02-12-2005, 05:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Windows? Palm? Linux? Mark Menarik Has An Idea of His Own!
"Mark Menarik, CEO of Chicago-based TanCher, believes that a new PDA designed for students can foster a revolution in teaching with technology. His innovation could herald a breakthrough in mobile computing platforms if his plan succeeds. According to Menarik, the shapes of the BlackBerry and Treo are not user friendly. So TanCher is introducing a new design for a student appliance for school systems around the country. Students will use this new device for such things as to respond to questions in the classroom instead of raising their hands. The PDA will also allow students to take tests and to receive homework and notes from the classroom lesson they received half an hour ago."
This is definitely an aspiration unlike any other. Read the quote and you can already see where this is going. In this day and age, a new PDA must bring many new and exciting innovations if it is to be successful, so what does Mark Menarik think the TanCher Internet and Mobile Platform (TIM) will deliver that no other current PDA does? (1) peer-to-peer networking capabilities that will not rely on the internet to maintain a connection, (2) full internet browsing capabilities, (3) a high quality screen (supposedly comparable to that of a desktop computer), (4) a QWERTY keyboard, and (5) a unique operating system environment - the TanCher OS. A working prototype of the TIM will supposedly appear in six months time (if funding permits), and if successful, TanCher is hoping to license it out to other developers. While the TIM is largely aimed at the educational market, the concept of a new mobile platform is interesting nonetheless. I found the article to be a good read, and I think you will too. So have a read of it and let us know your thoughts - think it shows promise, or is this going to be a flop?
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02-12-2005, 05:54 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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An optimised platform is really ideal for a vertical market such as schools, but as soon as you optimise you lose the economies of scale benefits from using a more general platform. Things like cheaper hardware, pre-written software, more heads to give advice and provide support, and smaller mindshare.
So in short its a good idea, but will never get of the ground, because it will be too expensive and always 2 generations behind.
Nice idea though. A better solution may be a nice slate tablet pc with software such as Spb kiosk (or similar) to reduce support costs and allow all the UI and usability customisation they require without having to write an OS from scratch.
Surur
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02-12-2005, 06:14 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 35
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Having recently escaped the high school system (in university now  ) and a gadget freak, I'm surprised at myself this concept doesn't move me. Like Surur said, there are so many other things you can adapt to a school environment - why can't they focus on writing a high-quality educational killer ap for Pocket PC and/or Tablet PC platforms? Then they can push schools to build wifi networks and teachers and students can look things up on the internet when they need it. I remember reading an article earlier about kids being given PDAs (forget which platform) and keyboards and that increased productivity and learning without as much expense.
Oh, and how are public school systems going to afford this? In Vancouver we already have increasing class sizes due to budget cuts and there isn't heavy investment in technology from what I've seen. A teacher I still chat with sometimes mentioned requesting an internet connection be installed in his room to incorporate some multimedia content for math/science classes and was initially approved, then told there isn't enough funding - I believe it was only around $150 8O
Just realized I typed a lot - just riles me up that people are aiming for things like this when schools still have a long way to go. Or perhaps I'm mistaken and schools in US or other districts have a bigger technology budget?
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02-12-2005, 10:21 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 593
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by straysheepie
Having recently escaped the high school system (in university now ) and a gadget freak, I'm surprised at myself this concept doesn't move me. Like Surur said, there are so many other things you can adapt to a school environment - why can't they focus on writing a high-quality educational killer ap for Pocket PC and/or Tablet PC platforms? |
Because some of the proposed modifications are hardware, not software.
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02-13-2005, 12:15 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 794
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Sounds odd. I don't think using handwriting recoginition and any kind of keyboard is fast enough to answer the teacher's questions. The only thing I have ever imagined a computer powered device like a PDA can do is eliminate all that heaviness of books. Just imagine that, just use a 1/4 pound PDA to carry all your books compared to 15 pound backpack. This would definitely work for high school and college (won't have to run back to your car to get a new book). But besides this, I think paper, pen, myself, and books works creat.
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02-13-2005, 12:24 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by straysheepie
I'm surprised at myself this concept doesn't move me...
... and how are public school systems going to afford this? In Vancouver we already have increasing class sizes due to budget cuts and there isn't heavy investment in technology from what I've seen.
... Or perhaps I'm mistaken and schools in US or other districts have a bigger technology budget?
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Our kid is in grade 6 here in Vancouver. She's in a somewhat different sort of public school, one where an alternative structure (mixed-grade classes, no grades, no serious tests, engaging kids as both learners and teachers, lots of other good stuff) has been in place for more than 25 years and working very well. They are bombarded every year from high schools where these kids go on to study, mostly asking "how did you make these kids so brilliant?" It's done by enthusiastic teachers and parents, folks who want the next generation to be better people, not necessarily better test takers.
They have the odd Mac scattered around. Her class has two. It's a shared class, two teachers and two rooms with about 45 kids and a bunch of over-stuffed ratty old couches and chairs in one and work tables for crafts projects in the other. Kids get access to the computers to research the odd thing as it comes up in class. Otherwise they consult eachother, the adults, or parents and computers at home later. Parental involvement in projects is always a high priority.
Literacy is better than average. Math and social sciences skills are also above average here. These are children up to grade 7, so PDA use will not likely enter the picture for a long while yet, and only if it becomes mainstream enough so as to seem relevant. The odd one has a cellphone, but it is not common. Most have a computer at home. The library is well stocked with books, and a librarian is always available to help research online at one of several terminals there.
