Anti Federalist
10-20-2011, 01:51 PM
I walked to school, biked to school, went downtown at lunch time, when I was a kid, without a high tech Big Brother grid.
Optional or not, this is just more conditioning, getting the next generation of the herd used to the fact that they will be under 24/7 monitoring and surveillance for the rest of their lives.
Scanner technology can calm parents' fears when kids walk, bike to school
By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
By Melody Gutierrez The Sacramento Bee
Last modified: 2011-10-20T14:52:33Z
Published: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 - 7:52 am
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/20/3990372/scanner-technology-can-calm-parents.html?storylink=lingospot_related_articles
Carla Kliman was happy when her daughters wanted to participate in a three-week walk or bike to school challenge at Crocker Riverside Elementary in Land Park. But when her children – ages 7 and 9 – expressed an interest in making the walk alone, Kliman said she hesitated.
"It's a seven-minute walk," Kliman said. "I want them to, but I'm nervous at the same time."
Those fears were calmed thanks to a 2-inch plastic card now attached to her kids' backpacks. The shoe-shaped card has a scannable bar code similar to membership cards used at grocery stores.
Instead of store savings, this card is scanned when kids arrive at school to instantly alert parents through email, text message or phone call that their children have arrived safely.
The technology is part of Saveagallon, a program that aims to increase the number of children walking and biking to school. Created by two Davis residents, Saveagallon's website allows users to calculate the environmental and financial savings of using alternative transportation.
The program is voluntary and not used for keeping student attendance. That has helped bypass student privacy concerns, which have been raised over similar technology used elsewhere in the country.
Using non-identifiable user names, mileage is logged automatically when the bar code is scanned. At Crocker Riverside, for example, a student called Banksy24 has saved $1.35 by walking nine miles in as many days.
Initially, the website targeted adults. But when Saveagallon co-founder Phil Cox began using it in 2008 to encourage his Natomas third-graders to consider walking or biking to school, he realized the impact it could have by creating lifelong healthy habits.
Cox said his class at Two Rivers Elementary went from two students walking or biking to 14.
"They got really motivated because they saw the difference they could make," said Cox, who was an environmental geologist before he became a teacher.
Saveagallon co-founder Tim Starback said the program's biggest hurdle has not been persuading kids to walk or bike to school. It's persuading parents to let them.
"I was one of those super overprotective parents who didn't want my son to walk or bike to school by himself," said Starback, a computer programmer. "If I just knew he got there I would be fine. It makes it easier and overcomes one of the parent safety concerns."
Privacy concerns have been raised when similar technology goes a step further to track students. Some parents have pushed back when districts use biometrics, a technology that analyzes biological data, such as fingerprint scans or facial recognition tools.
Although it is not used locally, private companies offer school districts fingerprint scanning devices that can be used to check out library books or to pay for meals in the cafeteria instead of carrying a student ID.
Several companies market fingerprint scanners or radio frequency devices for school buses to ensure that kids don't get off at the wrong stop.
"In Davis, there are a few people leery of our program," Cox said. "But, it's an optional program."
Birch Lane Elementary School in Davis has piloted the program full time since last year.
Crocker Riverside in Land Park will use it until Oct. 28, when the school's walk-and-bike challenge ends and totals for each classroom will be tallied for a winner.
Saveagallon also will be used at four schools in San Diego.
Starback said the parent notification is intended to be a crutch to ease parents into letting their child walk or bike to school. "The problem we found is that they love it so much that they don't want to give it up," Starback said.
As the program expands, Starback said, the goal is for Saveagallon to break even financially. Schools pay $150 to get started and $1 per day for the automated scanning system. Scanners cost about $40 and reusable bar code cards are typically bought in bulk, such as 500 for $240.
For schools, the most difficult part is organizing volunteers for a booth outside the school where barcodes are scanned when students arrive.
"It's been a huge learning curve for our school," said Victoria Custodio, a Crocker Riverside parent who organized the Saveagallon program. "I would like to see this technology used elsewhere. It's a great program, but there is a lot of logistical stuff."
For Kliman, the Crocker Riverside parent initially unsure about letting her children walk alone to school, the Saveagallon notification has eased the worry.
