Manx Telecomputer Bus

Last updated

The Manx Telecomputer Bus was a Manx government initiative to teach IT to children from the late 1990s onwards, when access to computers was limited in schools. A converted bus was equipped with 23 Macintosh computers and acted as a mobile classroom. Operating from 1998 to 2020, the bus toured the Isle of Man to teach children about the internet and technology. The bus on occasion made trips to England also. Approximately 100,000 schoolchildren made use of the service during its lifetime. [1]

Contents

History

The project was first devised by Alex Townsend in the 1990s- then a teacher at St. Ninian's High School. [2] He envisioned a mobile classroom in the form of a converted bus to teach children about the internet.

The 1977 Leyland National bus- previously in service on the island for public transport- was purchased by the Department of Education for £5,000 and underwent an extensive conversion over nine months, partially funded by a grant from Manx Telecom. [3] [4] It was described at the time as a "state-of-the-art facility to take computer education into the 21st century". [5]

It was first put into operation on September 11, 1998 at Sulby Primary School, and from there circulated around all primary schools on the island. The original configuration featured Macintosh G3s, flat screen monitors and an interactive whiteboard. A press release from the time of the launch indicated that the flat screen monitors offered a “CRT-equivalent picture”. [6] Students from St. Ninian's and Ballakermeen High School accompanied the bus on a visit to London in 1999, to attend the BBC Tomorrow's World Live Exhibition. [7]

The technology on the bus evolved over time. It received 3G access in 2003, and the computers were all replaced during a 2008 relaunch. In 2015, the bus was provided with four 4G receivers by Manx Telecom. [8]

By the late 2010s, the increased availability of computers and mobile tablets in schools rendered the service largely obsolete. [9] A final unplugging ceremony in Sulby on March 3, 2020 marked the end of the service. The event was attended by those who had used the bus over its 22-year lifespan. [1]

Awards and recognition

The project came second in the Contribution to Civic Society category at the 2003 ‘’New Statesman’’ New Media Awards. In 2014, founder Alex Townsend was recognised on a list of pioneers and innovators by Apple, with a spokesperson describing the concept as a "stroke of brilliance". [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Man</span> Self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea

The Isle of Man, also known as Mann, is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. The government of the United Kingdom is responsible for the isle's military defence and represents it abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Isle of Man</span>

The economy of the Isle of Man is a low-tax economy with insurance, online gambling operators and developers, information and communications technology (ICT), and offshore banking forming key sectors of the island's economy.

The Isle of Man has an extensive communications infrastructure consisting of telephone cables, submarine cables, and an array of television and mobile phone transmitters and towers.

The services of communication in Jersey comprise Internet, telephone, broadcasting and postal services, which allow islanders to contact people and receive information.

Telecommunications in the United Kingdom have evolved from the early days of the telegraph to modern broadband and mobile phone networks with Internet services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas, Isle of Man</span> Capital city of the Isle of Man

Douglas is the capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of two miles. The River Douglas forms part of the city's harbour and main commercial port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey, Isle of Man</span> Human settlement on the Isle of Man

Ramsey is a coastal town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,845 according to the 2016 Census. It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of the main points of communication with Scotland. Ramsey has also been a route for several invasions by the Vikings and Scots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JT Group Limited</span> Bailiwick of Jersey telecommunications company

JT Group Limited is the parent company of several subsidiaries including Jersey Telecom Limited and Wave Telecom Limited. Jersey Telecom is the former monopoly operator in the Bailiwick of Jersey. JT provides telecommunications, Internet access and other services, mostly within the Channel Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Radio</span> Radio station in Douglas

Manx Radio is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before legal commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man, having its own government and laws, was not subject to the rules prohibiting commercial broadcasting in the UK. However, the Manx Government still had to apply to the UK's General Post Office for a frequency and for permission to broadcast. First requested in 1960, a licence was eventually granted in May 1964. It was allocated an FM frequency of 89.0 MHz and a comparatively low power of 50 watts. In October 1964, an additional frequency of 1594 kHz AM was allocated to the station to provide greater coverage, although again at a limited power of 50 watts. It broadcasts primarily in English with several hours per week of Manx language programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballaugh</span> Human settlement in the United Kingdom

Ballaugh is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of the same name, in the sheading of Michael. It is the only village in the parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shimmin</span>

John Shimmin is a former Member of the House of Keys for Douglas West.

Manx Telecom Ltd. is the primary provider of broadband and telecommunications on the Isle of Man. It is owned by Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreas, Isle of Man</span> Village on the Isle of Man

Andreas or Kirk Andreas is a village on the Isle of Man, lying in the north of the island, 5 km from the island's second town, Ramsey. There is a large, and nowadays little used, airfield in the vicinity.

St Ninian's High School is a secondary school located in Douglas and Onchan, on the Isle of Man. The School is set over two different sites, catering for different year groups.

Education in the Isle of Man is compulsory for children aged between 5 and 16. As a Crown dependency the Isle of Man parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters, including education; however the structure and curriculum are broadly in line with that of UK schools and particularly the English national curriculum. Education is overseen by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and regulated by the Isle of Man Education Act 2001. As of September 2017 there were 6,492 pupils in primary schools, and 5,218 pupils in secondary education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O2 (UK)</span> British telecommunications provider

Telefonica UK Limited, trading as O2 UK (stylised as O2), is a British telecommunications services provider, headquartered in Slough, England which operates under the O2 brand. It is owned by VMED O2 UK Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global. O2 is the UK's largest mobile network operator, with 23.8 million subscribers as of May 2023.

EE is a British national mobile network operator and internet service provider, which is a brand within the BT Group. EE is the second-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom, with 21.7 million customers as of September 2022.

Ballakermeen High School is a coeducational comprehensive secondary school based on a single site in Douglas, on the Isle of Man. It is the second largest Isle of Man Government building after Noble's Hospital in Strang. On the start of the 2022/2023 academic year, a new head teacher was appointed, Mr Graeme Corrin, replacing Mrs Adrienne Burnnet, who was Head Teacher for 21 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Man Green Party</span> Political party on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man Green Party is a green political party in the Isle of Man founded in August 2016 by Andrew Langan-Newton, who still leads the party along with Deputy Leader, Lamara Craine. Success has been achieved at local authority level with the first seat won in a by-election in 2018 and today the party has 4 elected members on 4 different local authorities. The Party proposes that it provides a forum for citizens of the Isle of Man to build a movement seeking change and direction in Isle of Man politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roly Drower</span>

Roland Paul Drower, FRAS, known as Roly, was an English software engineer, journalist, satirist, activist, poet, broadcaster and composer. He is best remembered for his contributions to the political and artistic life of his adopted home, the Isle of Man, and for his protracted legal conflict with Albert Gubay, the multi-millionaire founder of the Kwik Save supermarket chain.

References

  1. 1 2 "Computer bus man Alex Townsend to retire". Energy FM.
  2. ↑ "Computer bus man announces retirement". Manx Radio.
  3. ↑ "Isle of Man Government - Computer bus man Alex Townsend to retire". www.gov.im.
  4. ↑ "History". www.computerbus.com.
  5. 1 2 "Apple names 'computer bus man' Alex Townsend as Mac innovator". 3 February 2014 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "1998". www.computerbus.com.
  7. ↑ "Relaunch January 23rd 2008". www.computerbus.com.
  8. ↑ "All aboard for 4G on Computer Bus". Energy FM.
  9. ↑ "Isle of Man's schools computer bus service 'retires'". 4 March 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.