I don't know what they were thinking

Post #280,852 by Seamus 4/6/07 6:52:38 PM Reply	I don't know what they were thinking I am hoping it was a lone Democrat who put forth that particular proposal. Seamus
Post #280,854 by Another Scott 4/6/07 7:38:09 PM Reply	Devil's Advocate time. The source of the report seems to be that editorial. I've seen no such bill at the Michigan Legislature's [link\|http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(euflky45ijpitx45ux3nafy0))/mileg.aspx?page=Bills\|website]. At the moment, it just seems to be a rant with no substance behind it. If, on the other hand, House Democrats Thursday offered a spending plan that would buy a MP3 player or iPod for every school child in Michigan. as the editorial claims, perhaps it's part [link\|http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/OPINION01/704050317/1008\|this] reasoning by the Speaker of the Michigan House: Other investments include establishing a state-of-the-art education system that bridges the technological divide and brings our classrooms into the 21st century. The plan would also make preschool available to every child in Michigan and makes higher education more affordable and accessible to Michigan students. The road map prepares communities to compete in the global economy by allocating $100 million to local communities to improve infrastructure and develop affordable housing so people are drawn to Michigan's downtowns. MP3 players can be cheap. It's easy to find them for [link\|http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000080023+4093&name=%2410+-+%2425\|$25]. I'm sure that in quantity the price can be brought down even more. I'm sure we all know that MP3 files can be much more than just music. [link\|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/5319258.stm\|Lectures, for instance]. I'd like to see the actual proposal before getting upset about it. FWIW. Cheers, Scott.
Post #280,860 by bepatient 4/6/07 9:06:04 PM Reply	News article [link\|http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704060315\|http://www.freep.com...AID=2007704060315] Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #280,874 by Another Scott 4/6/07 10:02:11 PM Reply	Thanks. Let's see. $38M / roughly [link\|http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=1942\|2 M] students = roughly $20 each. It doesn't look like Apple's going to be getting much business from this program. It'll still be interesting to see what the actual language of the proposal is. With the criticism of it in the press, I'm sure it'll get looked at carefully. Cheers, Scott.
Post #280,877 by bepatient 4/6/07 10:05:50 PM Reply	I still think its idiocy Buy them a book. Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #280,879 by Another Scott 4/6/07 10:24:08 PM Reply	Have you priced books lately? ;-)
Post #280,888 by Seamus 4/7/07 7:48:11 AM Reply	Have you seen the quality of school text books? They are frequently out of date, the writing is usually not very enticing to its audience not to mention sanitized of any real educational value. I think it is good they are looking at alternatives way to help increase the quality of the education the state is providing, and investing in Michigan's future has been on of their main talking points during the budget debate, but I think from a pr perspective it wasn't a good move. IMO I think they need to focus on increasing the desire of kids to learn in the first place and there is not a lot of proven methods to do this other than having quality teachers. Seamus
Post #280,971 by Ashton 4/8/07 2:24:05 AM Reply	What..? you would deprive these tykes of the opportunity to be harvested by their local, state, national and intl purveyors of shiny trinkets?! -- clever machines artfully designed to Fill All Time; meant to keep their attention span short, their desire for gratification instant, above all: to maintain their individual-$$ tithes flowing to --> the Interested Parties? Why would a kid want to find out about valence? when s/he can replay Who Shot Liberty Valance endlessly, effortlessly - while simultaneously plugged-in to the latest variation on an atavistic drum riff, likely in a loop (who could tell). And all: ever such s o o t h i n g . . . repetition as becomes Habit. Do you mean to destroy the incomes, aspirations for Second Homes/boats/UAVs of all those tireless hawkers of the devices which.. can free a young mind of All Difficult Work, henceforth? Fie on thee, antiCapitalist lackey! Knowest thee Not.. the Ends to which thy daily jobs are directed, within those utterly Econ-Efficient orgs? They who cleanest thy cubicles, reformulate thy Human Relations and create Professional Meetings in order to fill thee with similar Aspirations.. You would frustrate their desires?? Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin
Post #280,983 by Simon_Jester 4/8/07 8:59:37 AM Reply	Sounds like what they are doing.... <Shrug.>.. I still don't agree with it. But from Apple's website : [link\|http://www.apple.com/education/products/ipod/\|Audiobooks. Download audiobooks on a multitude of subjects from authors including Elie Wiesel, William Shakespeare, and Mark Twain.] From [link\|http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/ipod-learning\| another site], the author talks about giving, watching and storing lectures on his Ipod. The advantage there is that the author can watch and re-watch the lecture when they want to. (Possibly far more advantagous to college students than high school students) Blech. The disadvantages that I see are they there's no way to change the battery in the ipod (limited operational life), a high potential for abuse and students will want to keep their ipods after graduation (and would you want a hand-me-down ipod?)
Post #281,011 by Another Scott 4/8/07 5:00:01 PM Reply	Another potential advantage-especially in Detroit. 55kB img [link\|http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/04/ipod_vs_ak47_ip.html\|Wired News]: [image\|http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/ipodbullet.jpg\|0\|iPod Bullet\|762\|640] :-/ Cheers, Scott.

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