Online, On the Bus!

The New York Times Magazine in it’s December 2008 issue identified the wired bus concept of Aspirnaut as one the BEST IDEAS OF THE YEAR.

Macbooks on bus
XOs on bus

Laptops with Wireless Capability
MacBooks are issued to students taking specific online courses including Advanced Placement courses which require greater processing power and a broad spectrum of functionality.


Younger students who are exploring various online math and science sites currently use XO computers from the One Laptop Per Child program. Recent improvements in the operating system make them easier to manage. Their design has proven rugged and reliable for basic functionality.

Media Screens on the Bus

The next iteration of the wired bus concept has recently begun with our first Wi-Fi bus with media screens in Hector, Arkansas. Streamed, recorded, or broadcast STEM content is 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 of the five screens show STEM content differentiated by age group focused on what the students are currently learning in school. The bus is also equipped with an RFID scanner that allows the school district to determine when a student gets on and off the bus. Thus, the bus becomes 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. 


 

 

 

<IIM Receiver

 

FACTOID | Did you know?

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. This equipment was then modified for use on the school bus. Currently, four school buses across Arkansas have been equipped with internet access. We look forward to adding more buses to the Aspirnaut™ fleet!