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Birmingham, Alabama schools getting 15000 OLPC XOs
If you (or your kiddo) just happens to be a first through eighth grader in Birmingham, Alabama, you (or your offspring) will soon be playing with an XO during regularly scheduled class time. Mayor Larry Langford has recently announced that a $3 million deal was signed in order to bring in one laptop per child for the aforementioned grades, or 15,000 XOs in total. Apparently, the schools will become the first in the nation to receive heaps of the low-cost lappies, which were sold to the district at $200 a pop. As for logistics, students can expect to receive their machine on April 15, 2008, and while pupils will be allowed to take 'em home, the school system can and will disable any that inexplicably "disappear."[Image courtesy of OLPCNews]
Kids not reading? Blame games!
Video games are certainly a convenient scapegoat for all the world's ills these days. Whether it's violence, temperament, or something more innocent that seems "wrong" about a child, many people are quick to blame gaming -- and simple facts (like whether or not the children in question actually play games, or what they play) hardly get in the way. The latest pointy finger of blame concerns the lowered reading skills and interest levels of British youth, and of course, if it's a problem, games must be the culprit, and of all the major consoles, regardless of the references to computers throughout the article, it's the Wii that gets the honor of being name-dropped as part of the problem.So what's the proof that games are at the heart of the falling reading skill levels? According to the Daily Mirror, "The 37 per cent of children in England who reported playing computer or video games for more than three hours a day constitutes one of the highest proportions among participating countries." So, despite any of the other factors mentioned in the article -- such as the fact that English students in the UK are less likely to be assigned reading homework than students in other countries, or the teachers who lambast that nation's "overloaded curriculum and testing system" -- clearly, the only problem is gaming, because kids are playing a lot of games.
California school district getting 1,000 Asus Eee PCs
Students in California's Fresno Unified school district have a little something to be excited about this week, as officials have just invested $650,000 in 1,000 Asus Eee PCs, set for classroom deployment over the next few weeks. The concept is to use the miniscule laptops alongside good, old-fashioned textbooks, with each student being given the chance to create a "digital portfolio" of essays, drawings, and whatever else they can get away with. The computers will remain in roughly 60 classrooms, and will be shared by students -- but some worry they'll hinder the learning process by distracting pupils. Says Stephen Lewis, a geology professor at California State University, Fresno, "Teaching and learning is a person-to-person business. Are we moving toward a remote-control classroom?" We're not sure what he means by that... then again, we drifted off half-way through his statement to watch a video of that dog on a skateboard.
College course via mobile phone being offered in Japan
Finally, your greatest and weirdest dream can be realized. Besides being able to check your Facebook account, email your girlfriend, call your Mom on the holidays, or play a Java version of Golden Axe, you can take a college class via your mobile phone. The questionably named Cyber University in Japan has begun offering a mobile class on the "mysteries of the pyramids," but instead of a typical PC's display of text, images, sound, and video, the mobile version offers a streaming Power Point presentation on the topic. The university -- 71-percent of which is owned by Softbank, a mobile service provider -- has 1,850 students, and offers almost 100 courses, though only one is available for phones. Sakuji Yoshimura, head of Cyber University, says that the technology will allow those with jobs or who have disabilities greater access to education. "Our duty as educators is to respond to the needs of people who want to learn," he said -- then went on to add, "Even if the course is interrupted by an SMS."Update: Did we say Golden Axe? Because we meant Wonder Boy. Whoops.
Science classes look to Pokemon for answers
Growing up, we all had our share of classes in school that approached education from an odd angle in an effort to keep us from staring out the window while daydreaming of the game we left on pause before getting on the bus. Games seldom played a role in the classroom, though the times spent playing educational games like Oregon Trail in school still make up some of our most fond memories. We were too busy having fun to know -- or care -- that we were being educated.Similarly, Nintendo, it seems, has latched onto the idea of tricking kids into having fun while learning. The company has partnered with the National Institute of Aerospace and Nortel LearniT for a set of downloadable lesson plans for science teachers that use characters and concepts from Pokemon, specifically Diamond and Pearl. Examples include learning how to tell time by the sun by studying the time-controlling Pokemon Dialga, or looking to Palkai's ability to control space as a window into the real universe. It's a interesting concept, obviously, though this flirts a bit too close to in-school marketing for our tastes. Aimed at children in grades 3-8, it's a good bet that many of these kids already know and play Pokemon, but for those who are not already one of the Nintendo faithful this could be an effective, if questionable means to secure new followers. 'Gotta catch 'em all' indeed.
