What could I do with that?

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ultrabook/shop-ultrabook.html

      As I sit here in an attempt to let the excessive amount of food I ate digest, I am thinking about the number of laptop convertible commercials that I saw.  I decided that it was something that I needed to look into a little more deeply.  I went to Intel’s site and began looking at the different varieties of laptop/tablets.  I have a pc and a laptop, and I am considering the possibilities of the tablet.  The Intel site is nice because it showcases the hybrid machine as designed by different companies.  The reviews for the brand I looked at were all positive.  The biggest issue was the weight as it compares to a stand-alone tablet.  This trip through the virtual store makes my mind wander into the possibilities that could come about with this piece of technology and education.  Learners could easily work from anywhere typing essays or doing research with the laptop.  Flip the screen and view e-book chapters more easily with the touch screen feature of the tablet.  Even if the weight is an issue, learners who are working on material are not necessarily walking and holding the tablet in front of them as they are reading, so I do not see that as a potential problem.   This type of equipment could be used across disciplines, but I think the cost may be a problem for institutions or programs that have very limited budgets (nothing a well written grant could not handle).

http://www.eschoolnews.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/09/mobile_star.pdf

  
   That leads me to something that is more readily available and could easily be added to a learning experience – the smartphone. With the number of smartphones surpassing the number of personal computers for adults 18 and older, there is access to technology that learners bring with them to the classroom every day (School Technology Action Report, 2011). It is an expense that does not have to be incurred by the institution. For the writing classroom, learners can take advantage of a dictionary or thesaurus when they are working on in-class writing projects. Facilitators could have students upload free applications that help them do quick checks on grammar, rhetorical modes, or, if it is available, an application that allows them to access an electronic version of their textbook. The students are checking their Facebook pages or sending Tweets under the desk anyway, so the instructor might as well take advantage of a mobile technology that is brought into their learning environment every day. Who knows? They might learn something.