What if there was a cheap, creative, effective way to teach the world's poorest and most isolated children. That's what the One Laptop Per Child Foundation is working to create.
OLPC is creating a $100 laptop that can be distributed to and used by children all over the world. Children who have no school to go to because their country is poor or the nearest school is too far away, can learn by doing with their laptops.
This laptop model, the XO, is an amazing example of ingenuity, technology, and design. It's still in the works, but the basic set-up is a light, text book-sized laptop with a dual mode LCD screen. The screen has a conventional color LCD mode, and a second, black and white sunlight readable, mode. It works on an efficient battery and has a built in hand crank, when power isn't available. The laptop is a self-contained wireless router, so it can connect anywhere, anytime. It will work with an open format software, without excess code that burdens commercial computers.
I really can't do this laptop justice, so for more info check out http://www.laptop.org/index.shtml
I thought about what it would be like if kids in American schools had laptops instead of textbooks. But to take that further, and make it possible for every kid in the world to do this is fantastic. The purpose and progress made by this foundation is extraordinary. I can't wait until it is put into action.
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I can't really believe that any laptop thats $100 is going to be top of the line or even good...I've spent a lot of time actually on that topic and the main thing that causes laptops to drop in price is the microprocessor. And when you have a laptop with a top of the line processor its going to be at least close to a $1000...they probably will make one, but I doubt it will be good..i agree with you on the part that people will be able to buy it..thats a good thing
Individuals won't be buying it. Governments or organizations will buy the laptops at cost and distribute them at no cost to children. The laptop isn't meant to be top of the line, per se, but to fit the exact purpose for which it was intended, to educate as many children as possible in parts of the world that don't support conventional laptops.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
The laptop does not run off of Windows, ergo it does not need as much power. I think I read it runs off Linux. A wireless access to the Internet is alone worth more than the $100 because of the plethora of information available.
Yeah, it runs off a Linux based system.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
I've heard about that project before, and I think it's really cool. Making such a simple, low-budget computer may seem silly to those of us who have grown up with the last greatest technology, but for the kids those computers are for, it's like the key to the world. Good post, and thanks for including the link.
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"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." - Marianne Williamson
Thank you for the comment, and I totally agree. This project is a real education equalizer for children who can't get a quality education or any education at all.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
I feel like these laptops would more often be used for what they are not supposed to be used for than what they are supposed to be used for.
What would you do that's bad with a laptop if you're seven and like in rural Africa? I have a feeling they'd be more enthralled with the capabilities of their laptop, than interested in watching porn or something with it.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
More likely many will be stolen and used in fraud scams. There is a free service to allow deaf or mute people to use phones, people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia use it to make free international calls to businesses in America and the EU. They order something and then say they need money for some reason in an attempt to get the business to send them money to get the item out of customs or something. Similar to the rich prince who just needs a thousand dollars from you to claim his inheritance.
I used to work at a used bookstore and we got these calls about once a month. Not to say that the problems outweigh the benefits, but it is something to consider. I think it is a great program. It opens up loads of information to curious children and introduces them to the main instrument of our world, the laptop. It is just inevitable that something like this will get misused as well.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
Do you know of anything (services, product, or people) who have not been taken advantage of and misused. I'd say, as you noted, focus on the positive effects. Bad things will happen, but misuse will happen.
- Challenge yourself everyday, if you don't then it is a wasted day.
www.scoutbanana.org
These things would just be traded for supplies when times get hard or pawned.
The HTR
That might be true. But I could see these laptops becoming an economic benefit to the families of the children that own them. They could be used for business purposes or record keeping, and for sure someone with computer skills, like the kids with the computers, would be a useful asset to a family when they can start bringing in some income. A town would respect children with this type of knowledge.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
This project has huge potential to bring vast knowledge to places where it has not been readily available. However I cannot see the advantage of a laptop when you are starving, when you are not healthy enough to move, when you do not have the basic necessities of life taken care of how can a laptop improve that. I guess I would rather see people get food and water and health before 'we' rush in with technology and laptops and wireless networking.
Check it out: here
- Challenge yourself everyday, if you don't then it is a wasted day.
www.scoutbanana.org
I agree with you. Since when is a laptop integral to our survival? If the goal of this project is to provide education, books will be more affordable, not to mention more effective. A laptop might be needed to make learning fun in a place where free education is taken for granted, but children who haven't always been so privileged will think that learning itself IS fun. No laptop is needed here.
