Notebooks Replace Textbooks in Texas 371
DrEnter writes "Yahoo! is running this article about an experiment at Johnson Elementary school in Dallas, Texas, which will provide an IBM ThinkPad to every 5th and 6th grader, each one loaded with electronic versions of textbooks and 2,000 other books. Apparently, due to rapidly increasing enrollment and long delays to get new books the school is trying to head off future problems. They also mention a similar program in Henrico County, Virginia, using iBooks and how some of these programs are affecting laptop design (like Apple replacing pop-out CD trays with CD slides)."
I fear the criminal element getting word of this (Score:5, Insightful)
What bothers me is that there are a few dangerous criminals out there who read newspapers, and I imagine that upbeat stories about ten- and eleven-year-old kids walking up and down the street to and from school with $1350 notebook computers in the their backpacks are likely to give a handful of enterprising criminals some unpleasant ideas.
I picture a dozen or so kids blissfully strolling home from school when a dirty white van pulls up. Two guys with masks on pop out of the back of the van, point guns at the kids, demand that all backpacks be removed and placed on the ground, load a dozen backpacks into the van and drive straight to their favorite crooked pawn shop.
If a school system is going to provide notebook computers for its young students, or require them to own their own, I think it would be wise of them to keep quiet about it.
So far a bunch of school systems have implemented such plans without any reported dramatic increase in students getting robbed, but I fear that once the word gets out among an areas criminals that there's easy pickings walking around wearing backpacks, all heck could break loose.
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:5, Insightful)
I can only imagine that with in the first day they had 10 kids in the principles office with smashed screens, click-o-death harddrives, etc.
Accidents happen (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, what happens when instead of $60, a lost or stolen COMPUTER costs 25 times that to replace? I sense that the parents may not be so happy with this arrangement, either.
Keep the computers in the schools, I say. Give the kids books to take home.
Re:Accidents happen (Score:3, Informative)
Of course, I was the lowly nerd in high school and attempted to keep my books in good shape. However, that doesn't stop the kid a foot from your desk from grabbing your book and *CRACK*. While I admit, I'd laugh from time to time, it really wasn't my fault....
Re:Accidents happen (Score:5, Funny)
they can withstand even a 8 year old boy.
I have an old one that has been sitting open and running on my deck all winter long. still works good, the keyboard was funky until I got the pine needles out of it.
toughbooks (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Accidents happen (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Accidents happen (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Accidents happen (Score:3, Insightful)
Books too Heavy, Laptops to Expensive (Score:5, Interesting)
You might want to go back and look at how thick the books are, and how many books.
Keep the computers in the schools, I say. Give the kids books to take home. .
I could not possibly disagree more. Given the ridicules volumes of text books being pushed on children, this is a good alternative.
Every year, some text book salesman shows some board of teachers how his book has more information, more details, more color glossy pictures, and converts the school to a new book. But the salesman and the teacher don't carry them home on their back, the kids do. Now, some on dollys with wheels because the weight is so high.
I say don't give them books, or laptops. Give them a little book of DVDs and a couple USB drives to hand in reports. Get rid of ALL that junk they carry.
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:5, Interesting)
Out of somewhere on the order of 2000-3000 notebooks sold, we would usually have only a couple come in every day, and maybe once a week one that was a non warranty repair.
The package we sold, included a 3-year extended warranty with once-per-year for so called "End-User Abuse" repairs.
I think a lot has to do with the design of the notebooks.
I think the mode we handed out in '01 was much better than the one in '02, which had screws that secured the screen's plastic back to the hinges, that should have been installed with Loc-tite [SP? I've never had to use the stuff, really.] because they were working their way loose, causing loose displays, that would wiggle before the hinge started moving, occasionally causing damage to the plastic housing of the display.
I think from a durability standpoint, the notebooks design and weight matters more than anything else. Apple style slot load drives would have been a big improvement.
As I recall, the children were regularly told to back their work up to the network, (though not all of them did it) because if they ever had a problem, the first thing that they always did was re-image it to rule out any software problems, (and because the Mfr. would only pay us for working them if a part had actually failed.)
