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Maine might use stimulus funds for... APPLE LAPTOPS???

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I think laptops for kids are overrated, but certainly making them expensive macs is braindead.
Do we want our children to know how to use technology better than the kids in India, or should we cut programs like these and continue to ship our high-tech jobs overseas?
Click to expand...
Um, the kids in India don't have laptops

Most kids have a computer at home anyway and those that don't are almost certainly poor, which pretty much means they'll be pumping gas/stamping metal when they grow up anyway, so why even bother.
 
Originally posted by: Hacp

Topic Title: Stimulus funds might be used to give punk Kids free Apple laptops
Topic Summary: Your tax dollars hard at work
Click to expand...

There is nothing more to say. This is outrageous. You'd expect the money to go into scientific research or infrastructure building. I mean, if you're going to give these guys laptops, 400 dollar ones are available easy. This is just a huge waste of taxpayer money. If stimulus funds gets approved for this, expect to hear cries of outrage.
Click to expand...

Ummm... You should realize that, at the current cost of printing and shipping bound paper books, and the added cost of regularly updating replacing them, this may end up saving the school system money, especially when they're buying them at a bulk academic price. Add to that the other functions that can be done in a classroom environment, such as being able to give exams and to write, submit, present and grade exams and tailored individual communication and counseling between students and the teacher, and you've got a hell of a bargain.

Welcome to education in the 21st century. 😎

If the school system has already standardized on Mac's, it would cost more to try to convert some, if not all of the system to PC's than to continue with Mac's.

And exactly WHAT makes you presumtuous enough to believe that every student in the Maine public school system is a "punk?" 😕
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I think laptops for kids are overrated, but certainly making them expensive macs is braindead.
Do we want our children to know how to use technology better than the kids in India, or should we cut programs like these and continue to ship our high-tech jobs overseas?
Click to expand...
Um, the kids in India don't have laptops

Most kids have a computer at home anyway and those that don't are almost certainly poor, which pretty much means they'll be pumping gas/stamping metal when they grow up anyway, so why even bother.
Click to expand...

Honestly, a laptop can make sense if you can justify the costs. If macbooks are purchased at the going market rate, as opposed to a bulk/wholesale rate, then it would be hard to justify the costs. As a mac user and educator, I don't really see anything app-wise that can't also be had on an equivalent PC. But like it was said earlier, there isn't any info given that says what they paid per unit.

As far as computing devices are concerned, a simple ebook reader (somethign like the Kindle, but without wifi/evdo 'net access) to replace the constantly wearing out/lost/stolen/obsolete print textbooks would really serve the students well. If you were simply providing laptops to make sure the kids have equal access to online resources and experience with computers, why not something as cheap as an Eee PC or the XO laptop? I know here in Birmingham they rolled out a pilot program with the XO, so I'd be curious to see how it has turned out...
 
I used laptops at my school everyday and it's easier to have a laptop cart in a room, than to have all the kids go all the way down to some lab room. It'd take like 5 minutes to walk there anyway. My school was large. Easier to roll the cart down/up each hall.
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Originally posted by: Hacp

Topic Title: Stimulus funds might be used to give punk Kids free Apple laptops
Topic Summary: Your tax dollars hard at work
Click to expand...

There is nothing more to say. This is outrageous. You'd expect the money to go into scientific research or infrastructure building. I mean, if you're going to give these guys laptops, 400 dollar ones are available easy. This is just a huge waste of taxpayer money. If stimulus funds gets approved for this, expect to hear cries of outrage.
Click to expand...

Ummm... You should realize that, at the current cost of printing and shipping bound paper books, and the added cost of regularly updating replacing them, this may end up saving the school system money, especially when they're buying them at a bulk academic price. Add to that the other functions that can be done in a classroom environment, such as being able to give exams and to write, submit, present and grade exams and tailored individual communication and counseling between students and the teacher, and you've got a hell of a bargain.

Welcome to education in the 21st century. 😎

If the school system has already standardized on Mac's, it would cost more to try to convert some, if not all of the system to PC's than to continue with Mac's.

And exactly WHAT makes you presumtuous enough to believe that every student in the Maine public school system is a "punk?" 😕
Click to expand...

I don't know what High/middle school you went to, but from where I came from, they reused textbooks for as long as 10 years, sometimes even more. Ya.. I'm sure they'll be saving shipping costs equivalent to thousands of macs given to students that will be graduating in 4 years.. Right.
 
Why the fuck are they even doing this? Really, does the school giving a kid a computer do anything for the kid? Most people have one at home, if they don't, they can go to a computer lab.

This pisses me off more than the fools in CT giving cell phones away.
 
Originally posted by: Evan
Punk kids? Your threads and posts are awful.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Those punk kids and welfare mommies and illegals are the root of every problem in this country.
 
Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: Harvey

Ummm... You should realize that, at the current cost of printing and shipping bound paper books, and the added cost of regularly updating replacing them, this may end up saving the school system money, especially when they're buying them at a bulk academic price. Add to that the other functions that can be done in a classroom environment, such as being able to give exams and to write, submit, present and grade exams and tailored individual communication and counseling between students and the teacher, and you've got a hell of a bargain.

