One of the things I’m looking at for our private schools for the poor projects is homework. Parents want it and it’s good for them to see what the kids are doing.

But printing is way too expensive.

Computers are non-existent in homes (as is electricity a lot of the time)

The kids having the  Student CDs I always thought as the best solution.

But CDs obviously wouldn’t work here either.

But technology has been coming down and you can now buy mp3 players for around $12 ( e.g. http://www.davismicro.com/products/product_1416.htm ) or even portable video players for around $25 ( e.g. http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/cool-design-mp4-player-1gb-18-inch-screen/ )

This is still too expensive, but I’m looking at the day, not too far away, when mp3 players are around $1 each. Then we could start handing them out to every kid in our schools.

But  … I haven’t done enough research into exactly how best to use such a tool and what logistics problems would occur.

We could do it in our schools, but it would be a huge training investment and a large risk with teachers who are often unfamiliar (as yet) with GE and computers.

So I was thinking if any of you would be interested in maybe doing a little research with some of your classes?

(Almost) Free songs!

You’d still have to buy the mp3 players for every kid in your test class, but I’d be prepared to give you a (very) cheap license to put the GE songs, mini lessons or whatever else you needed onto the machines.

It would have to be an experiment that lasted at least 1 (school) year with at least 1 regular class i.e. preferably doing GE once a week or more. Either primary school large classes, or private small classes, but all the children in the class would have to have the players and they would become an integral part of the course you teach.

Things I’d want to look at are:

• Do we give the kids all the material at the beginning?
• Or release each song as we teach it?
  
• Do we set specific listening goals as homework?
  
• Or simply set “listen to one song that you like each day” type thing?
  
• Do we add in listening test style homework?
  
• What other things would be good to have recorded?
  
• Do the kids enjoy them?
  
• Do the kids improve compared with other classes that don’t have them?
  
• Is the improvement worth the dollar and time investment?
  
• What other innovative teaching ideas crop up during the experiment? etc.

Logistics problems would also be needed to be looked at:

• Do we charge the (built in) battery for the kids at school each week (during the lesson)?
  
• Or leave the charging to the kids?
  
• How do we add the songs to the machines?
  
• Do older siblings steal them and upload dodgy material?
  
• Do they break?
  
• What’s the replacement policy?
  
• How many backup units do we need?
  
• Is the sound quality good enough?
  
• Are parents happy to have them?
  
• Do other classes get jealous they don’t have them?
  
• Is there a big problem of parents ripping the songs from the devices? etc.

From seeing the results teachers have been getting with the student packs at home, my gut feeling is that having every kid with an mp3 player will help enormously.  I’m confident of improvements with your kids’ abilities and that with a good set of policies I’m sure the logistics can all be overcome. I also have the feeling that it would be an excellent sales point for your school (join us and you get an mp3 player loaded with top material!)

But I’d really like some more data to make sure I’m right and not just being optimistic!

What do you think? Would you be interested in trying this out? It would really help me out if you could!

Get in touch and let me know or please feel free to make any comments below,

Be genki,

Richard