WiFi: Perfect for the Shy Kid

Now, eLearning Dynamics (www.elearningdynamics.com), a classroom technology company, has created a WiFi-enabled version of its LearnTrac software. It links students' WiFi-enabled Palms to teachers' computers, resulting in continuous, two-way communication.

Shy students never had it so good. Now, instead of nervously raising their hands to ask a question, they can simply instant message their teachers for the answer. Teachers, on the other hand, can instantly poll their classes to see if they have grasped a particular lesson. They can also wirelessly administer quizzes, automatically grade them, and correlate students' grades with class attendance and prior test results.

With its real-time feedback, the wireless system keeps students attentive. "People don't sleep," says Stuart Egan, who teaches language arts at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, GA. Plus, kids can't use their handhelds to surf the Net or e-mail their pals during class. That's because the teacher can control LearnTrac to thwart goofing off. "I'm the gatekeeper and the switchboard operator," says Egan.

But such state-of-the-art service doesn't come cheap. The wireless version of LearnTrac is $9,799 for the first classroom and $2,899 for additional ones. Software, training, installation, support, and maintenance are included in the price. In order to use the service, classrooms or schools need access to a wireless network.