Welcome to education in the 21st century. 😎

If the school system has already standardized on Mac's, it would cost more to try to convert some, if not all of the system to PC's than to continue with Mac's.

And exactly WHAT makes you presumtuous enough to believe that every student in the Maine public school system is a "punk?" 😕
Click to expand...

I don't know what High/middle school you went to, but from where I came from, they reused textbooks for as long as 10 years, sometimes even more. Ya.. I'm sure they'll be saving shipping costs equivalent to thousands of macs given to students that will be graduating in 4 years.. Right.
Click to expand...

I don't know what century you live in, but history changes faster, and the impact of those changes spread faster and wider than in previous years. Try looking up Osama Bin Ladin or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the causes and effects of the current worldwide financial collapse in your ten year old textbooks. Then, try to teach the equivalent growth of scientific and technical information over the same period.

In the 21st century, a ten year old history or science textbook may as well be an archological relic for all the good it is. :light:
 
Well I guess it isnt all bad. I wish I had laptops in my class.

Of course I would probably end up watching porn on it or playing CSS than doing work. Even if it had preventive software on it, we students would surely find a way around it.
 
Originally posted by: Hacp
The state of Maine has expanded a growing student laptop program that now includes most of the state's high school students, requiring Apple to ship 64,000 MacBook laptops to the state.

The Maine Department of Education may need an additional 7,000 MacBooks on top of the 64,000, which surely will please Apple during a global recession. Around half of the public high schools in Maine are taking part in the program, with some school districts requesting official waivers to use stimulus funds to pay for the program.

The laptops are expected to reach Bangor, Portland, and Augusta, with several other school districts expected to announce their participation in the program.

Since 2002, the Maine Technology Learning Initiative (MTLI) has provided middle school students across the state with MacBook laptops. The state's Department of Education decided to expand the offering so students in grades 7 up to 12 will have access to the state-funded laptops.

"We have seen incredible success with our middle schools showing increased student engagement and achievement with MTLI in place and we want to bring this same opportunity to our high schools," Maine Education Commissioner Sue Gendron said in a statement issued by the state. "This is not just about technology -- it's about using the technology to support education."

Apple will work with state officials to include software that can be used by students to work on documents, create presentations, edit photos, and carry out other necessary tasks. The laptops will ship with programs such as iLife and iWork, along with whatever software the state of Maine believes is necessary.

There have been scattered reports of both public schools and universities providing some type of laptop or MP3 player device to students, but it obviously is still a very rare occasion. A growing number of school districts have shown interest and e-book readers to cut down on the cost of printed text books, but that has been met with state and regional money issues.
Click to expand...

There is nothing more to say. This is outrageous. You'd expect the money to go into scientific research or infrastructure building. I mean, if you're going to give these guys laptops, 400 dollar ones are available easy. This is just a huge waste of taxpayer money. If stimulus funds gets approved for this, expect to hear cries of outrage.
Click to expand...

Who knows? Perhaps if you'd been better educated you wouldn't be so screwed up inside.
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Another advantage -- Dogs can't eat homework on your hard drive. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Nope, but click on the wrong link and your documents could all end up replaced with ascii pics of dogs humping in the street. Or...well.....they could pee on it. That tends to work well... :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: Harvey

Ummm... You should realize that, at the current cost of printing and shipping bound paper books, and the added cost of regularly updating replacing them, this may end up saving the school system money, especially when they're buying them at a bulk academic price. Add to that the other functions that can be done in a classroom environment, such as being able to give exams and to write, submit, present and grade exams and tailored individual communication and counseling between students and the teacher, and you've got a hell of a bargain.

Welcome to education in the 21st century. 😎

If the school system has already standardized on Mac's, it would cost more to try to convert some, if not all of the system to PC's than to continue with Mac's.

And exactly WHAT makes you presumtuous enough to believe that every student in the Maine public school system is a "punk?" 😕
Click to expand...

I don't know what High/middle school you went to, but from where I came from, they reused textbooks for as long as 10 years, sometimes even more. Ya.. I'm sure they'll be saving shipping costs equivalent to thousands of macs given to students that will be graduating in 4 years.. Right.
Click to expand...

I don't know what century you live in, but history changes faster, and the impact of those changes spread faster and wider than in previous years. Try looking up Osama Bin Ladin or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the causes and effects of the current worldwide financial collapse in your ten year old textbooks. Then, try to teach the equivalent growth of scientific and technical information over the same period.

In the 21st century, a ten year old history or science textbook may as well be an archological relic for all the good it is. :light:
Click to expand...

So you're going to replace perfectly good textbooks just cause you're missing a chapter? Instead of getting a newspaper article describing the event, lets just waste thousands buying new textbooks! No wonder we're trillions in debt.
 
Originally posted by: Hacp

So you're going to replace perfectly good textbooks just cause you're missing a chapter?
Click to expand...

So you still think ten year old textbooks are worth squat in an instantateous world? :roll:

Instead of getting a newspaper article describing the event, lets just waste thousands buying new textbooks! No wonder we're trillions in debt.
Click to expand...

