>> >>PEGGY: ELECTRONIC DEVICES LIKE IPADS, E READERS AND SMART PHONES ARE CHANGING THE
WAY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OPERATE IN THE CLASSROOM.
TO SORT OUT O THE HIGH TECH BACK TO SCHOOL LIST ARE MY GUESTS TECH EXPERT JIM BARRY AND
EMIL AHANGARZADEH.
JIM, WHAT ARE THE HOT NEW GADGETS FOR ON THE BACK TO SCHOOL LIST THIS YEAR?
>> >>JIM BARRY: THE HOT NEW GADGETS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL ARE THE SAME AS EVERYBODY IS BUYING.
THEY ARE TABLET COMPUTERS, SMART PHONES, E BOOK READERS AND LAPTOP COMPUTERS.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THERE, TELL ME ABOUT THE ROD RIGHT THERE.
>> >>JIM BARRY: THIS IS THE N POWER PEG.
THIS IS COOL FOR JUST ABOUT ALL OF US, RUN OUT F JUICE IN OUR SMART PHONES, OR OUR TABLETS
THIS N POWER PEG FOR SMART PHONES CARRY THIS AROUND IN YOUR BACKPACK OR BAG ALL DAY, AND
IT CHARGES USING KINETIC ENERGY.
SO YOU'LL HAVE SOME BACK UP CHARGE FOR YOUR DEVICES IF YOU RUN LOW.
>> >>PEGGY: CARRYING IT WITH YOU.
>> >>JIM BARRY: YEAH, CARRY IF IN YOUR BAG, YOUR BRIEF CASE OR YOUR BACKPACK.
>> >>PEGGY: JIM F YOU HAD TO PICK THE TOP TWO OR THREE, FOR STUDENTS, LET'S SAY K THROUGH
12, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
>> >>JIM BARRY: FOR STUDENTS, WELL Y THINK K IS A LITTLE YOUNG, BUT I THINK AS YOU GET
UP THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL A LAPTOP COMPUTER.
IS CERTAINLY ONE THAT YOU NEED.
AN E BOOK READER.
MORE AND MORE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGES ARE USING E BOOKS, SO I'D SAY THOSE ARE PROBABLY
THE TWO YOU'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO NEED.
>> >>PEGGY: EMIL, HOW HAVE THESE ELECTRONIC DEVICES CHANGED HOW TEACHERS ARE TEACHING
THEM IN CLASSROOM, AND HOW STUDENTS ARE LEARNING?
>> >>EMIL AHANGARZADEH: IT'S IN ESSENCE BROKEN DOWN THE WALLS IN THE CLASSROOM.
LEARNING CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME.
THE STUDENT CAN PULL OUT HIS TABLET ON THE BUS RIDE HOME AND REVIEW THE LESSON THAT THEY
ACQUIRED JUST A COUPLE HOURS AGO.
SO IT'S MAKING A BIG CHANGE IN EXTENDING THE LEARNING PERIOD.
>> >>PEGGY: THESE DEVICES AREN'T CHEAP.
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR EACH OF THEM, SOME SOMETIMES.
EMIL, ANY KISS COUNT DISCOUNTS AT SCHOOL?
>> >>EMIL AHANGARZADEH: THE SCHOOLS CAN'T AFFORD IT EITHER RIGHT NOW TO BE PERFECTLY
HONEST WITH YOU.
THERE IS A WONDERFUL RESOURCE, THERE'S A NEW PROGRAM CALLED CONNECT TO COMPETE, THAT IS
ABOUT TO BECOME A NATIONAL PROJECT.
WE JUST PILOTED IT HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
IN ESSENCE WHAT IT DOES IS AFFORDS FAMILIES THAT QUALIFY WITH 9.95 OR 9.99 CONNECTIVITY
PER MONTH.
SECOND FAMILIES THAT QUALIFY CAN PURCHASE FULLY FUNCTIONAL REFURBISHED COMPUTERS FOR
AS LOW AS 150 DOLLARS WITH THE OPERATING SYSTEM MOST STUDENTS CAN USE.
CONNECT TO COMPETE IS THE PLACE TO LOOK AT TO SEE IF YOUR FAMILY QUALIFIES.
>> >>PEGGY: JIM, HOW ABOUT COMPANIES.
I KNOW APPLE PROVIDED DISCOUNTS YEARS AGO.
>> >>JIM BARRY: FOR INDIVIDUALS IF YOU'RE LOOKING, THERE'S NO BETTER BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
THAN BUYING CONSUMER ELECTRONICS BECAUSE THE PRICES GET LOWER ON ALL OF THESE DEVICES.
NOT TRUE OF JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LAPTOP COMPUTERS, THEY START THESE DAYS AT JUST A COUPLE OF HUNDRED
DOLLARS.
I HAVE A STUDENT THAT WENT OFF FOUR YEARS AGO, ANOTHER ONE GOING NOW TO COLLEGE, THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE PRICE IN THE LAPTOPS WE'RE BUYING FOR THEM IS REMARKABLE.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT ABOUT THEM BEING OUT DATED?
LET ME ASK YOU THAT, JIM.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GET SOMETHING AND IT'S GOOD FOR TWO YEARS.
>> >>JIM BARRY: YEAH, WELL, MAYBE GOOD FOR LONGER THAN THAT.
WITH COMPUTERS FOR INSTANCE, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO UP GRADE THE SOFTWARE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STRETCH IT A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU'RE
BUYING TO GET SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE THAN YOU'LL NEED SO IF WON'T BE AS OUT DATED AS
QUICKLY.
BUT THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN ELECTRONICS IS IS THAT HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE SO YOU'LL
WANT TO GET SOMETHING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AFFORD THAT HAS A LITTLE FUTURE PROOFING.
>> >>PEGGY: THAT YOU CAN UP GRADE.
EMIL, HOW HAVE THESE DEVICESÊ BASICALLY, HOW HAVE THEY LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD IN
THE CLASSROOM?
>> >>EMIL AHANGARZADEH: THEY'RE GIVING ACCESS TO VARIOUS CONTENT THAT SOME KIDS WOULDN'T
BE ABLE TO ACCESS.
IN SOME RURAL COMMUNITIES AP COURSES AREN'T EVEN OFFERED SO KIDS CAN'T EVEN ACCESS THOSE
KINDS OF CLASSES SO THEY CAN BE KM COMPETITIVE IN THE COLLEGE SETTING.
SO WHAT DEVICES DO, AND REALLY, THE MAIN TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS THE INTERNET T ALLOWS THESE STUDENTS
TO BE ABLE IN ESSENCE BE ABLE TO ACCESS COURSES THEY OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO.
>> >>PEGGY: EMIL AND JIM THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS ON OUR WEBSITE KPBS.ORG.