"They have walked to school alone twice now," she said.
Optional or not, this is just more conditioning, getting the next generation of the herd used to the fact that they will be under 24/7 monitoring and surveillance for the rest of their lives.
Scanner technology can calm parents' fears when kids walk, bike to school
By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
By Melody Gutierrez The Sacramento Bee
Last modified: 2011-10-20T14:52:33Z
Published: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 - 7:52 am
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/20/3990372/scanner-technology-can-calm-parents.html?storylink=lingospot_related_articles
Carla Kliman was happy when her daughters wanted to participate in a three-week walk or bike to school challenge at Crocker Riverside Elementary in Land Park. But when her children – ages 7 and 9 – expressed an interest in making the walk alone, Kliman said she hesitated.
"It's a seven-minute walk," Kliman said. "I want them to, but I'm nervous at the same time."
Those fears were calmed thanks to a 2-inch plastic card now attached to her kids' backpacks. The shoe-shaped card has a scannable bar code similar to membership cards used at grocery stores.
Instead of store savings, this card is scanned when kids arrive at school to instantly alert parents through email, text message or phone call that their children have arrived safely.
The technology is part of Saveagallon, a program that aims to increase the number of children walking and biking to school. Created by two Davis residents, Saveagallon's website allows users to calculate the environmental and financial savings of using alternative transportation.
The program is voluntary and not used for keeping student attendance. That has helped bypass student privacy concerns, which have been raised over similar technology used elsewhere in the country.
Using non-identifiable user names, mileage is logged automatically when the bar code is scanned. At Crocker Riverside, for example, a student called Banksy24 has saved $1.35 by walking nine miles in as many days.
Initially, the website targeted adults. But when Saveagallon co-founder Phil Cox began using it in 2008 to encourage his Natomas third-graders to consider walking or biking to school, he realized the impact it could have by creating lifelong healthy habits.
Cox said his class at Two Rivers Elementary went from two students walking or biking to 14.
"They got really motivated because they saw the difference they could make," said Cox, who was an environmental geologist before he became a teacher.
Saveagallon co-founder Tim Starback said the program's biggest hurdle has not been persuading kids to walk or bike to school. It's persuading parents to let them.
"I was one of those super overprotective parents who didn't want my son to walk or bike to school by himself," said Starback, a computer programmer. "If I just knew he got there I would be fine. It makes it easier and overcomes one of the parent safety concerns."
Privacy concerns have been raised when similar technology goes a step further to track students. Some parents have pushed back when districts use biometrics, a technology that analyzes biological data, such as fingerprint scans or facial recognition tools.
Although it is not used locally, private companies offer school districts fingerprint scanning devices that can be used to check out library books or to pay for meals in the cafeteria instead of carrying a student ID.
Several companies market fingerprint scanners or radio frequency devices for school buses to ensure that kids don't get off at the wrong stop.
"In Davis, there are a few people leery of our program," Cox said. "But, it's an optional program."
Birch Lane Elementary School in Davis has piloted the program full time since last year.
Crocker Riverside in Land Park will use it until Oct. 28, when the school's walk-and-bike challenge ends and totals for each classroom will be tallied for a winner.
Saveagallon also will be used at four schools in San Diego.
Starback said the parent notification is intended to be a crutch to ease parents into letting their child walk or bike to school. "The problem we found is that they love it so much that they don't want to give it up," Starback said.
As the program expands, Starback said, the goal is for Saveagallon to break even financially. Schools pay $150 to get started and $1 per day for the automated scanning system. Scanners cost about $40 and reusable bar code cards are typically bought in bulk, such as 500 for $240.
For schools, the most difficult part is organizing volunteers for a booth outside the school where barcodes are scanned when students arrive.
"It's been a huge learning curve for our school," said Victoria Custodio, a Crocker Riverside parent who organized the Saveagallon program. "I would like to see this technology used elsewhere. It's a great program, but there is a lot of logistical stuff."
For Kliman, the Crocker Riverside parent initially unsure about letting her children walk alone to school, the Saveagallon notification has eased the worry.
"They have walked to school alone twice now," she said.