Kids And Mobile

I don't have kids but I am in the fortunate position of being an uncle to a few little and adorable nephews and nieces. The best part about being an uncle is the absolution of any real parental responsibilities.

However, I am concerned about the mental and educational development of these kids. Instead of yielding their development to the Disney gang, Dora, and clueless blue dog, I tried to get them to work with games and puzzles. Of course, that doesn't always work.

But they were highly interested in my iPhone. And now, with my iPad. So, i make it a point to load up a page of apps suitable for their use.

Of course, it isn't just replace the TV with an iPad. A lot of it involves adult supervision. My three-year old nephew is adept with the home button and the swiping.

I think there is an inherent advantage to this. Not only I am able pull these kids away from the TV, which is the biggest win of all, they are learning something. At least, that's what I am hoping.

So far, the app that had the cutest animals, the noisiest, and large buttons seem to my nephews favorites. With an alphabet app, I worked with the kids to repeat the sounds. I think in two weekends of playing with the apps, my oldest nephew has learned quite a bit.

And that is what is going to make mobile work. Most the important mobile lesson I got out of this experience. Parents, teachers, and caretakers don't have to be tethered to a desktop to work with children. The convenience of a robust mobile platform with child-proof hardware (this includes drops, banging, excessive pressure on the screen, and, of course, drools).

More importantly, adult supervision is a must. Yes, there isn't any technology available that can supplement an adult working with a child. No technology that can replace a parent. Nevertheless, I am encouraged with what mobile tech can offer our children these days.


-- Post From My iPad

Standardized Test for Wireless and Internet

I remembered one summer in middle school (seventh grade) when I signed up for summer school.  One of the class available to us was computer skill development.  These were the days of Apple II+, Maxwell and BASF 5.25" floppies (sometimes just single sided), BASIC, and Q-Bert.  (Also recall those 5.25" boxes that held 10 disks with their sleeves.  I went to help a friend clean out his garage last year and I saw them.  Wow.  Good memories.  Simpler times.)

I see smiles all around on the faces of some of the older mobile warriors reading this.  I also see confusion on the faces of younger readers.  Those were days when you surfed in 64K memory not in MB or GB.

Anyway, we learned to use computers.  Write basic programs, learned word processing, and if our Apple had two disk drives we were on our way to becoming the first pirates of Zaxxon and Ultima.

So, what happen to those classes in our school systems in the United States?  I'm betting that virtual does not exist anywhere.

We need those classes and, in fact, we need standardized tests or standards by which we can measure our students and see if they are proficient in using computers or mobile devices.  I'm not talking about just opening up a browser and surfing the Internet.

But being able to working effectively in the Internet is just as important knowing one's way around Microsoft Office, JAVA, and Firefox.  These are important skills that must be taught in school and maybe even tested.  They are not difficult skills but we must make sure every student knows them.

What other Internet or computer related skills must we demand our students know in order to prepare them to compete in the twenty-first century?   More and more school districts are making available to their students laptops.  In expensive laptops like One Laptop Per Child's XO and low end netbooks are priced just right for more schools to adopt them for use in classrooms and at homes.  But without proper skills, the students may not fully realize the potenial of the computing power and connectivity available literally at their finger tips.

Please let me know what you think.  Also I know this isn't just teaching students how to operate and take advantage of the laptops but we need the broadband connections and student-friendly software to be made available to them as well.

College Students: Laptop Purchased with 529 Plan

The 529 Plan is one of the better idea for those who can afford it.  It is a education savings account that allows parents and students to save and draw money out with incurring taxes.  Nevertheless, it's not a free for all.  We've learn financial advisors push it as a security against rising educational costs.  Laptops are often thrown in as a purchase that is allowable under 529.

However, that is not necessary so, as Los Angeles Times reports.  What?  Not laptops?  Onxo only reported the necessity of Twenty-First Century students being trained to used laptops with Internet skills so how can laptops not be allowable under the 529 plan? In fact, should it not be mandatory?

Okay, that is a bit extreme.  So, if you want to get yourself or your college bound student a laptop for use in school, what are you to do?  The codes of 529 specify "tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the enrollment or attendance at school".  

Unfortunately, laptops does not automatically qualify.  If the specified educational regiment does not require use of a laptop, then you can forget about using 529 funds to get one.  Yeah, for that about that Macbook or Dell.  

It is a big archaic as far as the 529 plan goes when it was first created.  The LA Times article spoke about the need to update the codes to meet the demands and skill sets a future mobile warrior will need to succeed in today's world.  