In the case of the program I worked for, the parents purchased and owned the laptops, (financial aid was availible,) and there were two "Special" notebooks, for visually impaired students, (one purchased by the district, one by the parents)
In summary I think the success or failure of such an inititive depends on the specific implimentation.
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:4, Insightful)
office with smashed screens, click-o-death harddrives, etc.
Sounds like the CEO's of the US top 500 companies and their laptops.
I fear the reliability of IBM will get them first. (Score:4, Interesting)
Every other dead IBM I've seen was your classic faulty workmanship and/or materials.
Right now I have a fleet of about a few hundred Thinkpads and Desktops. Some moron sold out to IBM, probably got a free PC or two for his kids, and left us with a corporate directive to purchase IBM, and only IBM. Four years later, I'm still cleaning up the mess. I'm convinced that IBM equipment is designed to last for two years and eleven months. It is so bad, that if you tell me a particular model of thinkpad or ibm desktop, I'll tell you how it will fail, and when.
Let me count the ways...
It gets worse... When you're on a corporate IBM account, and you keep calling IBM about these problems, they go deaf. Once they realise that somewhere between 70% and 90% of the fleet of computers that they sold you is dead or dying, they stop returning your phone calls.
I made this list by gazing around the room in which I sit and ticking off the list of carcasses of dead, not-economic-to-repair, can't-discard-'cos-it's-an-assett IBM branded equipment that I have piled up all around me.
IBM equipment is high workload for techo's. Schools either don't have technical folks, or spread them very thin on the ground. They're going to be very busy cleaning up this mess. I wonder just how many parents are going to end up paying for dead IBM equipment that the mighty IBM repair department puts down to 'user abuse' to hide their crapola manufacturing!
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:3, Funny)
If you think it would be bad if criminals learned about these laptops, think about what would happen if the taxpayers who will have to pay for them found out!
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:5, Insightful)
The text book publishers may not like that idea, but maybe they can change their copyright policy from a $60 per textbook model to a $60 per student license, and let the schools replace the CD-Rs as needed.
Use the money for the laptops to build a decent computer lab for the students instead.
I doubt it... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I doubt it... (Score:2)
Criminals are fairly enterprising, though. I can imagine a fencing operation getting started to capitalize on all the stolen school notebook computers.
Re:I doubt it... (Score:3, Insightful)
I agree with this post. (Score:5, Interesting)
Are the teachers able to use and understand these machines?
Re:I agree with this post. (Score:5, Insightful)
I do tech support for 3 different school districts. In my experience, the biggest problem is that teachers rarely have the computer knowledge to use utilize any new technology. Of the 150 or so teachers, perhaps 4 or 5 understand what a network is. Perhaps 2 of those would be able to leverage the new technology into something beneficial for the children.
Why spend $1300+ for a new laptop for each child when you're only going to use it as a glorified e-book? Sure they are capable of much more, but does an elementary school have the resources and support necessary to utilize them?
We get technology grants all the time. It seems that the money for new technology is there, but it is never accompanied by the training money or staffing dollars to implement it. The school is expected to pay for that. How does a school that barely has enough money to pay their teachers come up with money to pay the technical support for that many laptops.
Re:I agree with this post. (Score:3, Interesting)
As for myself, I am in the process of doing exactly this. It means I'm going to be in school for a long, long time, but I know I'm doing the right thing.
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:2)
ePaper (Score:5, Informative)
The displays, as well as the various power draining components are what drive the cost of a $1000 notebook. eliminate much of this, mass produce it, and you have a great $250 solution for the same cost as the books.
Here is a review of current tech: (http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/002571.html) as well as a link to the Guardian article linked within (http://books.guardian.co.uk/ebooks/story/0,11305
Re:I fear the criminal element getting word of thi (Score:3, Funny)
Looks like I'm getting a new Beowulf cluster this year!
Ebook Reader Needed (Score:5, Insightful)
While I don't think it is bad idea to supply all students with laptops, I think this is a perfect opportunity for a next generation ebook reader. I have an Ebookman that is ok for reading text, but doesn't handle PDF's or graphics, has a small screen and eats batteries when backlit.
