It’s a shame that kids in Michigan can’t vote, huh? Cause I’m pretty sure that they’d be all in favor of a bill that would give them all iPods. The $38 million proposal is part of Michigan’s new budget plan, and would see the iPods (“or MP3 players,” as the article notes) used for educational purposes.
Opposition to this idea has, unsurprisingly, been met with, shall we say, resistance:
We have come to the conclusion that the crisis Michigan faces is not a shortage of revenue, but an excess of idiocy. Facing a budget deficit that has passed the $1 billion mark, House Democrats Thursday offered a spending plan that would buy a MP3 player or iPod for every school child in Michigan.
Should Michigan spend their money on this? That’s certainly up to the citizens of that state, but the curmudgeonly reflex to deride this idea as “early Christmas presents for Michigan kids” reeks heavily of having to walk five miles in the snow to school, uphill both ways. Despite the fact they’re entertainment devices, iPods can still be used as an educational medium. In 2004, Duke University implemented an initiative that provided every member of the incoming freshmen class an iPod.
From a state education perspective, counties in New York and Virginia, as well as the state of Maine, have all provided laptops to children in school. Would this plan face the same criticisms were we talking about laptops instead? Maybe. But there are other factors to consider here: for example, the idea of exposing technology to kids who might otherwise never come into contact with it. Or the potential for this to cut across class status barriers: no longer would just the “cool kids” have iPods (similar arguments have been made in the past for the idea of school uniforms).
I’m not saying it’s all roses: it’s an expensive proposition, to be certain. But the kneejerk reaction that this is nothing more than a way to waste money is overly simplistic.
[via CNet]
Oh, come on. School uniforms equalize classes by REMOVING the stratifying element. If you are for this ipod measure, then it seems to me that you would think the government should give every student a $300 gift card to Abercrombie, so that everybody could be like the "cool kids". Strange, irrational, irresponsible logic.
I can't see how this deal could make sense to anybody outside of Apple stockholders. It is the definition of pandering to the constituency. What is the educational value? Audio books? Is this not available to kids without mp3 players? I've never had a class that require that I listen to mp3s, but if I did, I think I'd be able to find a way to burn a cd. If I couldn't do that, then I'd have to, you know, actually READ.
I think that, besides the fiscal irresponsibility of the measure, a large part of the "curmudgeonly reflex to deride" the moronic idea is that it is yet another example of how we, as Americans, soften our kids by spoiling them rotten. Nobody really needs an mp3 player, but now our kids think that they deserve them.
Just more eveidence of the government doing everything possible to control the population and dumb down the educational system. Cheaper to by the kids an iPod then spend money on better school and )gasp) better teachers.
The thing is, laptops can be used for schoolwork. What can an iPod be used for in regards to school? Not much.
Having gone through the Michigan public school system I have to agree that this is a moronic idea. I'm a huge iPod lover but there are so many things the schools and students need much, much more than iPods! A number of kids that I went to school with don't even have computers to use with them! Yes, that was almost 10 years ago but I'm still in the same community and I haven't seen all that much change with the kids I've met since. I'd suggest at least getting them more (and better quality) computers within the schools themselves first.
Even better idea. Let's buy all the kids their own X-box so they can learn on that too.
Having seen (well, on video) how some parts of Michigan are so completely poor, this seems like a really dumb thing. They could use that money for much better purposes than giving iPods to kids. Maybe giving the money to parents so they can pay their rent is a better use, eh?
Great headline.
Wanted to let you know it made Right Michigan's offial "iPod Andy's Top 10 iPod Blogs" list.
http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/4/25/103142/031
--Nick