In Arizona, an otherwise lengthy bus commute has been transformed by a $200 mobile router strapped to the rooftop. Dubbed the Internet Bus, Wi-Fi access has taken a 70-minute trip and turned it into extra study time-with plenty of GarageBand and Facebook breaks.The New York Times reports this is the same district that in 2005 issued laptops instead of textbooks. At Empire High School, it allocated more than 100 wireless access points so that every single classroom, not to mention the football field, was wired.And while the verdict is still out on whether Wi-Fi access on a school bus will lead to increased academic productivity, the hope is to extend learning beyond the confines of the six-hour school day.The Times reports that the company, Autonet Mobile, which markets the router, has already sold them to other districts where students face similarly long commutes.Combined with the finding a few weeks ago that kids are spending nearly eight hours a day in front of a screen, are wireless school buses the way to go-or is this merely what was already time being wasted and is now being put to better use?Photo (cc) via Flickr user emdjt42.
Tags
advertisement
More for You
-
14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
-
Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
advertisement

