Pandora In Education

[Sphinxter]

Yes, just having it will educate everyone as to what a big geek you are.

 

[Monk]

Possibilities are really endless. I'm surprised to see people argue AGAINST the Pandora for education instead of FOR it. It can only increase the level of awesome associated with the device!

Based on my experience of computers supplied to school, the first argument against School Pandoras is that they would very quickly become Home Pandoras and therefore need replacing. A lot. They're also not that much cheaper than a PC is, to a school (except that PCs go missing less often than something the size of Pandora would).

 

[gp32rich]

You live in a utopian world where teachers don't have exams to target, grades to coax from their students

I have no serious problem with standardized tests, grading, etc.
I'm just saying that those tests should not be stuck in the 70s and should include computer literacy. I'm also saying that memorizing the layout of Microsoft word would be a poor standard of computer literacy to enshrine in a standardized curriculum.

And finally, where do they give students computers for standardized tests. As far as I know the ones around here are still fill-in-the-circle jobs with short hand-written essay sections.

(The 'Special' students may get to use a computer under strict supervision, depending on how they are special.)

The tests aren't stuck in the 70s asking about punch tape. I took CS in the late 80's and yes it was all about babbage, lovelace and gas board payrolls - totally useless & irrelevant for anything I did later.
Todays exam is in two parts. One theory (which may still be about those things) and a practical test where letters have to be typed, spreadsheets used (including charts), databases edited & queried and everything has to be printed and saved. It also makes me wince that the simplest problems (line spacing?) can stop students in their tracks. They are not taught to solve problems or work with or around anything. That only comes with experience.

It would be nice to have a more open test but that would be much more difficult to grade AND teach.
This is why 'General Studies' was dropped from the A Level curriculum as no-one had any idea of what or how to teach it and the exam was pot luck as to whether you knew a subject or not. I remember being taught Savoy Operas, French & grammar for general studies <_<

 

[overgauss]

I'm not ready to say that a Pandora being used for educational purposes requires abandoning traditional technologies like desktop pcs in the classroom.

That being said:

1)This is a good opportunity for a study revolving around using a Pandora as the main computational device for educational purposes. The concept of of the student having ownership of the device is an intriguing one.

2) Certain subsidies and economies of scale could easily reduce the cost of the Pandora to that of a decent scientific calculator. TI89 or HP50g for example. Or even a moderately priced cellphone.

 

[paulguy]

2) Certain subsidies and economies of scale could easily reduce the cost of the Pandora to that of a decent scientific calculator. TI89 or HP50g for example.

And it won't have disgustingly overpriced, underpowered hardware, like a TI89.

 

[SomeGuy99]

2) Certain subsidies and economies of scale could easily reduce the cost of the Pandora to that of a decent scientific calculator. TI89 or HP50g for example. Or even a moderately priced cellphone.

I don't think OpenPandora have the money for either of these possibilities.

The school could maybe get a grant to subsidise the costs?

The old HP LX palmtops are the closest thing to a Pandora I can think of, other than the Sharp Zaurus. Check out these old articles:

A Student and a Palmtop

High School Student Uses the HP Palmtop to Keep Him On Track in the Classroom

HP Palmtop as Teaching Assistant

User Profile: "Professing" Made Easy by the HP Palmtop

The HP 95LX: A Must for Serious Students!

And lastly, a weird but unrelated find:

Interview with Paddy Ashdown, Member of Parliament

The guy was the leader of the Liberal Democrats, if you don't remember. You know, the party who hold joint power right now?

Just reading it now, some quotes:

I quickly noticed that his 200LX sat faithfully by his side. The Palmtop is his only computer and he uses it faithfully for his whole personal and political life.

Q: You must be using a large flash card.

A: It is 20MB doubled to 40MB (he proudly flicks out the card to reveal an ACE Doubleflash card).

Q: The Japanese have done it.

A: Really. (He smiles an even bigger smile.) So I can send them my Palmtop for modification?

Q: They have managed it, but with very low success rates. I don't think they want to offer a general solution yet. There are Palmtop lights as the alternative.

A: I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE! (He shouts this excitedly, then laughs.)

These Palmtops are just so useful. The amazing thing to me is that I haven t seen more of them around. You may have seen it, when I waved the Palmtop around during my annual conference speech (on national live TV) when I pronounced that I could connect to the whole world with it . People wrote to me and asked, "Why use that particular Palmtop?" Well, the answer is simple. The HP Palmtop does what I want it to do. I can run the same programs that are on the office desktops.

Q: Who else in the House of Commons uses a Palmtop?

A: I am, as far as I know, the only one in the House of Commons who uses one. (He double checks with his Personal Assistant neither can think of anyone else). Mike German, who is not an M.P. but forms part of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Executive, has got one. The only other person who I know who has one is General Sir Peter De La Billiere. He used his when I went to review his book. I found him working on it. (Paddy laughs.)

Q: Is that the General who was posted as NATO Commander in Chief in the Gulf War?

A: Yes. I went to give a lecture and a review of his book at the Hay on Wye book festival. He was there and we both sat beside each other on the stage and I interviewed him. We both found ourselves working on our HP s .

Q: Do you ever use the Palmtop inside the House of Commons?

A: I think I am the only person who has used a computer inside the House of Commons. The Speaker (of the House of Commons) can t decide whether it is illegal or not. (He laughs) You are allowed to read (parliamentary) papers, but not newspapers. Sometimes, though, when a Member of Parliament is speaking and I think, "Gosh, I can t remember who that is, " and I want to know his name or his constituency, I look it up in UK Elect. It will tell me, for example, about his voting majority in the last election, and then I can tease him about losing his seat next time round.

Get this guy a Pandora!

 

[Aninhumer]

The guy was the leader of the Liberal Democrats, if you don't remember. You know, the party who hold joint power right now?

You mean the party that sold out their votes to the Tories to get a few policies put in.