Better yet, save a few trees, and hit Google for far more in depth and wider ranging sources of info. But if you didn't fail arithmetic in your school, I'll give you something to chew on with figures I'm pulling out of thin air, but they're reasonable...

If a MacBook costs $1,000 at the schoolboard's quantity and an educational discount, and an average textbook costs around $35, that will buy each student a little over 28 books, or four books for each of seven classes, or two books for fourteen classes, over the student's full time in middleschool and highschool.

During that time, every one of those e-textbooks can be continually updated and errata can be corrected, and every one of those students can hand in their homework, write their papers, and get their grades and individual counseling and assistance from all of their teachers, counselors and advisors, all without wasting paper or spending a penny for gas beyond what they need to get to and from school for classes.

Did I mention they can also do group projects and group study sessions with the same savings?

None of this replaces or removes the need for good teachers and caring parents because the technology can just as easily be used for mischief, but get over your faux outrage, and get used to taking advantage of technology in the 21st century. That's what other nations are doing, and right now, they're eating our lunch when it comes education and our future. 🙁

Hell! I'm 67, and I can understand that. WTF is your problem? 😕
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Original article is missing lots of details.

How many districts in Maine are requesting this stimulus waiver?

How many laptops total would be purchased using this waiver?

What is the cost per laptop?

If Maine used non-stimulus funds to purchase Apple laptops, why would they start buying PCs now (and require supporting two separate systems instead of one unified system)?

Do we want our children to know how to use technology better than the kids in India, or should we cut programs like these and continue to ship our high-tech jobs overseas?
Click to expand...

The point is... fed stimulus money for fucking cherried out laptops for kids?

BTW... giving kids laptops ain't going to help shit...

Great... our kids can twitter... their kids can actually do long division and thus actuall understand math and science.... we are fucked. lol
 
Originally posted by: Hacp
The state of Maine has expanded a growing student laptop program that now includes most of the state's high school students, requiring Apple to ship 64,000 MacBook laptops to the state.

The Maine Department of Education may need an additional 7,000 MacBooks on top of the 64,000, which surely will please Apple during a global recession. Around half of the public high schools in Maine are taking part in the program, with some school districts requesting official waivers to use stimulus funds to pay for the program.

The laptops are expected to reach Bangor, Portland, and Augusta, with several other school districts expected to announce their participation in the program.

Since 2002, the Maine Technology Learning Initiative (MTLI) has provided middle school students across the state with MacBook laptops. The state's Department of Education decided to expand the offering so students in grades 7 up to 12 will have access to the state-funded laptops.

"We have seen incredible success with our middle schools showing increased student engagement and achievement with MTLI in place and we want to bring this same opportunity to our high schools," Maine Education Commissioner Sue Gendron said in a statement issued by the state. "This is not just about technology -- it's about using the technology to support education."

Apple will work with state officials to include software that can be used by students to work on documents, create presentations, edit photos, and carry out other necessary tasks. The laptops will ship with programs such as iLife and iWork, along with whatever software the state of Maine believes is necessary.

There have been scattered reports of both public schools and universities providing some type of laptop or MP3 player device to students, but it obviously is still a very rare occasion. A growing number of school districts have shown interest and e-book readers to cut down on the cost of printed text books, but that has been met with state and regional money issues.
Click to expand...

There is nothing more to say. This is outrageous. You'd expect the money to go into scientific research or infrastructure building. I mean, if you're going to give these guys laptops, 400 dollar ones are available easy. This is just a huge waste of taxpayer money. If stimulus funds gets approved for this, expect to hear cries of outrage.
Click to expand...

You deal in sensationalism much?
or for that matter your topic title is an out and out lie......

Punk kids?????
 
I'd rather it went to "punk" kids than to pay bonuses to already overpaid CEO's. And the money that went to the CEO's bonuses should be reclaimed.
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Another advantage -- Dogs can't eat homework on your hard drive. :laugh:
Click to expand...

But they can chew the frickin power cord (twice in my case) or pee on the keyboard and short the thing out.
 
This seems exorbitant. Then again, some people are all too eager to throw money at education. Add another computer lab to the school; there is no reason students need to have laptops at all times. I don't see how the use of computers at this level is helpful to children at all. Chances are, they will spend plenty of time on a computer at home, or at a library. Do we really need children so plugged in? Children need to learn how to think, not how to type questions into google.
 
Might cost more up front but the lower need of tech support for a good running OS will make up for it in the long run 😛
 
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Well some asked for change and this is what we get......


Of course I dont see why they needed Apples either. They could have easily got some cheap laptops or netbooks from Dell or HP for under $400ea after the bulk buy.
Click to expand...

Netbooks are $300 ea without a bulk buy, and will do all that is needed for high school (research, papers, etc).
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Do you get all your information about our public school system from South Park, or have you actually visited a classroom and talked to teachers?
Click to expand...

my mother is a teacher and i count many teachers amongst my friends. thanks for asking. and thanks for diverting the issue into a personal attack rather than answering the question of whether computers are useful in, say, english class.
 
jpeyton is glossing over several crucial disadvantages to laptops. But really, anyone surprised?

Serious waste of money.
 
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