The Wi-Fi On the Bus

theodp writes "For students who endure hundreds of hours on a school bus each year in a desert exurb of Tucson, the Wi-Fi on the bus improves the ride. Last fall, school officials mounted a $200 mobile Internet router from Autonet Mobile to bus No. 92's sheet-metal frame, enabling students to surf the Web. What began as a hi-tech experiment has had an unexpected result — Wi-Fi has transformed the formerly boisterous bus rides into a rolling study hall, and behavioral problems have virtually disappeared. 'Boys aren't hitting each other, girls are busy, and there's not so much jumping around,' said J. J. Johnson, the Internet Bus driver."

behavioral problems have virtually disappeared

[fph il quozientatore]

"behavioral problems have virtually disappeared" --- well, that depends on what you consider a behavioral problem. I find it healthier for a bunch of kid to be noisy and hyperactive (even if this involves occasionally hitting each other) than to be all hunched down on their 7'' netbooks checking Facebook.

Embrace the power of porn...

[Manip]

The boys are all looking at porn, and the girls are on social networks discussing how to get their boy's attention or how to make themselves look nicer than the professional porn stars...

In all seriousness however, in ten years I imagine that the internet will be accessible in every location and being unable to access the internet in the middle of the desert or on top of a mountain will result in some serious complaints to the phone companies.

Benefit of Online Social Networking

[gregux]

The kids never actually have to interact with one another. Problem solved.

Being the one usually getting hit.

[maillemaker]

Since I was the one usually getting hit, frankly I dont' wouldn't care what they are were hunched down on as long as it isn't me.

Re:And the zombification of our children continues

[gmuslera]

Pretty much depend on what they are doing while there, what you consider "education", and how much you consider education what they would be doing if that werent implemented. In any case, the main difference between internet and the things that parents put them at home, is that tv is not even interactive, and games are usually alone, no interaction with others.

Anyway, if they are so plugged at the bus, then at home they wouldnt be tv/ds/xbox, but pretty much at what they are doing at the bus.

BTW, i live in Uruguay, where most school children have an XO (and few days i read that they plan to give them to even younger kids), and there seem to be a trend to be quieter and plugged to them for some children at least. I hope that that kind of education don't have a clear negative effect (if it will be the end of childhood, please that be the A.C.Clarke version)

Re:And the zombification of our children continues

[demonlapin]

I can think of a vast number of trips in the car that I experienced as a child that would have been improved a million-fold by the presence of a movie. Driving is usually boring. I did a lot of reading on trips, but that was trouble on long trips - I wouldn't always finish the book when we were near a major metro area.

Most things that kids get dragged along to are things that the adults really don't want the kids around for - like grocery runs - but that would be too expensive to hire a babysitter for every time you wanted to do them. Couple that with increased expectations of supervision by the authorities (see here [latchkey-kids.com]; Illinois requires supervision at all times for all kids under 14, and the site and several states' CPS suggest that children should be 12 before they're ever left alone), and you've got kids spending a lot more time in the car than thirty years ago. I was left home alone by 7 or 8 for short trips, by 10 for several-hour blocks, and by 12 I was babysitting my sister all day during the summer. I also walked home from school, about a mile, from third grade on. (If the weather was nice, I'd ride my bike both ways, but I liked to sleep late too much to wake up early enough to walk there.)

Re:And the zombification of our children continues

[CAIMLAS]

Right, because before putting wifi on the bus, there were so many opportunities for learning and self-achievement

Actually, you're right. They're missing the mark on the public school mission, and what public schools are best at: socialization.

Really, there's no better argument for mass public schools: get along with those around you and you'll be a good adult, or some such shit. The education is shit, so nothing to remark about as a positive there.

So, truly: the wifi is detracting from the Mission Statement. Someone will probably have to get rid of it.

Re:Meh

[kent_eh]

Or, you know, make sure that kids have to live closer to where they go to school and then make them walk to school.

You have never lived outside of a densely populated urban area, have you?
As a farm kid, I spent about an hour on the bus each day.
I did ride my bike some days when it was warm enough, but 6 miles each way (2 of which were gravel road) took a lot of time away from chores, homework and sports.

Our bus driver installed a car stereo in the bus (at his own expense) and put on the rock station to keep us quiet.

Re:behavioral problems have virtually disappeared

[Zero_Independent]

Spoken like a true Uncle Tom. Let me ask you something. Why the fuck should I try to relate to people with half my intelligence? Hmm? To make friends? I got friends. They're all G like me. If someone doesn't have anything interesting to say, that's their fucking problem, not mine. It's not my job to try to make myself more accessible. Maybe the rest of the world can take some advice from me instead. Stop being so fucking stupid.