There are several products from asia that are interesting, I just wish they would make it here sooner:
EB660 [argosyusa.com]
Panasonic Sigmabook [sigmabook.jp]
Sony [www.sony.jp]
This could be the type of application that would launch ebooks into the mainstream.
Re:Ebook Reader Needed (Score:2)
While I don't think it is bad idea to supply all students with laptops, I think this is a perfect opportunity for a next generation ebook reader. I have an Ebookman that is ok for reading text, but doesn't handle PDF's or graphics, has a small screen and eats batteries when backlit.
While I at first thought the same thing, those distractions you suggest such as IM and games could also include various IT tools, scientific applications, programming hobbies, artistic expression (graphics/music/video editing)
Re:Ebook Reader Needed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ebook Reader Needed (Score:2)
I've used a couple of tablet PC's, and while they are cool, they have inferiour screen quality. I'm guessing this is because of both the requirement for touchscreen capability and because they have to be more rugged (The screen is exposed and can't be folded down for protection during transport).
They are definately cool, but they would als
Everything's bigger in Texas (Score:5, Funny)
9 seconds (Score:5, Funny)
Billy, what is 8 divided by 2?
What? Man that was BS Stupid Shield Lamers, Damn Lag. #@$#%
I'm L337 Screw you Teacher!
Old idea (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Old idea (Score:2)
the Henrico, VA iBook deal (Score:3, Informative)
doesn't Apple have a contract with Maine school systems(or individual counties/cities systems) for the last year or so as well?
Goodbye textbooks... (Score:2)
Re:Goodbye textbooks... (Score:3, Insightful)
Search
Copy
Paste
???
A+
Re:Goodbye textbooks... (Score:4, Funny)
1. Search
2. Copy
3. Paste
4. Cite
5. A+
Raise your hand (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Raise your hand (Score:3, Funny)
iBook (Score:2)
Report card time. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Report card time. (Score:2, Funny)
Cool technology upgrades... (Score:3, Insightful)
I recognize the case of using electronic media because the physical media is not always easy to obtain in a timely manner. The article from above gives a mix of both sides of the fence. If utilized effectively, the laptops can be a great tool in class.
I have to admit, however, that the bundled software and the technology upgrades that are being added to these laptops seem like a good measure to assure that they will maintain use even with daily student abuse.
Cool technology upgrades, some of the people at my office could use those the way they handle equipment...
This is stupid. (Score:4, Insightful)
Couldn't the money be better spent on, I don't know teaching?
Re:This is stupid. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:This is stupid. (Score:2, Insightful)
Yeah, but it's awefully hard to teach a lot of subjects without, I don't know, books?
A major goal of this project is to eliminate the long times that it's currently taking to get textbooks for the students.
Re:This is stupid. (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm a graduate of the Dallas school system and I can read and write just fine. I'd like you to define "large portion" and provide statistics to back up your claim.
Couldn't your time be better spent on, I don't know, precise and accurate statements?
Try a google search. (Score:4, Informative)
DISD could make grade promotion easier
Plan proposed to help overage students
02/24/2000
By Linda K. Wertheimer / The Dallas Morning News
The young man with the mustache slouches in the desk chair, grinning disarmingly at teacher Theda Redwine.
Juan Garcia / DMN
David Saucedo, 16, is an eighth-grader at Quintanilla Middle School. He says the thought of getting a second chance to advance to ninth grade gives him hope.
Ms. Redwine, who tutors David Saucedo, doesn't smile back. David is a 16-year-old in the eighth grade at Quintanilla Middle School. He already has flunked two grades. He's barely passing now and is insisting that he has no homework to do.
David is two years older than the average eighth-grader in the Dallas Independent School District. Overage students like him are the motivation for a proposed policy school board members will vote on Thursday.
If the proposal passes, more than 1,700 seventh- and eighth-graders who automatically would have been held back in the past will get a chance to advance - if they make up course work in summer school.
Last year, students who failed three of their four core subjects - English, math, science and social studies - in middle school were held back, whether they went to summer school or not.
