What is the most important issue facing school administrators and teachers this upcoming school year? Student achievement? Teacher quality? The answer is the return of the Tamagotchi, a digital pet from Japan and the new Gizmondo, a handheld console that includes GPS satellite tracking, a digital camera, a gyroscope, and the capability to play digital music, movies, and video games. The threat has led to principals scrambling to create policies that keep the dreaded Tamagotchi and Gizmondo away from schools.
For example, an official policy at Westover High School in Fayetteville, N.C., stipulates that everything from tape players to electronic games–all “sound-producing instruments or equipment”–is forbidden on school grounds and buses between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. I am sure this policy will devastate members of the band, AV club, and other rogue elements that dare make a sound during school hours.
