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Advantages of the TeacherMate Handheld Computer System |
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Innovations for Learning has been developing quality education software for 15 years, and has been using the software in the Chicago Public Schools for more than 12 years. Yet, like every educational software publisher, we were stymied by the computer hardware used in early elementary classrooms.
We often found that there were only three or four hand-me-down computers in early elementary classrooms, and a few of them were broken. The teacher did not have sufficient training on how to use and maintain the computers. Even when the computers were new, there were too few of them to go around, and the teachers could not rely on them to be an integral part of classroom instruction. As soon as the first glitches arose, the teachers went back to non-computer materials.
We could not make any further progress with our software (or anybody else’s software) without an affordable, easy-to use, easy-to-store, easy-to-train, reliable, and mobile computer.
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So we developed one ourselves.
We also developed the Synch and Store Case so that a teacher could take advantage of all of the power of a classroom management system without any of the burden of individually synching multiple devices and maintaining a classroom computer network.
Having made a hardware system that would, for the first time, support the use of computers in an integrated way in the classroom, we then modified our Reading Program and Math Program to align with all of the major reading and math programs used in classrooms throughout the country.
Together, the TeacherMate system is the first scalable, affordable, effective computer learning system for the early elementary teacher. |
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| Advantages of TeacherMates versus personal computers |
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1) Cost.
Even the least expensive personal computer costs six or seven times what the TeacherMate handheld computer costs. But the cost difference is even greater when the total cost of ownership is taken into account. The TeacherMate system’s lower software costs, lower maintenance and support costs, and lower training costs result in a total cost of ownership which is more than ten times less expensive than personal computers.
2) Scalability.
Few classrooms can physically support more than six desktop computers, requiring students to use computers only on a shared or rotated basis. A cart full of laptops is a daunting prospect for a first grade teacher. Just waiting for all of the laptops to boot up would challenge the patience of first grade students and teachers alike. teachermates fit into a Synch and Store briefcase and are as easy to distribute as a set of workbooks.
3) Usability.
Young students learn almost instantly how to use teachermate. Most have already used handheld games and require no training whatsoever. A personal computer with its 50+ keys and indecipherable symbols requires substantial training, first for teachers and then, for students.
4) Reliability.
Personal computers have multiple moving parts and complex software and are subject to viruses. Teachers are not trained to maintain their computers and quickly lose confidence to rely on them for daily instructional support. TheTeacherMates have no moving parts and a simple-to-use software system designed specifically for use by early elementary teachers and students. The confidence that the teachers have in TeacherMate makes all the difference in their willingness to use it as an integral part of their instruction. |
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Advantages of Teacherate versus game systems |
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1) Pedagogically sound software.
The TeacherMate handheld computer system has been designed in consultation with leading reading and math curriculum experts. Unlike game systems such as Leapster, TeacherMate also is specifically designed to precisely align with the major reading and math programs.
2) Classroom management.
Game systems often do not have a classroom management component that would allow teachers to see student data and generate reports and tailor the instruction for each student. Even products that do have classroom management systems do not provide a synching mechanism that would allow all of the devices to be synched at one time. In practice, teachers rarely spend the time to synch data from disparate game devices
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Advantages of TeacherMate versus computer lab |
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1) More time on task.
Getting a classroom full of first graders back and forth to the computer lab takes up almost as much time as they will constructively spend in the lab. 2) Integration with Classroom Instruction.
Too often, instruction in the lab is divorced from instruction in the classroom. With TeacherMates, the teacher is the center of the system, and the instruction is precisely aligned with what is being taught in the classroom |
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Advantages of TeacherMate versus non-computer materials |
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1) Engagement.
Students LOVE using TeacherMates. Can the same thing be said about most workbooks?
2) Individualized Instruction.
Each TeacherMate can be programmed by the teacher to meet the precise needs of each student. The student can work at his or her own pace and level.
3) Cost.
The TeacherMate can be loaded with hundreds of books and activities. Schools actually can save money by purchasing TeacherMates instead of disposable workbooks and materials that need regular replacement |
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