patrick.net

I like books too. And yet I also like to acquire digital books on my kindle. IT's nice having so many books on the one little device.

I can't imagine that college student 50 years from now will have 5 text books for the five classes they are taking. To the extent that they are using books, won't they be on a kindle or Ipad type device ? Sure, maybe a lot of content will be online, but they will have some sort of very portable device for accessing that too.

marcus says

New Renter says

Is it that hard for the schools to have"Property of xxx" engraved on the case and on a small portion of the screen such that if stolen the pad is less likely to end up on ebay?

Sure. They can even have lojack type devices in them that make them theeir location traceable.

Do the school models have GPS and 4G? If so it should be quite possible for them to be traceable.

marcus says

I can't imagine that college student 50 years from now will have 5 text books for the five classes they are taking. To the extent that they are using books, won't they be on a kindle or Ipad type device ? Sure, maybe a lot of content will be online, but they will have some sort of very portable device for accessing that too.

Some sort of very portable device...Like a book?

marcus says

$42...implies that nearly one in 10 iPads per year will be broken, lost or stolen by a student.

Obviously not a math teacher. Without actually reading the insurance policy, there are far too many variables to translate back and forth between the premium and the expected number of losses. Is there a deductible, and if so how much? Does the policy cover all losses, thefts, and damage, or only under certain circumstances? What would the actual replacement cost be at the discounted price Apple is offering the school? Almost every insurance policy contains limitations, exclusions, conditions, etc. If the insurance policy was required but not shown to you, then a rational person allowed to read it and choose freely would probably say no. In a captive market, where customers are not allowed to refuse, a for-profit insurer would inevitably charge more than the policy is worth.

New Renter says

Some sort of very portable device...Like a book?

One little very portable unit, with an appropriate sized screen, to hold all of a students texts, and allow them to access online content and to access interactive content that can then be submitted to a teacher. I think there is a lot of potential for this type of technology in the classroom, and I''m pretty sure it's inevitable, unless the book publishers manage to postpone it for a long time.

But not lugging a back pack with multiple heavy books is especially appealing to me, compared to my recollection of my student days.

I can't believe that curious2 came in to this thread apparently just to troll me again. I couldn't care less whether he believes I'm a teacher.

Or for that matter whether he comprehended an extremely simple point I was making.

Please stop following me. If I'm trying to ignore you, the least you can do is leave me alone,... you sad little weasel.

marcus says

I can't believe that curious2 came in to this thread apparently just to troll me

I can't believe it either, considering I posted the first comment to this thread and several others before you arrived. I won't reciprocate your name-calling, but your comment illustrates your inability to think logically. If you're still pretending to "ignore" me (while using a different browser to see my comments), you aren't very convincing when you keep replying and calling me names. Ask some of the children how to ignore someone, they can probably give you a few pointers.

BTW, I certainly hope you don't teach in public school. The children and the taxpayers both deserve better.

It's a silly issue. The software should be available on other devices, or even paper and pencil work. If the kids needs an iPad then they can do the insurance payment as you said and get one or just have alternatives. Maybe they can learn to write apps by age10.

We bought iPad insurance for our kids device and it cost about200 bucks for a2 year plan.

KILLERJANE says

We bought iPad insurance for our kids device and it cost about200 bucks for a2 year plan.

Who did you buy it from and how much does this particular ipad cost new anyway?

KILLERJANE says

We bought iPad insurance for our kids device and it cost about200 bucks for a2 year plan.

Wow, that is expensive! Is an iPad really all that?

Textbooks ain't that much cheaper than the tablets.

Big Textbooks go for $140 on up, easily.

(Edit: put back in last sentence)

thunderlips11 says

Textbooks ain't that much cheaper than the tablets.

Big Textbooks go for $140 on up, easily.

I'm guessing that college textbooks are way more expensive than elementary school or high school textbooks, but I'm sure that someone else here might have better info than the guess off the top of my head.

Buy anyway, even at $400 for an Ipad, that's the price of 3 textbooks, which way less than the price of all their textbooks.

