Tony Vincent’s passion for teaching and technology can be seen in everything he does. Tony taught fifth grade for six years, and in three of those, his students were pioneers in educational handheld computing.  His current role as technology specialist at Willowdale Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska, gives him the opportunity to bring the newest technologies into classrooms.  Whether it’s digital video, blogs, email, podcasts, or handhelds, Tony helps Willowdale teachers and students understand the power of new technologies.

Always excited to share, Tony has documented much of what he knows about handheld computing on his website, learninginhand.com. This resource provides useful software collections, the best web links for handhelds, complete lesson plans, an informative blog, and a bi-weekly podcast.

In addition to his position at Willowdale Elementary, Tony is a certified Palm Education Training Coordinator who inspires educators nationwide with practical workshops and presentations, teaches a graduate class for the University of Nebraska titled, Handhelds in Teaching and Learning, has co-authored a book entitled Handhelds for Teachers and Administrators, and has recently partnered with Mike Curtis to produce a bi-weekly podcast for Educators, called Soft Reset.

As a teacher Tony believes:

• Learning should be engaging and motivating
• The classroom should be a close community of learners
• Strong parent/teacher/student communication is vital
• Learning takes place individually, and in large and small groups
• Clear expectations of learning and behavior for students must be set
• Problem-solving and goal setting are important
• Students learn in different ways
• We must all show respect for different cultures and different beliefs
• Social skills must be taught and used
• The skills of inventive thinking, effective communication, teamwork, and creation of high quality products are important skills for the 21st century.
• Digital Literacy is an important skill for the 21st century
• Technology can make learning more meaningful and enjoyable

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