schools
Latest
RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices
The "good guys" have tried to tempt college kids with free legal music for far too long to no avail, and after continuous failed attempts at gaining traction here in the US, it's no surprise that the RIAA would devote precious man-hours to concocting a most-wanted list of pirating schools. It should be noted that the top 25 is based on the amount of warnings sent out from the university to its students, and some schools may be omitted simply due to a lack of response on the administration's end. Nevertheless, it's reported that over three times as many infringement notices have been sent out during the 2006 - 2007 school year versus the year prior, but the RIAA did attribute some of that boost to its heightened awareness and tracking capabilities. Interestingly enough, the top spot holder doesn't seem to be overly concerned about its position, as Purdue feels the "service provider" shouldn't be the one lashing out at "criminals," essentially brushing that RIAA grief right off its shoulder. Still, we all know what you're here for, and that's to see if your alma mater made the dubious cut (full list after the jump), and while some here at Engadget can proudly proclaim to be in the top ten (ahem), drop us a comment and let us know where you stand.[Via TWW]
West Virginia expands Dance Dance Revolution program
Although Snowshoe, Winterplace, and Canaan Valley (to name a few) are just getting cranked for the winter ski rush, it seems like the locals are the last ones hitting the slopes and burnin' through the calories, but there's just no escaping the workouts if you attend a West Virginia public school. Following the first round of Dance Dance Revolution implementations in the school systems, the state has now announced intentions to stick with the program for awhile longer. Apparently, children who participated in the trials were able to maintain their weight and "saw a reduction in some risk factors for heart disease and diabetes," and now plans are to put DDR in every single public school statewide. Furthermore, children who hopped on the mats for a frenzied round or two ended up feeling "more comfortable" participating in other extracurricular activities, somewhat proving that video games don't breed killers. Nah, there's no word on whether the principal / teachers will be fiercely competing with the kiddos, but we're not holding our collective breath.
New Zealand high-schoolers to use "text-speak" on national exams
While Aussies are still debating whether or not texting should be a recognized subject in school, New Zealanders apparently have no qualms with the so-called "extension of the English language." High school students in New Zealand will be able to use "text-speak" on this year's written national examinations if they so desire, which should send old-fashioned scorers into fits of rage while trying to wade through a myriad of words lacking vowels. New Zealand's Qualifications Authority said that it still strongly discourages students from using anything other than "full English," but that credit will be given if the answer "clearly shows the required understanding," even if the students uses "lol" and "CU" to get there. It was noted that grammar-based sections would require actual words to be spelled out, removing that competitive advantage where it probably matters most. Nevertheless, it's yet another small step for texting, and a giant leap for the English language -- right?[Via Textually]
Australian schools to make texting a subject?
Kids these days have all the luck it seems -- not only can they undermine proctors by texting answers around the classroom, but now Victorian middle-schoolers may get the chance to take SMS 101. University of Melbourne's John Frow has insinuated that teaching children the value of abbreviations commonly used in text messages may give kids the opportunity to enjoy learning about the underpinnings of the English language. While he does admit that there's no educational merit in teaching 8 to 10-year olds how to establish an after school 'roo-riding party with as few characters as possible, he feels that lessons in texting can lead to a deeper understanding about "important translations from one language to another" and give youngsters the chance to "think critically" about the way we communicate. While Federal Minister Julie Bishop has "condemned" the notion of basing a course around SMS, Victorian Education Minister Lynn Kosky is backing the Victorian school systems, but whether or not the presumably anxious students will ever get the luxury of TXTNG 4 A PROF remains to be seen.[Via Textually]
Angered parents considering lawsuit over unconsented fingerprinting
Although it still seems a bit dodgy, we can understand the need for biometric identification in governmental positions and (to a lesser extent) the chaotic lines of Walt Disney World. But when a school system starts swiping fingerprints from students without so much as prior notification to the guardians, thoughts of a lawsuit are imminent. Janine Fletcher, a "solicitor and concerned parent who instigated the legal response," found the actions of 70 schools in Cumbia County downright disturbing, and has apparently rounded up a group of sue-happy supporters to back the cause. Institutions in the area reportedly acquired the unsuspecting students' fingerprints without so much as asking the parents for their consent, and once the prints are on file, local police have a "huge database" of potential crime lords to sift through without the need to arrest them first. While the schools did muster the courage to drop each parent a note in the mail regarding their recent deeds, alerting the cautious mums after invading their kids' privacy indeed seems a bit backwards. Anyways, if you've got nothing to hide (at the moment, of course), then there's no need to fret -- the classic argument -- but having the biometrics already on tap should make prosecuting those students-turned-thieves a much easier process should it become necessary.
Biometrics come to lunch lady land
Since today's children will inevitably grow up to be tomorrow's criminals, what better way to get their fingerprints on file than by using biometrics as a payment method for those delicious, nutritious school lunches? Lunch has certainly gotten a lot more high-tech since the days when we were students (you used to be able to fill up on Tastycakes and chips -- no MealPayPlus to ruin your atrocious dietary regimen), and now one school district in Georgia has taken it to next level by installing print scanners that allow students to instantly put meals on their growing tabs. Apparently the Rome City Schools have already had a PIN-based payment system in place for some time now, but as second grader Adrianna Harris opined, "The finger's better because all you've got to do is put your finger in, and you don't have to do the number and get mixed up." Good point, Adrianna, although with calculators already having taken away our adeptness at simple arithmetic and cellphones making it increasingly impossible to remember anyone's phone number, this new method seems like it might hinder yet another valuable life skill: the ability to properly operate an ATM. Still, we're all for technology making the lunch line move faster, but paranoid parents looking to keep their progeny "off the grid" will probably want to start packing bagged meals from now on -- along with keeping their disappointed kids as far away from Disneyworld as possible.
The Real Reason Behind Apple's Boot Camp
I think I've realized the real reason why Apple has released Boot Camp, and why it'll be part of Leopard when it's released. As C.K. suggests, it's a move to be more competitive in the desktop PC market, but it's more than that. Apple's marketshare in some of their traditional strongholds (like Education) has been slipping for some time, and Boot Camp is nothing short of an all-out frontal assault to reverse that trend. Here's how it works in most schools and large organizations:- most universities still have both PC's and Macs. Of course, some have moved entirely to Dells, but the majority still have both.- the computers in schools and large organizations tend to be refreshed every 3-4 years as part of a refresh program. This is hardwired to the IT budget; it's scheduled to happen.- computer labs and classrooms are designated either a Mac classroom or a Windows classroom, by necessity.Imagine a school budget that simply replaces all the computers campus-wide with new Intel Macs that can run anything we throw at them. Need to run Windows? Image the iMac with the WinXP image. Need to run Mac OS X? Image the iMac with the Tiger (or Leopard) image. Need to run either (because it's a dual-purpose classroom)? Install both and teach the lab assistants and instructors how switch between the environments. It might even be scheduled to reboot the classroom between classes so it's transparent to the end-user.Now imagine that you're a sysadmin and you could tell your boss that you could outfit a classroom or a lab with one model computer that could run either your Mac image or your Windows image, or even both of the images? Suddenly your rooms are dual-use rooms. The AutoCAD kids can simple boot the computer to Windows to turn their software and two hours later, the Graphic Design students can boot the computers to Mac OS X to run their design applications!Boot Camp is a bombshell change in the PC desktop marketplace. Suddenly, there will be options available to us sysadmins that we've never had before. This development is going to allow an organization to achieve the holy grail in computer workstation management--complete standardization on one model computer (e.g. the new Intel iMac). I'm so excited about this possibility that my workchair is spinning. Certainly, I'm not alone.