Actually I would think that some sore of cheaper reader might be more appropriate than an Ipad. Of course Apple might not like that.

zzyzzx says

Big Textbooks go for $140 on up, easily.

And most of that price is monopoly profits. Kind of like airport food. Once they have you trapped, free market competition is done. You pay whatever price they say, or do without.

The texts are not even especially good. Students could probably learn better from the Wikipedia than from lots of the textbooks I've seen and used.

Richard Feynman has some amusing comments about the textbook selection process and how corrupt it is in his book "Surely You Must Be Joking Mr. Feynman!"

zzyzzx says

Buy anyway, even at $400 for an Ipad, that's the price of 3 textbooks, which way less than the price of all their textbooks.

This is true. However, nobody is asking for $20 insurance payment per school year per textbook.

The texts are not even especially good. Students could probably learn better from the Wikipedia than from lots of the textbooks I've seen and used.

This is also true. I think there's a book, "Lies my Teacher Told Me". It's definitely got a bit of a left Bias, but it explains who really writes the textbooks. Basically they are written so as not to offend the most easily offended schoolboards (think Texas). Loewen mentions that one textbook gives 3-4 pages to Betsy Ross' apocryphal Flag Sewing (this is largely legend; there's little evidence the flag design originated with Betsy Ross) but barely 3 paragraphs to George Washington. Despite being Left, Loewen makes the point that Betsy Ross is put in some of the textbooks to give a token Woman hero; he suggests Abigail Adams instead.

They're also not written by the distinguished Professors whose name graces the front pages; often just a part of a chapter is reviewed by them. Most of the textbooks are ghost written by professional, unknown textbook writers.

His beef is that concentrating on individual characters and avoiding controversy (so the most school boards adopt - and buy - they text) makes History boring to kids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies_My_Teacher_Told_Me

Students could probably learn better from the Wikipedia than from lots of the textbooks I've seen and used.

That is so true!!!!

My earlier comment about using a cheaper reader instead of an ipad got me thinking if Apple had something to do with this. I went into my local WalMart and went looking for MP3 players. The only ones that they had in the store were all Apple products, at the in-store Apple store. A non-Apple branded MP3 player could not be found in that WalMart.

You are right patrick. We pay taxes so that schools don't charge us money. Service is paid for through taxes. This is not just illegal on their part, it is immoral too.

I can't provide any advice though, call a lawyer?

I should probably sue them for making me pay an extra $100 every year in property taxes to pay for "books". That's another bull**** fee.

The governor could sign a bill at any moment (AB 1575) that would provide the missing enforcement mechanism, so that parents would have a formal channel to complain about illegal charges for public schools and not have to actually go and file a lawsuit for each charge.

I hope he signs it. I heard he has till the end of this month. Not sure what happens after that if he doesn't.

The college textbook racket is one of the best rackets there is. It's almost as good as the American health care racket.

The governor could sign a bill at any moment (AB 1575) that would provide the missing enforcement mechanism, so that parents would have a formal channel to complain about illegal charges for public schools and not have to actually go and file a lawsuit for each charge.

I hope he signs it. I heard he has till the end of this month. Not sure what happens after that if he doesn't.

Least I can do is give him a call to voice some support.

yes, indeed. hundreds of unavoidable fees every term. usually you can't use the last edition, nor the published edition that has the most prints circulating, because the colleges have taken to conniving with the publisher for the 'special, this class only' edition which supposedly has material selected by the instructors, or at least their department.

when i asked one professor why they would be changing over a math textbook when i had the misfortune to attend one part of a series over one term year and the second in another, she said "well, the board says we must". i don't think that they've suddenly changed how they teach math, have they? and yet they force all of the students to purchase a new book.

some friendly instructors will tell you which other editions are suitable, and even translate their instructions for each book. i believe a lot of the students are going the rental route, but renting is still half the cost of the book and for those of you who are touting kindle, you don't save very much and i've had other students report to me that it is VERY bad for books that have diagrams, schematics and so on.

i was told long ago by a campus store manager that the publishers really hated that they bought books back and resold them, and were trying everything they could to close down this market. the colleges play along though, by changing the edition required every year. the boards must get some kind of kickback out of this, as it definitely doesn't serve their students.