Pokemon teaches more than just kidnapping
Seriously, when you think about Pokemon, in a lot of ways, it teaches you how to be a competent kidnapper. You find your target, physically beat the snot out of them until they can barely move and are on the verge of death, then you capture them in a ball and force them to fight for your amusement. Of course, that won't stop us from collecting them all, because we always finish what we start. Our parents just raised us that way.All joking aside, turns out some folk at Nintendo, The National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) and Nortel LearniT think that there's more to these Pokemon than meets the eye (someone should get on combining Transformers and Pokemon). They think that Pokemon can teach kids about science. At www.masterthescience.org, several lesson plans explaining how those that inhabit Pokemon Diamond & Pearl can teach science can be found. If only they had cool lesson plans like these back when we went to school, we might be doctors right now, instead of being chained to a laptop.
DS Daily: The benefits of brain training
A recent study in Scotland showed a vast improvement when kids supplemented their regular studies with a little dose of Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training. Looks like it really does work, at least when in a controlled environment. Of course, this is not the first time we've seen a little Brain Age used in schools, and we doubt it will be the last. However, it sets us up for what could be a good discussion this morning. First, do you think schools in the US will make the leap to trying out Brain Age? Second, do you feel that it helps you?
UK secondary school tests RFID embedded uniforms
Hungerhill School, a secondary school in Doncaster, South Yorkshire is running a trial that involves tagging the uniforms of pupils with RFID tags. The tags pull up data including academic performance, the child's current location, and can even deny access to certain restricted areas -- behind the bike shed, perhaps? The trial has raised the usual questions of privacy and human rights, although since the trial is voluntary and provides convenience by auto-registering pupils, the current iteration of the trial isn't a particularly great violation. Call us when kids get tags from birth, then we'll take to the streets: but probably only because ours missed out. We'll take our tongue out of our cheek now.[Via Picture Phoning]
Build your own underwater ROV for $250
Granted, this here project isn't nearly as inexpensive as the $100 underwater ROV from years back, but at least this one is propelled by something a bit more advanced than a pull string. Regardless, the ROV-in-a-Box Project Kit -- created by folks from Carl Hayden High School for use in the National Underwater Robotics Challenge -- is a $249.95 package that "includes all the parts needed to build a working underwater robot: a frame, motors, underwater light, camera, 50-foot tether, operator control box, and a dry-cell battery." Of course, you'll still be required to provide your own tools and TV monitor, but to take a closer look at exactly what a nickel under $250 will buy you, click on through for a detailed video (but do tap Mute beforehand, okay?).[Via GoRobotics]
IOGEAR's presentation mouse, 4GB wallet drive ready for class
We know, "back to school" isn't exactly a phrase that brings a smile to most students, but IOGEAR is hoping to get you a bit more jazzed up than usual about the fall semester with a new duo of products. Following the Digital Scribe, the firm has now unveiled a 4GB Flash Wallet Drive and 3-in-1 Wireless Phaser Presentation Mouse to presumably help you with your studies. The uber-thin wallet drive ($69.95) measures in at just 3-millimeters thick and ought to hold quite a few research papers, while the wireless mouse ($59.95) combines a laser pointer and track ball to aid you in making those presentations go as smoothly as possible. Both products should already be available at your campus store or nearby big box retailer.
Tracking sensors could hit school uniforms
Just a day after getting wind of those Kevlar-lined uniforms, it seems that English parents may want to monitor their kid's location throughout the day just to be cautious. Reportedly, a uniform manufacturer in England is "considering adding satellite tracking devices to its clothing range so parents will always know where their children are" -- a move encouraged by a recent survey that found some 44-percent of mums and dads to be "worried about the safety of their children." As expected, youngsters under the age of 12 didn't seem to mind the idea all that much, but teenagers were purportedly "more wary." C'mon, we all know the grown-ups just want to make sure they catch us skipping, right?[Via CNET, image courtesy of GreatForSchool]
Japan takes Monster Hunter summer school (seriously)
What could these summer school students be studying? If you guessed Monster Hunter Portable, you're absolutely right! The course was held at a school in Tokyo and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto was there to look on and greet the gamers. At the end of such rigorous "study," there was a special quest for download, and a t-shirt to don. If only real school could be this cool ...[Via PSPHyper]
Carlos Slim to hook Mexico up with 'millions' of laptops
Carlos Slim, who is (debatably) the richest man on the face of the planet, has recently pledged to do some good with all that fundage, and we'd say that donating "250,000 low-cost laptops to children by the end of the year and as many as one million in 2008" is a fine start. Noting "digital education" as the key for turning much of Mexico around, he is aiming to "initially put the laptops in libraries and schools" and hand them out to students afterwards. Moreover, he suggested that his company (Telmex) would be there to help set up wireless networks for the machines to connect to, and as if these plans were enormous enough, he's also looking to establish "early stimulation" preschools within four years to give "poor children training at a young age in math, language, and computers."[Via Wired]
