technologically gifted

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Aug 17, 2006 by Claudia Lauer

By Claudia Lauer

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Technology-savvy teens and preteens set their back-to-school shopping bar higher with demands for portable mp3 players, laptop computers, new slide phones and text messagers.

That technology can add up to big bucks for parents and hefty disciplinary measures for students if they bring some of their new gadgets to school. Most area students were back in classes this week.

"The use of electronic devices in school is forbidden for the period of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.," said Bill Edwards, principal of Washburn Rural High School. "There has been a proliferation of kids with cell phones, but most of the kids who have them are pretty mindful of our policies."

At most area schools, the same restrictions apply. If students are found making calls in the hallway or listening to an iPod or mp3 player in the library, their gadgets will be confiscated. Shawnee Heights Unified School District 450 issues a one-hour detention for the first offense and additional time for the second and third offense.

Topeka Unified School District 501 allows each school to write their own policies about technology. Topeka High has started a new points-based system for all disciplinary matters. After a certain amount of points are accrued, a student receives a detention, so a technology violation could put a student over that level.

Despite the new disciplinary policies, Dr. Linda Wiley, principal at Topeka High, said there are some forms of covert technology that make her nervous as an educator.

"Micro-technology, how am I in a school setting going to make sure that a kid doesn't have a camera in his belt buckle or a ring that's actually a phone?" she asked. "As long as it's not disruptive, we're going to have to deal with a lot of new things."

There is at least one inexpensive, covert technological advancement specifically for teens that has found its way to area schools. The mosquito cell phone ringtone is available for download off several Internet sites for a few dollars.

The ringtone is only audible to kids and young adults because of its high pitch. As the human ear ages, it loses its sensitivity to higher pitches.

"Even if teachers can't hear the ring, it's not like if my phone starts ringing in class, I can whip it out and answer it anyway," said Maggie Herman, a senior at Topeka West High School.

However, after a friend confirmed that the ringtone actually works, 17-year-old Herman changed her tune.

"I want it on my phone," she said. "Can it play songs?"

For many area students, the trends in back-to-school technology were more visible. Many students hadn't heard of the ring finger cell phones or the hidden camera belt buckles, but they had heard of Motorola's Razr phones that double as mp3 players, T-Mobile's Sidekick that can be used to endlessly text message, e-mail and even organize plans, and the new iPod with video-watching capabilities.

"The biggest thing we've been selling this season are Motorola Razr phones, and kids all want iPods," said John Coow, manager of Wireless Retail at 1401 S.W. Wanamaker Road. "Usually it's the parents who get that for their kids. It's a little hard for an 18- year-old to foot the bill."

The newest iPod costs between $299 and $399, depending on how much memory is included. Laptops can cost anywhere from $800 to $2,500, with the newest MacBook Pros running about $1,999.

"We're seeing more laptops and PDAs (personal digital assistants) in school," said Edwards, the Washburn Rural principal. "That's really the parents' initiative to purchase those. Laptops can help kids who have learning disabilities or who have bad handwriting, and PDAs are helpful for students who have organization problems."

Other area schools said laptops and PDAs were few and far between. Many of the schools aren't set up for wireless Internet access, so a student taking notes on a laptop wouldn't be able to check e-mail.

Despite most of the advances, however, many students were content to have the latest cell phone. Even students in elementary and middle school are carrying cell phones.

Cingular is selling a phone geared to 8- to 12-year-olds called the Firefly. The phone only has five buttons, and parents control the 20 numbers that can be programmed into the phone. Kids can dial or receive calls from only those numbers.

"You know, cell phones haven't really been a problem for us," said Steve Roberts, principal at Topeka's Eisenhower Middle School. "Who would they really call during school? Their friends, their classmates, their whole world is still here."

Claudia Lauer is a graduate student at UC Berkeley. She can be reached at (785) 295-1260.