Portable Keyboard   An Electronic Keyboard is a portable word processing device that allows users to enter and edit text in a small window. Files can be saved and printed or uploaded to a desktop computer. Keyboards can be attached to PDA devices too.       Selection Synergy PDAs Digital Imaging Portable Keyboard Other Devices Teacher Tap Links Pros Great price if all you need is a word processor Easy to save and upload to computer Portable and easy to share Great for brainstorming and collaboration Require little power Flexibility in when and where students write Easy to print and then edit test Increases keyboarding fluency With experience, students prefer it for editing Students make better use of desktop computers If you can get one for each student, there's a big change in writing skills Cons Small display area - difficult to get overview of paper Small size text can be difficult to read Needs software on host computer to upload Text is only one aspect of learning - lacks visual, auditory   Articles http://www.iteachnet.com/portablekeys.html http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/publications.shtml http://www.iteachnet.com/seth_sept.html http://www1.alphasmart.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi http://itech.fcps.net/alphasmart%20activities.htm http://www.bcsd.k12.id.us/district/alphsmrt.html   Products Alphasmart Dreamwriter Classroom Ideas Advice column Article Ask the Expert Autobiography Biography Brainstorming Chain writing Classified ads Class rules Database data Dictated stories Dialogue Directions Editorial Email Essay Fliers Fill-in-the-middles Free writing Group writing Info Organizations Instructions Interviews Invisible writing Journals & diaries Just endings Lab reports Letter writing Logs Memos Narratives News article Notetaking Observations Peer writing Persuasive writing Picture writing Play Poetry Portfolios Q & A Reflections Research paper Review Scripts Sequencing tasks Skits Socializing Spelling Spreadsheet data Story problems Story starters Testing Video scripts Word lists & walls Selection | Synergy | PDAs | Digital Imaging | Portable Keyboard | Other Devices | Teacher Tap Links | Eduscapes Graphic courtesy of Alphasmart - http://alphasmart.com Created by Annette Lamb, 05/02.