But if the school board approves the proposal, those students could be promoted as long as they pass two subjects in summer school.
With the proposal, Dallas is tackling a national issue: how to get rid of so-called "social promotions" but keep schools from filling with overage students.
In a district in which almost half of all middle-school students failed at least one core subject last year, the balance is a delicate one.
School district officials who worked with middle school principals on the proposal said the main goal is to get overage students out of middle school and into high school.
This school year, 22 percent of Dallas eighth-graders are 15 to 17 years old - the ages at which most of their peers are in ninth through 11th grades. In at least a few cases, 17-year-olds are attending class with 12-year-olds.
"These kids in middle school who are overaged, they get discouraged," said Dr. Donna Bearden , assistant superintendent of curriculum. "If we get them into high school, we have a better chance of getting them to stay in school."
Not reaching everybody
Even if trustees approve the policy, it won't reach all of the students who fail, based on last year's statistics. Last summer, only 46 percent of students who failed a grade went to summer school to try to earn promotion.
"It's by no means solving the problem," Dr. Bearden said.
Most states, including Texas, have instituted bans against social promotion in various grades, coupling new laws with summer school as the last chance for students.
Urban districts in particular have been hunting for ways to comply with new laws and help many failing students, said Dr. Gerald Tirozzi , executive director of the National Association of Secondary Principals in Reston, Va.
Studies have shown that when students are held back a year and returned to the same teachers, they often fail again, said Dr. Tirozzi, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education.
"What Dallas is doing is a good idea," he said. "It's sending kids a message: If you don't master these subjects, we won't send you on to high school."
Dallas principals and teachers had mixed reactions about the proposal. Some fear that students who are already failing two courses will give up on a third, figuring they have to go to summer school anyway. Others say middle schools can't handle all of the overage students.
Tom Kelchner , principal at Marsh Middle School in North Dallas, said the proposal amounts to "loosening the promotion policy." He said the solution lies within middle schools, which can provide tutoring and create special programs fo
Re:This is stupid. (Score:3, Funny)
Great, they're already qualified to enter Texas politics.
The life expectancy of these laptops... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The life expectancy of these laptops... (Score:2, Insightful)
The school district superintendent is a college educated adult. I am sure Mike Smith [ednet10.net], the school district superintendent, is not blindly ignoring maintenence costs. This is not a new idea; school districts and college campuses have been doing this for years. These prior projects have tabulated tons of data on the maintence costs of these programs.
I am sure elementary school spinal tap drummers crossed Mike's [ednet10.net] mind.
The changing face of "book" publishing (Score:2)
Re:The changing face of "book" publishing (Score:3, Insightful)
"We are at war with Eastasia. We have always been at war with Eastasia."
- George Orwell
Re:The changing face of "book" publishing (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyone not in high school can make perfectly good use of existing books. The only reason why books change so often is because publishers like to sell more books! I never used a computer at school until grade 12 (Turbo Pascal on the Apple IIgs... w00t!) and given that I know more about computers and programming than most people who have used computers all their lives, I don't think this has been a hindrance. In fact, having started out with simple computers which I could fully understand inside and out, then progressing to more and more powerful ones has probably been the best thing.
These days, starting out with a laptop you can't open up with an operating system so complex that nobody can understand it without years of study must be very daunting. I can imagine it'd cause a lot of kids to just treat it as this big mysterious magic black box that does things when you click the right things with a mouse.
e-books suck (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:e-books suck (Score:2)
Re:e-books suck (Score:2)
What they heck are you using to print them?
A 600 page college textbook is usually around $100.
The 600 page course packet (textbook) for one of my courses cost $20 (the cost of duplication
ambivalent (Score:2)
on the other, I find it extremely hard to believe that they can afford IBM Thinkpads, but not manage to get dead tree books. There is a great deal to be said about dead tree books, none the least that they are easy on the eyes. I've also found books to be the better format for things such as textbooks, because it's easier to flip back and forth between pages. K-12 textbooks are also larger and p
I am in the library (Score:5, Insightful)
Instead, I am replying to a slashdot article on my laptop.