Tampa Bay school gets pair of plug-in hybrid buses
From a kid's perspective, we're sure they'd much rather be cruising on the iPod-equipped bus than a vanilla version that gets significantly better mileage, but regardless, a Tampa Bay school will become the first to receive a pair of hybrid buses to shuttle students around while saving between 70 and 100-percent in fuel costs. The vehicles can be fully charged in around six hours, and while the aforementioned improvements are only so drastic for the first "50 miles or so," it's certainly not a bad start. 'Course, school district officials are hoping that fuel savings will eventually lead to more money for classroom improvements, but we reckon it'll be quite some time before the savings on fuel overtakes the up front cost of these (presumably pricey) machines. Click on for a peek at the video.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Slippery Rock University intros RFID payment system for mobiles
And you thought going away to college was the first step to freedom. Au contraire, students (and faculty, no less) entering Pennsylvania's Slippery Rock University will actually be faced with an RFID tag made for their handset, which will "allow them to pay for everything from laundry and copier services to movies and groceries in the surrounding town of Slippery Rock." The 13.56MHz tags were developed by Heartland Payment Systems and utilize NFC to make spending their parents' cash all the more simple. Of course, high rollers should be aware that their guardians can log in at any time and view their purchasing habits, so we'd be careful before pulling out the long face and car trouble story. The cards will reportedly cost around $1 apiece, but will be "available for free" to all of the SU students.[Via Textually]
Whiteboard projectors are / aren't dangerous: UK schools edition
Don't look now (for serious, we really mean it), but yet another health scare is taking those in England by storm, and this time whiteboard projectors are to blame for inducing panic in the hearts of mums and dads everywhere. The quarter-million academic projectors that have been installed all across the UK are now the focal point of an ongoing study, which suggests that a "viewer's peripheral retina could be overexposed even when they are not actually staring directly into the beam." Protesters are suggesting that the brightness be toned down to no more than 1,500 lumens, and a number of sensitive teachers and students alike have reported "dazzle effects" after looking at the board for an extended period of time. We could wonder if anyone actually expects the school systems to revert back to chalk in order to get things done, but more interestingly, who's up for swapping their PJ out for an RPTV (you know, before your retinas dissolve)?[Via The Register]
Reading "The Divine Comedy" ... or playing PSP?
This is certainly one of the most interesting marketing campaigns we've seen in some time. Sony's Italian division has been distributing fake hands that appear to be holding a copy of The Divine Comedy. However, when one flips the fake hands around, one can see instructions on how to play a PSP in class, while looking like a diligent student. We doubt the ploy will work too well ... but it's great to see Sony come up with an ingenious way of promoting PSP play amongst the younger crowd.
Mobiles blamed for cyberbullying, dubbed 'offensive weapons'
As if the UK didn't have enough gadget-related mischievousness going on, here's another liter of fuel for the perpetual fire. NASUWT -- that's the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers for those out of the loop -- is suggesting that mobile phones be classified as "potentially offensive weapons" and banned from school premises, all because a select few students found it necessary to use their handset to engage in "cyberbullying." Apparently, some students have used the camera function in their phones to snap pictures of their instructor, only to then post said images on "rating websites that can damage teachers' self esteem and careers." Sheesh, first iPods, now mobiles -- what are kids to do? Study?[Image courtesy of Textually]
Modular AudioGear system allows teachers to tone it down
While your offspring may be too busy attempting to snap a blur-free image of his / her instructor to actually listen to the lecture, those dedicated few who actually show up to learn may appreciate what AudioGear provides. Crafted by Logical Choice, this modular audio system is designed to allow every student, regardless of proximity to the teacher, hear his / her voice loud and clear. The system places a number of speakers around the room and equips the moderator with a wireless lapel microphone in order to broadcast their voice evenly without resorting to the tried and true screaming approach. Moreover, school's can "upgrade" their purchase in the future without replacing the core hardware in order to acquire a "voice enhancement system with infrared microphones for the teacher and students." Initial response in a number of Florida schools has been fairly positive thus far, but this thing sure would bum out the habitual nappers in the back row, for sure.
High School Musical: a great idea with one fatal flaw
We love the basic idea behind High School Musical. We think a karaoke game would be a big hit with the "expanded audience" out there in the "blue ocean." If we were the type to perform in front of people rather than hiding in total silence, we'd totally play it.The major problem with High School Musical is High School Musical. If we're going to be singing in a game, we'd rather not sing material from a Disney made-for-TV movie. We'd rather belt out the theme from Night Trap than whatever was written for High School Musical.Check the link for some new screens. We hope the game is more exciting than the microphone peripheral!
