PUBLISHER ‘S CORNER I read an interesting article recently on
Forbes.com that pointed out some teenagers
aren’t catching car fever. Te article states that teens no longer see the driver’s license as liberating rite of passage to help them escape the embrace of their parents. Te car, to them, is a passé form of prestige. Instead of getting those first car keys from their parents, the article reported some teens
Why Drive When You Can Surf?
By Tony Corpin
tony@stnonline.com
would prefer a smartphone or tablet. Now, kids have the ability to engage in everything online. Tey can experience the world without leaving home, school or the bus. Tey can chat with friends and share experiences within the social sphere of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many other online outlets. Tis was very evident recently when New York school bus monitor Karen Klein was
captured on video being verbally abused by students. Te video went viral on YouTube and public outrage was enormous. Tis egregious behavior by those students was posted for all to see. “Teenagers stand at the forefront of the next chapter in mankind’s evolution: experiencing
everything while going nowhere,” according to the Forbes article. What does this all mean for schools and transportation operators? From one standpoint,
you can ascertain that the change in behavior could lead to increased ridership on the school bus. Kids today are more conscientious of being green and have been dealing with a poor economic climate that won’t allow them the choice to own a car, or to afford the gas when they do. Te opposite argument is, if teens can gain (online) world experience without actually
traveling anywhere, does this signal a shift in how education will be conducted in the future? Online classes and education is and has been growing at an exponential rate throughout the United States. “Currently, all 50 states offer K-12 online learning opportunities. Some states such as Michigan, Alabama, New Mexico, and Idaho have passed legislative measures requiring K-12 students to complete at least one online learning experience by the time they graduate high school,” according to the Journal of Teacher Education.
❝ Teenagers stand at the forefront of the next
chapter in mankind’s evolution: experiencing everything while going nowhere. ❞
My aunt, for example, was taken out of the classroom and put in charge of her school’s
online education. She has more than 4,000 online students at the K-12 education level and 10 aids to assist her in managing the educational process. How do we as an industry adapt to this technological evolution in education? School transportation operators need to look at options that make the school bus an
extension of the classroom, which has been a growing discussion for many years. Utilizing WiFi solutions on board the bus or providing some portable educational tools are expensive but a start. Offering tools and services that kids want will ultimately help influence the choice to ride the school bus instead of alternate options. Change will be gradual, but make no mistake, things will change. Te school transportation industry must be poised to take action. ■
58 School Transportation News Magazine August 2012
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