You see, my school is very tech-savvy. The reading carousels have ethernet ports.
I am easily distracted by the computer, and I'm a grad student! I hope these 5th and 6th graders have a lot of discipline... ha!
Re:I am in the library (Score:2)
Let's face it, reading Slashdot and toying around with our machines are 10 times more educational than any conference or class we'll ever attend. While students need to pay attention the majority of the time, a little free time to educate themselves wouldn't hurt.
Not enough money for upgrades now (Score:5, Insightful)
Let alone the burden of replacement cost for a below poverty line family when a child has his/her laptop stolen.
Great Idea! Wikibooks on the Laptops too! (Score:4, Interesting)
And even better, use free (as in freedom) text books from wikibooks [wikibooks.org] on the laptops.
;-) ).
Wikibooks [wikibooks.org] has free (beer / freedom) books and textbooks that anyone can edit, by the makers of Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]. A whole list of projects are found here at Wikimedia [wikimedia.org] (yes they like the word Wiki alot
Re:Great Idea! Wikibooks on the Laptops too! (Score:2)
How about wikifactsaredecidedbydemocracy?
I like the idea of wiki, but I think there is an intrinsic problem in trying to have it create something like a textbook. A guide to London [openguides.org], fine, but I wouldn't trust the theory of evolution to be accurately represented in a biology book.
-Colin [colingregorypalmer.net]
Re:Great Idea! Wikibooks on the Laptops too! (Score:2)
There are many professors on the wikipedia mailing list, so I assume they are contributing to wikipedia and wikibooks. Do you expect them to stand by and do nothing if they see something not factual go into an article or book?
As well, one person doing a book or article is likely to make more mistakes then 1000's reviewing the samething. This arguement should sound familiar since its used for open source software as well
We have a statewide program like this (Score:4, Insightful)
Twelve less books to worry about... (Score:3, Insightful)
I would've much rather taken home a 9 lb. laptop than 50 lbs. worth of books. Maybe I would've gotten beat up less too. :-)
Re:Twelve less books to worry about... (Score:2)
Forney, Not Dallas (Score:2, Funny)
Paper? (Score:4, Insightful)
Not so hot (Score:3, Insightful)
That being said, I would want the option to have some of the textbooks in book form still.
There really is something to be said for being able to flip through a book, or highlighting text and writing notes in the margins. Also, you don't need a charged battery to read a book, nor do you have to treat it as delicately as a computer. Also, while this is somewhat hypocritical because of how much I read on the computer everyday....I still wouldn't want to have to read a history book on the computer. Certain types of text are just easier on the eyes to read in a book. Short little sections would be fine on the computer, but not the longer stuff.
I don't get it... (Score:4, Interesting)
Admittedly its been a long time since I've been in school, but my textbooks were largely decades old when I was in school. They may be $350 a set, but spread out over 30 years, thats $15 a year per student.
We can barely keep an IBM laptop here at work running for a year before they break, and these are developers and sales guys, not 6th graders using them.
Even if the cost of the electronic versions was $0, I don't see how this is even remotely cost effective.
Re:I don't get it... (Score:2)
a shame (Score:2)
I wish they would put linux on these laptops for kids. Then they not only learn the regular school crap, but also learn that there are other ways to use a computer besides windows. I had a Mac for years because I was basically taught how to use them from Junior High and up. The only use we had for Windows was in our typing class, and all we did with that was use net send to make fun of each other. On a side note - I remember when they put Novell on our network in 9th grade when I went to military school. Th
Cost Effectiveness (Score:5, Interesting)
We all know laptops become antiquated within a few years. I find it highly unlikely that a laptop would last for 5 years, it's probable that at the 3-4 mark the school district would have to sink big $ into new software licenses, or just buy new machines.
I'm pretty sure I remember some of my school textbooks being pretty darn old... the signatures & dates of students being assigned to them were 10+ years on some books.
So how is buying laptops w/ ebooks saving any money?