FortWayne says

Least I can do is give him a call to voice some support.

Good idea! Maybe I should start a thread asking everyone to call the governor about this too?

Ultimately it's a shell game. You either pay out of pocket or via property taxes.

freak80 says

You either pay out of pocket or via property taxes.

That's fine with me. If you want private school, go ahead and pay for it. But taxpayer-funded free school are part of the state constitution, and that's a very good thing for people who believe we should all have the chance to succeed on our own merits.

BTW, here is the contact info page for Jerry Brown:

http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php

It's kind of confusing because you first enter your email address and name, and only then can you enter the contents of your message to him. But it seems to work.

You pay for roads with the gas tax, and then you get to pay again when you cross a bridge that's already paid for itself, several times over, decades ago. How is this any different?

zzyzzx says

You pay for roads with the gas tax, and then you get to pay again when you cross a bridge that's already paid for itself, several times over, decades ago. How is this any different?

If the homeowner isn't insulted by your offer...you didn't bid low enough!!!

could be mistaken, but the cost of maintenance increases over time. so you're only paying the construction costs initially. after that, you're paying just to keep the thing standing while you drive over it.

suspiria_2 says

the colleges play along though, by changing the edition required every year. the boards must get some kind of kickback out of this, as it definitely doesn't serve their students.

Yep. It's ridiculous to need a new edition every year. Especially in things like mathematics. It's not like 2+2=4 needs to be updated.

This is what I just heard, here in Las Vegas kids are also getting an iPad but the parents sign for it too, I haven't heard about the insurance payment but I think the parents are on the hook for it.

suspiria_2 says

could be mistaken, but the cost of maintenance increases over time. so you're only paying the construction costs initially. after that, you're paying just to keep the thing standing while you drive over it.

I suspect the bulk of the money goes to defined pension benefits for the tool takers, not the roads.

Electronic books may become cheaper and lighter and better than textbooks, which have been a very heavy and lucrative racket for years. Kids are weighed down by so many heavy books they need to put their backpacks over both shoulders or risk back trouble, while the Texas school boards distort education nationwide, and the publishers make $$$ from new editions.

suspiria_2 says

the cost of [bridge] maintenance increases over time. so [tolls are] only paying the construction costs initially. after that, you're paying just to keep the thing standing while you drive over it.

Actually for public bridges usually the public pays the construction cost, then the tolls pay for maintenance. The tolls increase as the maintenance costs increase. I mention it only because it sometimes becomes a wedge issue on local newspaper comments: motorists complain about pedestrian and cyclist "freeloaders" wanting access to the new Bay Bridge, but in fact everyone is paying billions for the new bridge and only motorists will have access. [update - thanks suspiria_2 - the public pays initially with bonds but the tolls are supposed to repay the bonds over time.] There isn't a constitutional right to bridges, but there is a constitutional right to education.

aren't you just restating what i said?

three R's refresher course, incoming.

KILLERJANE says

This is what I just heard, here in Las Vegas kids are also getting an iPad but the parents sign for it too, I haven't heard about the insurance payment but I think the parents are on the hook for it.

The insurance payment and the liability are on average the same fee. That's why people buy insurance: to have a certain small fee rather than the risk of a larger one.

Imposing any obligatory fee on free public education negates the "free" part of that.

State law already says parents are liable for WILLFUL damage to school property, and I have no problem with that. The problem I have is with schools buying expensive equipment and pushing ALL risk of damage (which equals the cost of the insurance in theory) onto parents as a way to shirk the school's own obligation.

Hey buddy,

Get with the program. Only the rich deserves the education. Not you.

Now we did QE3, there are more money out there. We need to raise the price of goods and services to milk more money out of you.

suspiria_2 says

aren't you just restating what i said?

