Apple Paid To Fly Michigan's 'Give Our Kids Free iPods' Lawmakers To California?
from the whoops dept
The story of Michigan's local government proposing the state buy every child an iPod got a little stranger this week. The Raw Feed points us to an article saying that the two state politicians pushing the plan just happened to have taken a trip to California that was, in part, paid for by Apple -- though, no one seems willing to say how much of the bill Apple paid. While in California, Apple execs demonstrated how Apple products, including iPods, could be useful in educational settings, and apparently the presentation was quite convincing. This isn't to say that technology (including iPods) can't be useful for educational purposes -- but it would seem that any plan that includes buying every child in the state an MP3 player (whether or not it's an iPod) should require at least a bit more justification.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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give me a break.
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give me a break.
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Re: give me a break.
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Educational....
Maybe politicians should mandate every kid having a MySpace page - and those are free!
Yeah, that will happen.
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Re: Educational....
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Re: Educational....
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Re: Re: give me a break
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re iPods in academia
It's been done at a higher level in at least one institution:
http://www.duke.edu/ddi/projects/ipod.html
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Re: re iPods in academia
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Take a look at Michigan's current economic situation and decide if you feel that spending $38 million for something like this makes sense. I say don't spend money on anything unless it will increase our economy in the future.
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Re: re iPods in academia
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Egats!
That plan was approved at the beginning of Baldacci's first term (its his second now), and my high school (one of the larger public schools in the state) STILL doesn't have a personal laptop for everyone.
Its been a figurative dollar black hole. Ipods have NO educational purpose. I repeat-none! What are they going to do? Start voice recording lessons? No! The kids wouldn't listen to it anyway!
Thats like making it mandatory for girls to wear showing thongs! Its a distraction! Nothing more!
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Detroit's economy
Crime, no jobs, crime, education, crime....
Maybe MIchigan lawmakers should hire more cops, use tax incentives to attract new businesses, hire more cops, spend money on REAL educational solutions (you know, like football stadiums), and maybe cops?
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iPods for education
Peace,
CuriousMe
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Jobs is more important than jobs
Comerica gone
Pfizer gone
K-Mart gone
Farmer Jack going
Gerber going
Ford dying
GM dying
Chrysler being sold to be dismantled
Dow being sold to be dismantled
The idiots in Lansing should be worrired about jobs in Michigan not more profit for Jobs in CA
Snow and 32 on April 11.
I so need out of this place
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It keeps you informed. That's the rationale from management. Or maybe they are 2 way TVs, 1984 style.
More to the point, if my coworkers in their cube farm (I'm IT: too low to get a tv) can get a TV to boost their productivity, I see no wrong in giving iPods to all the kids in the state. Heck, boost the economy, free educational iPod for everyone in the US!
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What happened to old school schooling?
The fact of the matter is that EVERYTHING can be educational in some way. Of course, a car can be used as a weapon. However, we're smart enough to see that a car was never designed or intended to be a weapon, and its main usefulness is not as a weapon, but as a mode of transportation.
Following the same line of reasoning, an iPod could be used as an educational tool, I guess, but it's NOT an educational tool, nor would most people use it that way.
Spend the $30+ million dollars on more teachers and making class sizes smaller, hiring assistant teachers if necessary to provide more individual help to those students who are struggling a bit.
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ipods or State police
Where is this state priorities.
I hope those lawmakers STAY in California or any where else we do not need them here.
WILL THE LAST TAXPAYER OUT OF MICHIGAN PLEASE PUT UP THE FORSALE SIGN AND TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.
ps: the next shoe: CON Agra plant 1500 jobs lost.
from the UNemployment capital of the USA Michigan
Only four more years of Granhom opps Mulhern If any one is left by then
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Trying to pull an MS
Notice how Apple is wanting to do this for younger kids. Get them used to iPods early on and they will continue to use iPods later after they grow up.
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Unthinkable.
Newsflash: They're still desperate for the computer market and, much like any other 3rd fiddle, they'll do just about anything to get it.
*pop*
Sorry about your little bubble, there.
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yes way i'd like this
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