I love technology, and I love the fact that I am connected 99% of the time, but I have been patiently waiting for some voice of reason to come in and discuss this story, “Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy bus Into Rolling Study Hall”. Please, please, please tell me you have some concerns with this! Has anyone else ever read the book “Brave New World?”
I would love to say that I think that districts are doing this to let kids double-check their homework or enhance the previous night’s review for a test (as district officials allude to in the article), but the bottom line is that they are putting Wi-Fi in busses in an effort to make the kids catatonic. Why deal with the problem if we can sit the kids in front of the computer to shut them up?
Aren’t educators the same people who complain incessantly that parents are at fault for kids going home and sitting in front of the TV or the computer for hours on end instead of engaging in meaningful learning? Why not give every kid on the bus a book to read? Oh wait, because the book wouldn’t hypnotize kids the way the shiny MACs do! It would be one thing if they were installing Wi-Fi in the busses as a means to providing kids with a tool, but this situation is completely different.
I speak frequently about the appropriate use of technology. This could very easily be labeled as an inappropriate use. Rather than having the kids learn some type of self-control or discipline, a computer and the internet are looked at as a panacea. I hope that I am wrong about the rationale for why they put Wi-Fi on the bus. I really do.
Note: Wi-Fi on the buses is pretty cool. Isn’t it?
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hmmm. Interesting angle. I am not sure i agree. I think we need to stop thinking that learning is not engaging on the internet. Case in point your blog. I am very engage by the discussions and insight I get from this blog and others online. Wifi on buses is a good idea, I think. At some point the internet will be accessible everywhere and I don’t think that is a problem. Books are not more engaging then the internet. There are tons of bad books. however what we are not teaching either with books or the internet is Mindfulness. Why not find of that instead of against Wifi. I say pick your battles and instead of arguing for limiting the use of computers, be an example of mindful other ways to experience the world.
Also I just reread Dewey pedagogic creed. I am guessing you have too….but would be interested to hear your response after teaching for a while.
http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm
again thanks for engaging me in learning.
I particularly loved that one of the few examples of kids doing real work in this article was the kid going over his english paper. Ahem. . . you don’t need wireless to go over a document– if kids have laptops, there is still lots of work to be done off line. Not to mention with BOOKS! I do think that we need to be mindful about creating “unplugged” time for children.
I have really mixed feelings on this in terms of access– might this be a great opportunity for kids who are heading to a home with no internet access? Yes. Is it facilitating gaming and more “screen” time at the expense of interactions with peers. Probably.
Tricky! Thanks for bringing this up.
Well put, Aaron. Your point hits home with me. Why we are dong this is important. If we are placing WiFi just to shut the kids up, then I’m not ok with this. Especially when I know too many schools and teachers who still ban wireless devices. If it’s good enough for the bus, then it had better be good enough for the classroom or wherever, and not just when ‘we’ find it convenient.
I have to say that your blog is one of the few that I read daily. Quite thoughtful stuff goes on here.
Joe
http://www.joebower.org
I like Wi-fi on the bus, regardless of the reason. Students who wish to use it well, will. Those who wish to abuse it, will. Those who wish to act up, will still act up. Internet access does not change behavior, I believe it offers opportunities to those who wish to take advantage. Out here in West Texas, some of the bus rides are up to 5 hours in length. I think the opportunities that being wired offers, absolutely outweigh the concerns.