Benefits of Laptop Programs & Laptop Hardware
According to Carvin, “computers are an invaluable tool for providing active collaborative learning.” Though 1:1 computing programs vary in design– some schools provide a laptop for every child at a certain grade level, while others put laptops on carts and circulate them among many classes. But, in all these programs, computers are used for:
* Drafting, editing and publishing work with word processing programs .* Using graphic-organizer software, such as Inspiration, to brainstorm and create projects .
* Navigating subject-specific instructional units at a student’s own pace.
* Fact-gathering and research using carefully selected educational websites.
* Individualizing instruction so teachers can act as guides to student-driven learning .
Technology is not education but it’s an only means for providing education. And what I believe is that the means for providing education should be as affordable, cheap and accessible as possible. If these OLPC really wants to do contribute for the education of these poor children from poor community, it’s not necessary to develop this kind of expensive electronic gadget which costs billions of dollars in research and development itself. But help them by providing pencils, notebooks and textbooks which are far cheaper than $100 laptop. It’s the responsibility and duty of the technocrat like Negroponte to think about the use of technology in education but it’s also their duty to make the technology affordable, accessible and efficient for general use.
source from http://laptop.technovission.com/?p=5