We are hoping to find a high school as good, but chances seem slim. As much as I'm big on PPC use, I'd not consider such as even making the list of priorities for her high school. She has a Pocket PC, but doesn't use it all that much - my old Casio EG-800 serves for some graphics and gaming, the odd other activity, but she favours a notebook PC for anything serious and has become rather adept at Google searches. By the time she gets to grade 9 or 10 she'll probably have a slimmer model PPC and use it more... but a wireless card and a wireless AP in the school should be good enough. A folding keyboard will complete the bill, giving her all the portable computing she'll likely need without having a custom (and very expensive) new device with yet another OS to learn.
The two most likely schools she'll go to next both have Wi-Fi networks with unencrypted always-on access. In-class research is available at both via computers at the sides of most classes, and a person with their own wireless handheld won't ever have to wait. I'm perhaps being a bit muddy here... guess what I'm saying is; why spend a ton of extra money on what is already available for not so much?
Vancouver's school board is not rolling in money. Cutbacks by the provincial government (bunch of pro-corporate, anti-poor-folks @$$}{0L#$ calling themselves 'Liberals' - what a crock, and we'll be voting them out this summer) present and past (go figure) have left them scrambling year after year to both educate the masses and upgade schools to meet current earthquake specs. With dollars spread so thinly, Charles Dickens Elementary routinely runs out of office supplies around March and requests donations of paper and stuff from parents and faculty. The VSB is rather unlikely to be able to supply devices at $1000 per kid or more, especially unproven devices. Field trips, costing less than $25, have already been eliminated. The school buses are just too expensive to run.
Some US and Canadian districts do indeed have more money to play with. I've read of tablet PC adoption being mandated in some Eastern US schools, but I think those were privately run, and the parents had to fork over the cash.
__________________
Gerard Ivan Samija
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02-13-2005, 12:40 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 214
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Never gonna sail in the US. If you limit the prospects to private schools rolling in money, the devices would be too expensive even for there.
If you think you're gonna sell such things to public schools, you're just plain out of your mind. They don't have money for essential and long lived items like books. Educators are not stupid, and they know that nothing is older than 4 year old technology, except maybe 15 year old technology. And quite a few school systems have Macs that date back that far.
As for students buying such things for themselves...most public schools won't allow it, because it would give an unfair advantage to the rich kids.
And teachers won't support such expenditures for school districts either. Relative to their education, they're grossly underpaid and if there is money for toys, there's money for salaries.
How can the educational system trust a guy like Menarik, when he hasn't done his homework. His potential market is nothing of the kind. Subtract every school district that is suffering from funding strangulation, and there isn't much left over for technology that will be outdated, broken, lost or stolen within a couple of years.
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02-13-2005, 12:45 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 593
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Here's the question I pose, what is the point? What can PDA's do in schools that cannot be achieved through traditional means? I don't find it likely that a student who doesn't keep track of her assignments will reform when using a PDA.
Arguably, it can reduce costs. Despite an initial cost, it could reduce the costs of books. However, electronic books aren't cheaper, the intellectual property seems to be costly enough. Also, the depreciation of electronics is significantly higher for electronics than books.
Internet access is very important, which a PDA can provide. However, is PDAs a better alternative than desktops? Desktops are widely available and often donated by companies because of their availability. Also, it is easier to fix a computer than a PDA.
I can see internet being a major point for PDAs, but desktops seem to be a better alternative. Beyond internet access, I struggle to find the reason why you want to implement PDAs for students.
I agree that we should avoid the idea that technology inherently improves the classroom, where, in actuality, placing schools in loco parentis is a better idea.
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02-13-2005, 01:15 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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This proposal is by the people who made the Cybiko
 which they sold for only $99. Its sounds like they want to sell an upgraded version for maybe $300, with a bigger screen and teaching orientated software. One of the most innovative features was the peer to peer wireless which allowed it to form a kind of mesh network for email etc.
I can see many good uses for such a device. Make it rugged and with a good battery life. Then add a graphing calculator, e-mail from teacher to child and parents, email from child to child, push assignments and to do lists which the parents can review, push reading lists and record grades so the parents can review them. Use them for quizzes in class (where the child can respond via key presses (like who want to be a millionaire)) so that their results can automatically be recorded on the computer etc.
If they make it Cheap and Useful for the Teacher, Child and Parent (each, else it will never work), then I can see this having a chance of working. I initially thought they were going for a big screen device, but now I think they were just exaggerating about the quality of the screen, and it will still be a small, maybe qvga device. If they use it to improve the administration involved in student life, instead of as a learning aid (where computers have not really proven themselves) I think they may just succeed. I can imagine little Johnny coming home and mum saying "Let me see your Cybiko, and see what work you did today, and what homework you need to do".
I wish them the best of luck.
Surur
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02-13-2005, 02:43 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gremmie
Here's the question I pose, what is the point? What can PDA's do in schools that cannot be achieved through traditional means? I don't find it likely that a student who doesn't keep track of her assignments will reform when using a PDA. Arguably, it can reduce costs. Despite an initial cost, it could reduce the costs of books. However, electronic books aren't cheaper, the intellectual property seems to be costly enough. Also, the depreciation of electronics is significantly higher for electronics than books.
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Personally, I see it from a convenience perspective, rather than cost. If the ED is willing to cover costs for that, then no one is stopping them. I, myself, feel that it's more convenient being able to access references/journals on my PDA, but at times, I still like to put pen to paper for note taking (especially at meetings), so I can see the use of PDAs in the education market as a plus and a minus. You win some - you lose some.
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