Jacket lets parents keep track of kids
By KATE SCHUMAN, Associated Press WriterLONDON - Parents may worry less about losing their child - and the kid's expensive coat - with a new piece of winter wear that includes a global positioning tracker.
The jackets, released this week by the British clothing company Bladerunner, have a GPS tracking device in the lining. The device can track the jacket anywhere in the world, within 43 square feet.
"The jacket is not something that was released due to people losing their kids," said Adrian Davis, a partner at Bladerunner. "It was originally made for mountain climbers, skiers and snowboarders."
Davis said the company decided to make a children's version of the jacket aimed at parents concerned about their children's safety.
Using Google Earth maps, users can watch the jacket wearer move. The movements are updated every 10 seconds.
But they don't need to be online to find out where the person is. Users can also receive alerts to their e-mail or cell phone when the jacket leaves the boundary, meaning parents could potentially receive alerts whenever their children skipped school, left the neighborhood or went to their boyfriend's house - so long as the child was wearing the jacket.
Bladerunner, which designed the jacket and commissioned Asset Monitoring Solutions to craft the tracking device, made headlines in the spring when they released slash-resistant clothing for children, aimed at those worried about increasing knife crime in London.
The new jacket is also equipped with the slash-resistant lining. The tracking device uses a rechargeable battery that can last for about 18 hours.
A children's tracking jacket costs $500, plus $20 a month for the tracking technology. An adult jacket costs $700.
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Below is an article that has been writte
n by Suzie Smith for the Alabama Education Association monthly newspaper periodical. I wanted to share the good news about what is going on in our class!
It came off my email ....
Richard below is the story. Please let me know if I got anything wrong. Ihave used several pictures that I took with the names of students and also one from the picnic and one with the student in a canoe. Again, Is it ok touse the photos and names of the students? I used photos of Geoffrey, Ashley,Austin, and Jessica. Let me know. Good Luck! Suzie Smith
Special education teacher wants more for students
Jefferson County Education Association member Richard Reynolds is on a mission, one that he hopes will garner the necessary funds to transform hisclassroom into one that better meets the needs of the special educationstudents at Clay-Chalkville High School.This is Reynolds¹ first year at the school and he has been very busy, along with the paraprofessionals assigned to his classroom, making sure that his students are ³experiencing new horizons.² He began the year by taking the 11 students in his class, who have a wide range of special needs, on fieldtrips to learn aquatic safety at Camp Coleman and canoeing at Oak Mountain State Park.Though Reynolds is proud that he could take his students outside the classroom, he really wants to offer them more opportunities in the classroom to learn life skills. He has great ideas, but no funds to make his classroom suitable to offer life skills training and this is his mission.His classroom now features a couch and rug that he brought from home tooffer his students a cozy place to read. But he wants to rejuvenate his classroom to include a kitchen area with a sink, stove, refrigerator,microwave, dishwasher, and a washer and dryer.He also wants an assistive-technology computer center including softwarethat can pinpoint the specific needs of each student while tailoring each lesson to a particular student¹s learning style.His plans also include a wheelchair compatible work area in the classroom for art projects. ³Even though we have a small number of students, the severity of their disabilities, the wide range of their reading levels, and their different learning styles would be much better served with the assistive-computer technology,² Reynolds said.To reach his goal for his classroom, Reynolds has embarked on a constant and steady plan of pursuing every grant he hears about that might help in his quest to raise $18,000 to make the changes in the classroom.³A student might enter my classroom around age 14 and stay in my room until age 21 before they must leave the school,² said Reynolds. ³During that time they need to learn their phonics, writing, and math, but if these years are to be beneficial they must also be accompanied by life skills such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and personal finance. That¹s why I am on a quest to secure grants to transform the classroom into a place that offers centers for students to learn life skills in addition to their academic work,² Reynolds said.According to Reynolds, ³These students need to experience a practical application daily through the living skills kitchen center where they can make the needed strides to hopefully become somewhat independent when they leave this school. We will not truly be able to measure effectiveness until after the students have transitioned to life after the school years and see how successful they are in becoming independent and working.²So far this year Reynolds has applied for more than 15 grants from a variety of organizations and other grant funding sources including a proposal that he sent to the producers of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. He anxiously checks his mail every day.
If you have a place that you know of that works with the community to fund projects through grants or donations please let me know. Many times a business or corporation where a person works will give special consideration to a grant proposal because of an employee's family involvement. Also many offerings of assistance are never told to the public and are only known by the workers of an establishment. I am willing to write and apply for the needed financial assistance to gain technology, instructional materials and other items but to provide the opportunities that these students need we must be aggressive in seeking out funding sources. With your help we can form a team that allows us to make great strides this school year for this class of students!
I believe people run marathons every day of their lives in one way or another, and we need to remember to give ourselves the finishers' medals we deserve."
Zoe Koplowitz,author and marathon competitor
Below is an article that has been writte
n by Suzie Smith for the Alabama Education Association monthly newspaper periodical. I wanted to share the good news about what is going on in our class!
