Reasons To Have A Tablet In Class

A couple weeks ago I wrote about a couple good reasons to have internet access in the classroom. Well, this time you just need a computer.

Often you may be in a discussion, or just taking in a lecture, and the professor or a class mate uses a word that you are unfamiliar with. Now, it may not be a big deal, but you may want to discuss the topic, and you may feel that without knowing what that means may make a big difference in the meaning of the sentence. Enter your computer (preferably a Tablet PC.) If you have WordWeb installed on your computer, you can quickly look up almost any word in the English language, very quickly. It runs in Window’s system tray so you can quickly access it. Just type in your word (or write it), and WordWeb will pull up a definition from a database based on Princeton’s WordNet.

But WordWeb is more than just a dictionary. It is also most useful when writing papers or even emails. If you find that you are using a word too often, WordWeb will present you with a list of synonyms and otherwise related words. If you have a word in mind, but it is not exactly what you want, you can try to find one using WordWeb’s related words feature. And if you need to contrast something using an opposite, try the antonyms.

The WordWeb service is also available on the internet, for times when you are using someone else’s computer: http://www.wordwebonline.com/

And if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can get the WordWeb app.

To download WordWeb for your laptop or desktop computer, go to www.wordweb.info