Loads of money being misused (Score:2)
BTW, this Slashdot comment [slashdot.org] posted a few days back nicely sums up the current state of the school system in the US. I'd rather se
printing technology (Score:3, Interesting)
Textbooks, any way you like 'em (Score:5, Insightful)
Enter electronic textbooks. Publishers can now produce a unique version of any textbook for any given school system. What's more, the content is no longer static for years and years. Found a typo in that edition? We'll have that corrected and downloaded to you in a week. A major change in biology studies because of human genome research? No problem. Examples, homework assignments, and content need only be limited by how much the publisher can organize and layout. School systems' per-student textbook costs drop down to the cost of a computer per student (which follows them through high school or 'till they break it) and the publisher subscription costs.
Sure, there are problems with textbooks on a tablet computer. However, the cost and content benefits are so strong, school systems will be forced to switch. The bag full of books we lugged to and from school (through the snow) (uphill) (both ways) will become the old-fogey gag of our children.
Honto ni baka darou. (Score:2)
The overuse of computers with younger kids is incredibly evident today, as students emerge from high school
You know what this means, don't you? (Score:2)
Good Idea but maybe to early (Score:3, Interesting)
2. Not child safe (what if it falls) ( you need some gameboy like build device )
3. Expensive
4. Overpowered for this situation.
The best thing to do would to build a custom ebook reader. That wouldn't be to hard I think. Just take an el-cheapo (older model) PDA (its engine) and but a bigger LCD screen on and maybe a bit more vram.
For instance:
1. To save development costs on the hardware and OS and tools we will use the: Palm IIIc Handheld [dealtime.com]. Which has 256 colours and costs $79. Mind you this price is also including all the extra's like warrenty, batteries, small LCD and Synchronizing HotSync cradle and battery recharger (120 VAC, 60 HZ), Metal stylus, Palm Desktop organizer software, Handbook , Lithium ion rechargeable battery (internal)
So without all of that we will pay Palm $60 for the hardware and OS.
2. Just slap on a slow (not watching video or playing games) and cheap LCD of 800x600 that costs about $60 (in mass quantities). Example here [tinyurl.com]
3. Bluetooth module $5
4. Casing $10
A total price of $60 + $60 + $5 + $10 = $135 for hardware and OS. Now add some $$$ for development costs and accessories and profit and the price will be about $209,95.
Optional: Touchscreen, newer hardware, faster wireless networking etc.
As a Dallas County taxpayer (Score:2)
I could go on and on about those, but I won't. I invite you to check out the Dallas Observer [dallasobserver.com] for a glimpse into Dallas's politics. Read about the fake drug scandal, for instance.
Mr. Smith! (Score:2)
[classroom chanting]You've got Blaster! You've got Blaster!
Social Life of Information (Score:3, Interesting)
This is definitive tunnel vision.
Nice, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Great! So instead of printing a copy of the classics downloaded from the internet at a few pennies per copy, my child can now use a $1350 laptop:
I don't see any sense in this at all. Basically, this makes every child a target of criminal activity. But worse, it seems to me that this is a part of the greater "worship computers because they are the future..." mantra I see in schools. Just because little Johnny can use a computer doesn't mean he's not an idiot, and I believe that most businesses are aware of this fact. What's going to happen is that these parents are going to find out the hard way that the money they spent on computer hardware is actually going to be a disadvantage when it comes to their children going to college - you can't use a computer on standardized tests, and without it, little Johnny's going to be lost. No worry, though - he can still qualify for that fast food job and go to a "computer school," or community college where he'll learn how to be a Windows Admin for $6/hour (or whatever it pays by then). If he looks good, they might feature him in the commercials...
Rest assured, these students won't learn any computer science during this program. In fact, they'll be lucky to read even 10% of the books installed...
Computers don't teach logic or reason - if they did, a substantial portion of the population would not be making a living teaching inherently stupid machines to perform monotonous tasks.
Re:Nice, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
It seems to me that 'gillbates' is complaining about hypothetical problems, and ignoring how well laptops are actually working out in schools. If I had moderator points (just finished voting a few minutes ago, darn it) I'd mod him down. Instead I'll post.
