The drawings in one corner of the notebook – that’s it. Primary and secondary schools in China are handing out smart pens to their students. With the help of a mini camera, they are able to record the children’s notes and send them to the teachers in real time.
Their distribution will be free and generalized for the next school year, at the end of August. By doing this, teachers ensure that their students in the classroom are attentive, working, and not indulging in doodles or other daydreams. The Hors class is also a way to download homework to correct it. They are stored in the cloud, which makes it possible to track the writings.
Outside of school, no respite
According to Sichuan (southwest) newspaper Chengdu Shangabo, as recently as late July, a teacher on southern China’s Hainan Island handed out connected pens to students so they could do their summer homework. When a child writes, a notification is sent to the teacher that they are working. This should allow you to know the working time and the time required to answer the question. Teachers will be able to establish statistics to know which aspects to focus their explanations on.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, this device helps “strengthen homework management in schools; Teachers should fully correct all tasks (…) and encourage the scientific use of computer tools for task analysis and diagnosis.“.
However, the paper notes that the practice is already common in parts of Shanghai and Yunnan Province. On the Internet, the student trusted the post “They look at me (…) I have lost the joy of summer vacation“. This widely shared post has caused some reactions. Some Chinese want to buy these pens for their younger brother or younger sister, others think that the school creates an obstacle for students’ freedom.
Other media are wary of using smart objects as surveillance tools. They are also concerned about the workload of teachers, who will have to correct all homework during the holidays. This sharpens the country’s already blurred line between work and leisure. Between the time you work in the classroom and at home, in and out of school hours.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.