Regardless, it's best you speak with the school and whoever help you set up your plans on what you should do.  There are some sites that you may want keep in mind (Onxo listed the as listed from LAT) if you have questions or for safe keeping when you do need it.  

Also, there are some suggestions for the 529 plan:

• Keep good records.
• Take out money that you need.  Match the expenses to avoid the "Eye" of the IRS.
• Do not take out money to pay for future expenses.  
• Seek advice and educate yourself as what options are available to you.

Here are some sites you can seek for more information:

• college savings
  
• saving for college
  
• college savings foundation
  
• finaid
  
• howstuffworks
  
• 529s
  
• SEC - intro 529
  

Note:  Onxo believes certain mobile devices are needed like a laptop.  It will depend on the Congressional will.  With 2008 being an election year, however, I'm not too hopeful.  So are any other mobile devices allow in the 529 plan?  Right now, it's not looking good.  Onxo would like to see at least one mobile device allow, be it MID, a smartphone, or a mobile platform device like the iPhone.  

It would make sense for computer manufacturers to push for a permanent change to the 529 as it is in their own self-interest if a more students are allow to purchase a laptop for college.  In fact, I would make it tax deductible up to $1000 per student.  How does that sound?

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Effectiveness on Laptops for Students

MSNBC has brought up the effectiveness of laptop programs for schools.  In Maine, the question is whether a laptop for every student make learning better for the students. This pressing issue should be applied to the whole country.  

While grades lead in terms of metrics to evaluate student learning, certain classes have students utilize the knowledge and understanding they've gained through writing or work on a real world problem.  And there have been beneficial changes already.

• More enthusiastic about the classroom while grades have not improved.
• Feedbacks from the frontline of education, the classroom, has been positive. An overwhelming number of teachers find the laptops make it easier for students apply and study real world issues with what they've learned in classrooms.
• With the laptops, students are more able to learn and understand educational materials and venture deeper into the subject matters.
• The laptops allow the teachers to help students stay up on new information and updates. Traditionally, textbooks are kept and used year-after-year. (East and West Germany, anyone?).
• New Internet-based skills are being taught and utilized at a much younger age, thus, preparing a world-class workforce that will better compete in a global economy - original thoughts through new/updated information from the Internet, Web-based collaboration, technical skills from working with mobile devices.
  

The stumbling block may be the test scores that has not improved markedly. However, just as how companies and governments work have drastically changed during the last ten years because of the Internet, perhaps new metrics are needed to gauge. The ability to innovate, spawn creativity, and collaborate with others could be just as important as grades.

To underscore this point, 75% Of students expressed they liked the school better since they started e-learning. More essential in the classroom is getting the students to be excited about learning and less worries about tomorrow test.

However, there are potential downsides, some can remedies quickly.

• Dinosaur way of thinking. As poorly worded as the term is, older teachers are not trained for this and maybe be resistant to computers and the changes technology bring. School districts need to be sensitive to their concerns and show how they themselves can benefit by learning new skills. It is unlikely a stance that their unions will favor.
• Technical issues. These should be the responsibility of the companies like Apple and Dell that provide the build of computers to educational systems in the United States and Europe. Such issues should have been addressed during contract negotiations and the terms of the agreements effectively enforced.
• Using the laptops for things other than learning: cheating or watching porn. Should be the responsibility of everyone involved. Students, teachers, and the technical companies. More importantly, the parents who shoulder the bulk of the learning experience.
• Test-scores have not improved.

The downsides are not true reasons for states stop or curtain laptop programs but rather important issues that need to be addressed. For those who insists in test scores, University of Southern Maine professor David Silvernail said laptop-armed 8the graders have greatly higher writing scores. Better training for teachers on computers, how to use it to augment learning, and sharing experiences and resources could help improve the system greatly.

However, some issues are harder to address than others. All this comes down to one thing. Money. When the program started, an iBook cost $600 each for Maine. A slumping economy is not helping.

There may be as the momentum gained by netbooks that can cost half what Maine paid. These are only the early days in which laptops are brought in to augment learning. In the next few years, newer mobile devices may soon appear in classrooms that making teaching and learning even more enticing and challenge the students to realize their potentials.

Impact: Mobile warriors, these pioneering schools across the country that dare to defy convention are effecting a change our dated educational system. Today's students are tomorrow's Mobile Warriors 2.0.

Note: I would like to know from teachers, students, and other mobile users what kind of technology you like to see in classrooms. Onxo do foresee a day when wireless mobile devices such as tablets replacing laptops. Imagine the ability to schedule classroom activities through a class calender system and updating both the students and parents.