Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Hamburg did not stop Wi-Fi in its schools, the pilot project goes ahead mostly as planned.

Hamburg did not stop Wi-Fi in its schools, the pilot project goes ahead mostly as planned. 

André.
Hamburg did not stop Wi-Fi in its schools, the pilot project goes ahead mostly as planned. Even though health issues were raised, the school authority completely ignored them.
Here is some background information:
As a far as I can tell, Wi-Fi is being used and continues to be used in Hamburg schools.
Back in 2011, for example, 70 high school students received an iPad as part of a pilot project in partnership with the University of Hamburg.
http://paducation.eu/
According to the project’s website, no results of this pilot project have been made public yet. Some project participants from the university are reported of having returned their iPad because they had no use for it. http://paducation.eu/2014/06/zwischenstand-tableteinsatz/ (5 June 2014)
Nonetheless, two new BYOD pilot projects were announced earlier in 2014. At 6 Hamburg schools, the students’ own mobile devices were initially meant to replace any other type of instruction method in those classes.
http://www.kommune21.de/meldung_18992_Schulen+steuern+Richtung+Zukunft.html
According to a newsletter by the parent initiative Wir Wollen Lernen, the Hamburg school authority said in its press release today (as a response to the above SHZ newspaper article) that the students at the 6 schools selected for the pilot project will use their own mobile devices to complement their learning in class. www.wir-wollen-lernen.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20141201_AKTUALISIERUNG_Schulversuch_WLAN_iPad-Klassen_NEUES_KONZEPT.pdf  (Update 1 December 2014)
In this debate, the independent city councilor Dr. Walter Scheuerl also raised health issues associated with Wi-Fi use in his inquiries. The school authority, however, did not make any comments regarding the health issues.
The parent initiative Wir Wollen Lernen published a great resource on health effects and Wi-Fi in schools in 2013. 
www.wir-wollen-lernen.de%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2F20140703_Strahlenbelastung_Schulversuch_iPad_WLAN-Klassen_Eltern_nicht_aufgeklaert.pdf (German)
By the way, the City of Hamburg is in the process of transforming itself into a wireless "Smart Connected City" like Waterfront Toronto in Canada or San Carlos in California.
http://www.kommune21.de/meldung_17066_Smarte+L%C3%B6sung+f%C3%BCr+die+Stadt.html
http://newsroom.cisco.com/release/1261807/Cisco-Takes-Steps-to-Deliver-More-Citywide-Wi-Fi-and-Connected-Services?utm_medium=rss
Here is a video that shows the real-life applications of the Internet of Everything in a modern city as envisioned by Cisco.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoEPlE8Pg7I
It is rather disappointing that in the face of increasing RF radiation levels in our schools and cities, another school authority simply ignores the health implications of Wi-Fi use instead of having a dialog about alternative technical solutions for a safe learning environment.
Best regards,
Katharina
Katharina Gustavs
www.buildingbiology.ca

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