Author Topic: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon  (Read 5885 times)

AZRedhawk44

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"Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« on: March 28, 2011, 02:57:54 PM »
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/28/stories-from-main-street-montvale-school-ditches-books-chalkboards-for-laptops/

School going completely electronic.

The VGA projector that the teacher uses will consume perhaps 500 watts.
Each of the students' laptops will consume 75-100 watts each, for a total of 1500-2000 watts for a class of 20 students.

Conversely... a single sheet of 8.5x11 paper requires a mere 17watt-hours to produce.  Source:  http://eetd.lbl.gov/paper/ideas/html/issues.htm

And there's no lead solder, no mercury, no caustic laptop batteries to manufacture and then dispose of.

Cars aren't our problem.

It's the technology creep into our lives that is using all the energy.  Especially the wasted technology like this:

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Seven years ago, while Andrea was still in elementary school, Pascack Valley became the first high school district in New Jersey to give every student a laptop.

Elementary school?  Laptops?  Sheesh.

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“If you were to walk around our classes, you’d see students using Google Docs to share documents, to peer edit their papers. You’d walk into a science classroom and they may be using a Wiki space so that they can their data that they’re getting from an experiment,” says Gunderson.

I understand the value of digital word-processing.

But using a computer just to use a computer to get a job done... is stoopid.
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longeyes

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2011, 12:36:20 AM »
I only wish it WERE $3.60 a gallon.  My local gas station starts at $4.10 (regular).  That's Los Angeles.
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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2011, 04:11:20 PM »
This seems topical:



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GigaBuist

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2011, 09:26:17 PM »
I'd imagine if paper were really the most economical way to distribute information then we'd be seeing a movement in the business sector toward it.

But, they aren't.

Ok, so a piece of paper takes 17 watts to produce.  I don't believe that figure takes delivery and disposal into account.  I checked the link but maybe I'm reading it wrong.  Then you've got to add janitorial staff to handle the clean up.  That costs money.

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2011, 09:36:24 PM »
The thing about schools and technology is they do really, really stupid stuff with it. Like the teachers loved to make up powerpoint slides. And then make us copy them word for word in our notebooks, on paper. Also, giving laptops to kids is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2011, 10:15:20 PM »
The thing about schools and technology is they do really, really stupid stuff with it. Like the teachers loved to make up powerpoint slides. And then make us copy them word for word in our notebooks, on paper. Also, giving laptops to kids is a disaster waiting to happen.



This.
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GigaBuist

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2011, 11:21:23 PM »
The thing about schools and technology is they do really, really stupid stuff with it.

They're not going to figure out how to use it well without some experimentation.  I'm sure at one point a computer lab seemed excessive for schools.  These days you'd be insane trying to run a school without one.  Internet access?  Again, once a luxury -- now pretty much required for education. 

At this point the next step is to push the technology even further out and see what happens when students have computers with them all the time.

AZRedhawk44

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2011, 01:06:57 AM »


At this point the next step is to push the technology even further out and see what happens when students have computers with them all the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN7LZ499aQc

 =D
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Regolith

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2011, 01:22:56 AM »
At this point the next step is to push the technology even further out and see what happens when students have computers with them all the time.

They spend their time surfing the internet instead of listening to lectures.  I know this first hand from having many classes in computer labs.
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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2011, 09:32:41 AM »
They're not going to figure out how to use it well without some experimentation.  I'm sure at one point a computer lab seemed excessive for schools.  These days you'd be insane trying to run a school without one.  Internet access?  Again, once a luxury -- now pretty much required for education. 

At this point the next step is to push the technology even further out and see what happens when students have computers with them all the time.

I hate to be the spoilsport here, but how much does this cost the taxpayer?

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dogmush

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2011, 09:58:51 AM »
At this point the next step is to push the technology even further out and see what happens when students have computers with them all the time.

Administrators use the laptops to spy on students in their homes?

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2011, 10:15:53 AM »
They spend their time surfing the internet instead of listening to lectures.  I know this first hand from having many classes in computer labs.

Kid's goofing off and not listening to the teacher aren't new problems.  Smack 'em in the back of the head.

I hate to be the spoilsport here, but how much does this cost the taxpayer?

Right now?  I'm sure the answer is too much, but with time I'd imagine we'll reduce some redundancy between the old way and the new way.  For about $200 you should be able to equip each kid with a reasonable netbook.  Maybe $300 for some with slightly larger (12") screens.  If we can start dropping textbooks and moving toward open courseware materials (like the CK series I keep seeing on Amazon) we could reduce the traditional costs, maybe even save money over the long haul.

Seenterman

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2011, 10:23:49 AM »
Quote
They spend their time surfing the internet instead of listening to lectures.  I know this first hand from having many classes in computer labs.

You have bad students then. I was in a experimental computer magnet for four years in HS, everyone had a desktop (laptop for every student does seen excessive) we took at least 1 computer class a year and we got our work done. Managed to listen to the lectures, get our work done, and then play Quake on the LAN we set up. Those computer kids also (myself included) gave up a week in summer setting up of two classrooms of about 50 computers each, installing Linux, then installing windows , manually creating CAT5 lines, yea with you try getting those (what?) 8  little wires perfectly even and getting them into the those stupid little heads and then crimping and testing them.  :mad:

Then through out the year we where pimped as the tech support for the entire school.

Seenterman

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2011, 10:29:45 AM »
On a more related note, Does electrical consumption really affect petroleum prices that much?

longeyes

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Re: "Green" high schools: This is why gas is $3.60 a gallon
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2011, 11:26:00 AM »
Too bad they don't surf this site.
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