Michigan's plan to buy every child a MP3 player or iPod I consider ludicrous

[LiberalFighter]

How does a MP3 player or iPod relate directly to education? It is not a tool that could be utilized for the education environment. If anything it will cause more problems for the teachers maintaining order within the classrooms.

[babylonsister]

1. I think it's stupid as hell myself; must be nice not to need new books,

better teachers, an improved curriculum, facility maintenance, etc. And what happens when they break?

[MADem]

2. If they have money for that shit, why don't they invest it in Flint?

That poor town could use some help...

[Buzz Clik]

3. Duke University tried this concept one time for the incoming freshman class.

The idea was that the iPods could be used in roughly half the classes. It didn't pan out, and they dropped the program.

So... let's see: Duke couldn't pull it off in an institution that screens for brilliant students and brilliant teachers. And Michigan wants to do this on a huge scale for all kids and public school teachers who have been screened for .... having a pulse. Anybody want to wager on the potential success of this?

[notadmblnd]

4. link?

nt

[grilled onions]

7. Don"t Know How To Link but the story is from...

DetroitNews.com

[MichiganVote]

16. What issue or date is this article from?

[InvisibleTouch]

5. Gee, I'd like one!

No state government is handing one out to me, though. Hmph.

[MichiganVote]

6. Where's the link for this claim?

[donsu]

8. can MP3s and iPods serve kool aid?

nt

[babylonsister]

9. Here's a link:

http://news.com.com/2061-10801_3-6174170.html

[MichiganVote]

17. This op-ed piece makes no sense. Lawmakers don't deliver bills

with "ideas" of providing anything. An item will either be included in a bill or not.

[Ethelk2044]

10. Colleges

They are probably seeing how colleges are utilizing the ipod with lectures. Therefore they think the students will use them the same way. Some colleges started giving them out when the students register for classes. The teachers post the lectures on the web and they download them to ipods. The children would be able to play the lectures over and over again. However, it would take a lot of discipline for high school students to do the same.

[Bluedogvoter]

11. I know you can use podcasts to teach, but....

I still think its a huge waste of money and less effective than many other ways of teaching.

[fujiyama]

12. WTF?

This really is stupid. What is with all these new schemes to get ineffective and unproven technology to aid in education? There is no evidence they help at all. It seems like more corporate welfare for tech companies like Apple, Dell, etc.

This state is so fucked.

Now I see why. Stupid decisions by both parties. No accountability whatsoever for anyone. You see it from the government to the way automakers operate...and the way the government keeps excusing their poor performance by trying to blame the Japanese.

What happened to spending money on those things called books? You know, getting back to the basics...

My guess is history books in Detroit and Flint are outdated. Labs are probably nonexistant. Libraries likely have no funding either.

[ulysses]

13. Atlanta's working on the iPod thing.

My old para and I quickly decided that our kids would do a pretty brisk business in very slightly used iPods. :D

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Technology cannot save bad instructors, and good instructors don't need it.

Sorry to sound so absolutist about it, but that's the essence of it. I still use chalk on a board, because it's the best tool for the job.

[ddeclue]

15. If it were a reward for academic excellence that would be one thing.

It might serve as a good motivator.

On the other hand a free I-pod for everyone regardless of performance seems like a "CEO bonus plan" to me.


Doug D.
Orlando, FL