Online, On the Bus

Although no longer in operation, the bus program upon its launch in 2007 received national attention when The New York Times Magazine in its December 2008 issue identified the wired bus concept of Aspirnaut as one the BEST IDEAS OF THE YEAR.

In researching the viability of the idea to bring the internet to rural school buses, Billy Hudson discovered a company that had been providing mobile internet access mainly to recreational vehicles, Internet-In-Motion. This equipment was then modified for use on the school bus. Four school buses across Arkansas were equipped with internet access.

Laptops with wireless capability MacBooks were issued to students taking specific online courses including Advanced Placement courses. Over three years, 58 semester courses were completed in the bus pilot.

Younger students explored various online math and science sites currently using XO computers from the One Laptop Per Child program. Recent improvements in the operating system make them easier to manage. Their design proved to be rugged and reliable for basic functionality. Video iPods were also programmed with STEM videos for viewing during the ride to and from school.

The next iteration of the wired bus concept used the Wi-Fi bus mounted with media screens in Hector, Arkansas. Streamed, recorded, or broadcast STEM content was viewed by K-12 students on 19″ LCD/PC monitors while on the long bus rides near the Ozark National Forest (1 hour each way). Working with the Hector school district, each set of the five screens show STEM content differentiated by age group focused on what the students were currently learning in school. The bus was also equipped with an RFID scanner that allowed the school district to determine when a student got on and off the bus. Thus, the bus became a moving classroom, an extension of the school day allowing 10 or more additional hours of education for these students a week or the equivalent of 12 class periods weekly.