Do Summer-Reading Programs Help Poor Kids? Doesn't Look Like It. All newcomers to social policy should receive a mandatory inoculation against easy answers and outsized expectations. Reading through decade after decade of disappointing results from randomized experiments — probably while attached to one of those torture devices that holds the eyelids open — is the best way to do it. In a new NBER working paper, three researchers use a randomized experiment to evaluate a program that encourages second- and third-graders to read books over the summer. Their results help illustrate the limits of intervention. As background, the “number of books in the home” is sometimes considered an important variable in explaining why educational outcomes for children vary so widely. The researchers set up a large-scale experiment involving over 6,000 second- and third-graders across seven different school districts in North Carolina.
The intervention caused students to report reading only about one more book over the summer compared with the control group. This Startup Gives Poor People A Year's Income, No Strings Attached. (Photo: GiveDirectly) A person whom Teresa had never met showed up at her home one day with a remarkable offer. Teresa and her family would receive what amounted to a year's income, in cash. Nothing was owed in return. She did not have to repay the money, and her family could spend it however they wished. Teresa was at a loss.
"We did not believe someone would give us that kind of money without having worked for it. " This scenario has played out thousands of times. Yet, dollar-for-dollar, analysts say GiveDirectly is among the most effective organizations in the world trying to eliminate extreme poverty. Teresa, her husband Odhiambo, and their family. How it works. Since launching in 2011, the group has distributed about $15 million to communities in Kenya and Uganda. The money is then delivered electronically. Distributing the money electronically slashes costs and eliminates several prime opportunities for corruption (i.e., fewer middlemen to siphon off funds or ask for bribes). Schools in Poor Communities are Buying Every Student an iPad. Here’s Why it Won’t Close the Digital Divide. | It Bends Toward Justice.
The hottest trend in education right now seems to be buying an iPad for every student, especially in high poverty schools. By providing tablets to students who may not have computer access at home, the theory goes, we can ensure all children in America have the skills they need to succeed in a 21st century economy. But the sudden popularity of iPads among school administrators despite opposition from many teachers and parents should raise questions: Are iPads actually the most effective tool to bridge the digital divide? If our education system is preparing low-income children for the 21st century, what role are they being trained to play: producers of digital content or consumers of it? Working at a community group engaging the public in major decisions on spending new funding in several California school districts, I’ve encountered mostly negative reactions to the iPad trend. With such thin community support, why are they being adopted at such a ferocious pace? Like this:
Why Every Child in America Needs an iPad. My wife and I sat down at a nice restaurant last week. Our table was right next to a larger party of four adults and two young children — both girls under the age of 7 years old or so. Each of the girls had her own iPad, and each iPad had some high-end noise-cancellation headphones plugged in. One girl was engrossed in a children’s movie, and the other was enjoying a series of apps designed for kids. So of course I whipped out MY iPad and blogged about it. Granted, this scene took place in Silicon Valley, where there’s no such thing as an inappropriate social context for consumer technology and, in fact, in the very town where Steve Wozniak lives (Los Gatos). Letting kids use or own iPads is controversial. Everybody’s asking: Are iPads healthy for children? I’m here to tell you: That’s the wrong question. The right question is this: Is the iPad a healthy *replacement* for TV? The iPad is scary because it’s new. Gosh, thanks, society!
I could go on for pages. . * The iPad can be taken outside. For Education: All Tablets. iPad: New Apple iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air. Insignia - Tablet - 8" - Intel Atom - 32GB - Black | Insignia. LG 8GB G Pad 7.0" Wi-Fi Tablet (Black) LGV400.AUSABK B&H. The black LG 8GB G Pad 7.0" Wi-Fi Tablet offers powerful performance and wireless content sharing. This tablet is powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and has 1GB of RAM. This system features 8GB of built-in storage and also has a microSD slot for added storage capacity; the microSD slot supports microSDHC cards up to 32GB. For high-speed Internet connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi is on-board. Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity is integrated for wireless pairing with devices such as headphones. This LG G Pad is endowed with a 7.0" IPS touchscreen display and features a 1280 x 800 native resolution for viewing detailed high-definition images. IPS displays are designed to produce vibrant colors and true-to-life images.
A micro-USB interface is built-in for mass storage connections and charging the device; a USB cable and charger are included.