Who and what? If you were referring to my comment about bridges, then no, you said tolls pay for construction, in fact for public bridges the public usually pays for construction. There are some private toll roads, mainly in Europe, where tolls may cover both construction and maintenance (I haven't looked into the numbers to see what subsidies they might get), but generally in America the public pays for construction and the tolls pay only for maintenance.

The insurance payment and the liability are on average the same fee. That's why people buy insurance: to have a certain small fee rather than the risk of a larger one.

In a free market that would be true. (In for-profit insurance, the premium would be a little higher than the expected risk, but people buy anyway because most people are risk averse.) In a lemon socialist / crony capitalist market, the insurance premium grossly exceeds the expected liability, and the markup is shared with politicians who make it mandatory, so people have to buy it regardless of what it's worth.

BTW, many homeowner's insurance policies include coverage for personal property even off site. So, if you lend your iPad to your daughter, it might be covered under your homeowner's policy at no additional cost. Check your policy if you have one, or if you're shopping for one then ask about this feature, sometimes it's a rider. Homeowner's insurance can actually be a reasonable deal, because it isn't mandatory so the insurers have to offer reasonable prices. The issue is they try not to show you the policy until after you've bought, but instead they may offer a trial period where you buy the policy, then you get to read it, and if you don't want it you can cancel.

Nobody says

Now we did QE3, there are more money out there. We need to raise the price of goods and services to milk more money out of you.

Yes, but it's not really about the money. The Fed can print an infinite amount of money.

It's about milking more labor out of you. The Fed is trying to force you to work longer and get nothing for it. One way they do it is to destroy everyone's dollar savings and make prices go up.

You are being forced to work for the non-productive rich, just because they own all the income-producing assets and you do not. That's the goal. Expanding the money supply is just the means, not the goal.

I don't mind people making money from producing something useful (God bless them all!), but making money by trapping labor to make them the permanent servants of a non-productive owner class is just wrong.

curious2 says

Who and what? If you were referring to my comment about bridges, then no, you said tolls pay for construction, in fact for public bridges the public usually pays for construction. There are some private toll roads, mainly in Europe, where tolls may cover both construction and maintenance (I haven't looked into the numbers to see what subsidies they might get), but generally in America the public pays for construction and the tolls pay only for maintenance.

i don't want to totally drag this thread off course with a comment regarding bridges, but:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tolling/520/FAQ.htm

"Q. Why is WSDOT tolling the SR 520 Bridge?
A. Tolling on the SR 520 Bridge helps pay for the new bridge, scheduled to open in 2014. The new bridge is designed to withstand major earthquakes and windstorms, providing increased safety."

http://goldengatebridge.org/research/ConstructionPrimeContr.php

"The last of the construction bonds was retired in 1971, with $35 million in principal and nearly $39 million in interest being paid entirely from Bridge tolls. With the exception of the Sausalito Lateral approach road (Alexander Avenue today) which was built as a federal WPA project, there was no state or federal funds involved in building the Golden Gate Bridge."

Good idea! Maybe I should start a thread asking everyone to call the governor about this too?

Well, everyone likes you, but I wonder how many really understand where you are coming from on this.

Personally I don't get it and won't. If my kids school was doing this, I might wish they weren't charging me, but I would think it's cool and it's worth it.
Presumably maybe title one funds would cover the cost for the kids who are eligible for the free lunch program.

But yeah, I totally don't get what bothers you here. I understand exactly what you're saying. "It's the law." But I would not and could not have the feelings you do about it. In your shoes I just would not be the slightest bit bothered by it.

I'm just saying that's me, and it's subjective (not whether it is illegal, but whether I would have a problem with it).

I can't figure out how to get an emergency injunction though. I looked at the San Mateo County court website for hours and got nowhere. Calling didn't help either. The people at the county court offices are not helpful.

I'm assuming that you've tried talking to the teacher(s) and/or principal? I would think that you would be able to present them with a reasonable argument on why she should be able to submit homework another way and, if the teacher must withhold the iPad, that they could do it in a discreet way.