Actually, textbooks are more expensive, unless they're donated. A laptop would be more efficient, because the internet on the laptop offers up more information than any single textbook, for about the same price. The point of the laptop over books is that the children learn by doing.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
I think it sounds like a great project, but I'm a bit hesitant to distribute it in third world countries; most children in those areas are focused more on finding food and water for their families, and themselves, than on wishing to learn. I agree that it would be great and a fabulous project to help educate the world's children, but maybe their governments should focus on distributing food to their families so they aren't tempted to sell these laptops to others for money. And for that matter, I hope they will design a way for the governments to fairly distribute these laptops, otherwise I fear the wealthy and powerful will be favored, and those who truly need them would not have access.
Ok first thing, there is no such thing as the 'third world.' There is only one world of which we are all part. Second, while I was in Uganda I saw an incredible drive to learn. Yes collection of water and food production sometimes got in the way of education, but children there wanted to learn so badly. Some students walked as far as 8 miles without shoes to a classroom of 80 students with one teacher. The children see the opportunity to learn as their ticket out of poverty. Again I would say funding could be better used to build up basic infrastructures before we try and push for advanced technology. I would agree with the one point you make about the wealthy gaining access, instead of those who may benefit most.
- Challenge yourself everyday, if you don't then it is a wasted day.
www.scoutbanana.org
i almost totally disagree with you blonde_B..
although many of the third world countries are having problems in the areas of economics, food, and the like, numerous individuals do understand that knowledge and education are the keys to their countries salvation; however, they are not given the opportunity to have these keys.
perhaps laptops would be one way to solve this issue, but then you would have to teach this nation how to use it first. instead, we should send people to help educate these nations. teachers, ppl that will set-up learning programs, writers, influential speakers, books, etc. something a little bit more human than laptops.
im not saying that laptops are a bad idea. its just that, i wouldnt want a "the gods might be crazy" scenario to occur. a coke can in a remote african tribe can cause hysteria, let alone laptops. can the government provide a laptop to every single individual? no. so what happens to the those that dont have one? conflict will occur. can teachers, etc. teach the masses, yes.
ps. the US has been doing a very bad job with trying to make these "backward nations" into mini-americas. look at iraq, the philippines, etc. we should do things the human way, rather than the american way.
because education is key, and knowledge is power!
Ahhh, that was the sound of angles singing down from heaven. Thats Amazing!!!
I'm sorry maybe I missed it but is America paying for these laptops for Africa? I don't want to be callous or cold? I don't want to sound terrible but aren't we in the red a few million or billion dollars ourselves? Aren't we in the middle of a war that is costing us tons of money? Wouldn't you like to have that money sent to your school in America where your tax dollars go? I'm all for helping out but I don't see Africa helping us anytime soon so shouldn't we choose who we help? I know it sounds terrible but in all honesty what are we getting out of it?
Read more from me at: http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/jewels07-0
The One Laptop Per Child Foundation (as referred to in the post) is an independent not-for-profit organization.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
Laptops but no books. Interesting.
"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."-C.S. Lewis
Ridiculous and the technology will be over before they are delivered.
Read more from me at: http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/jewels07-0
How can I sign up for my free laptop?
I got my used laptop from Ebay. I work with kids who are 6-12 years of age and 90% lose their things at the center just about everyday.A laptop is a thing you earn not just something you hand on a platter to anyone
I'm sensing a little bit of (or maybe a lot of) bitterness and resentment towards the poverty-stricken children with the non-existent laptops. Face it people, most Americans can walk into a library and read a thousand books if they felt like it. And the library has not only books, but computers. Any person could walk on in there and use a computer. We all have free access to millions of resources on the Internet right in our own neighborhoods.
The goal of the OLPC Foundation is to find the most efficient and effective way to educate many thousands of children who live in places where schools are non-existent or inaccessible. A laptop with an wireless internet connection, like the one they intend to manufacture, will provide, in one fell swoop, millions of resources and the ability to immediately engage in learning to a child. Books are simply not as cost effective or as efficient in providing information and a continuing education.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
This made it to the top of Populars science 100 best inventions of 2006 list, in technology. It is a brillant idea. The computer are small light and portable. They can adapt to almost every scenario.
Though, in America, they are way ahead of you. In some schools currently, they are usinf Mac computer to do all calss assignments on. I think it is brillant. You have chat rooms with freids and teachers for help. Wireless cards built in the school, and much more. I think it will end our use of paper. Or make it decline by a great percentage.
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God gave you a brain. America gave you a vote. Use them together and wisely.
Beaurocrats and administrators have a paper fetish. They love it. In their free time the dress entirely in paper. They are the puplpies to the furries. I am sure it will reduce paper consumption some, but people aren't willing to let go of the concreteness of paper.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.