.

Upon receiving the new items for the library I would preview the items before checking them out. As with any new technology, training and teaching on the use of the items would be imperative. How exciting it is for the library to offer such fun new technology to its school!