$1,350 is certainly more than the cost of the textbooks ($350), but not much, and probaly less than the c
Apple's reason to replace pop out trays on iBook (Score:3, Insightful)
My guess would be its the former and I think the author's full of it. How can this author even lead us to believe that a school district in Virginia affects product design at Apple? Yeah, they buy a lot of laptops, but I think the author's stretching in making that proclamation. When the iBook came out with the slot load drive, it seemed like a natural progression because with the slot load upgrade also came the move to the G4 as well as numerous other changes like moving to Airport Extreme. The iBook was moving closer to the 12" PowerBook which has a slot load drive, G4 chip and Airport Extreme. I'm sure the drive to change the iBook design came more from integration of components across multiple platforms than a desire to prevent 11 years from breaking computers loaned to them.
Tech support will be a nightmare (Score:2)
This does not bode well for the messier students (Score:3, Interesting)
Textbook replacements? (Score:2, Interesting)
It would be great if when you walked into class the homework would automaticly be downloaed, and all assign
My little brother had one of these (Score:5, Insightful)
Also a couple kids at the school managed to download massive amounts of Porn onto their laptops.
As the parent of two students in Henrico.... (Score:3, Interesting)
A baby step in the right direction (Score:3, Insightful)
Weighty backpacks - I remember coming home from high school one day and putting my backpack on a scale. Binder and books only and the thing weighed over 35 pounds!
Material resources - For a school with 6 periods, at least two teachers covering a subject, and approximately 30 teens per class, it requires 360 textbooks for a single subject. That doesn't take into account unavoidable damage (floods one year caused about 1/3 of the class to need replacement books).
Revision / new data - Chemistry textbooks still teach the atom with nice even rings of protons around a clump of electrons and neutrons. That was out-of-date how many centuries ago?
However, the biggest problem is what many here have mentioned -- theft. The only way to make theft unrealistic would be to have the ThinkPads be so completely customized that they have no value to anyone but the student. Pink cases with 60's-style flowers wouldn't stop every thief - though it might be more quickly found and returned, stripped of anything of value. Serial numbers are easily removed. Even if the equipment is restored, the innards may have been ransacked or the data stripped or damaged.
Providing students with a home computer/system and a portable disk (or even better a USB key) for each textbook is better. However, you are now putting a valuable piece of equipment in homes without the security to keep it there. All it takes is someone who decides that old clunker would pawn for at least another hit or two. Penalizing the student or parents would do nothing to prevent it happening again.
We're going the right way, but there are an awful lot of roadblocks (mostly criminal minds determined to ruin any good thing) before we get where we need to be.
Experiences at another laptopped school (Score:3, Interesting)
The laptops tend not to be that useful in class. They don't replace textbooks, and they aren't used as an integral part of most classes (other than Digital Photo, I suppose). Certain lab science classes use them, but only because the school also purchased some motion detectors, temperature sensors, and other instruments that interface with the computers--this is pretty much just a novelty, as other, cheaper, things (like thermometers) could be used instead.
One theory is that the school started the laptop program in order to make it seem more "modern" and "in touch" with technology. Certainly one advantage is that by high school almost all the students are computer literate, having been forced to learn how to use their computers (or at least having been forced to learn how to properly reboot their computers after Windows crashes). And nobody is ever bored during study halls, thanks to the school-wide wireless network. But the laptops are still pretty much unnecessary.
Theft/loss/damage is also a problem due to the tendency of middle school and high school students to not be very careful with expensive stuff. The damage is easily fixed by the magic of reimaging and warranty coverage, but the theft is a little trickier.
Bad Idea (tm) (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, computer literacy is important. But so is LITERACY. Take away my computer today and ask me to do math or write or research a topic in a Library the old fashioned way, and I won't be happy, but I'll get by. These kids won't if you cover them with electrons at this age.
RP
Kids are HORRIBLY destructive. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:kinda stupid (Score:4, Funny)
what happens when the damn piece of crap breaks down?
You, um, sharpen the pencil?
Re:kinda stupid (Score:2)
Also having gone to school in Texas I can tell you that walking h
Re:clunk! (Score:2)
More like: "Uh, I dropped my laptop and now it just makes this clicking sound when I turn it on."
Re:links (Score:2)