[OS:N:] Re: OLPC

[Charles MacDonald]

M. Fioretti wrote:

> Personally, I believe that:
> 
> the whole idea that using computers in basic education is overrated,
> and it is badly implemented most of times anyway, just because it's
> trendy. In this sense, I don't honestly feel the need for the OLPC or
> anything similar to be distributed and used in the same way (1)

MY impression is that the MIT folks would like to see a generation of
Kids in the third world have a jump to colaborative learning.  The big
technology in the OLPC unit is the mesh networking which allows an
entire cloassroom to work on something together.

Yes, techning basic literacy, math and such can be done quite nicely
with quill and ink, but the effort been to be to put the classroom into
the 2020 era, and then the kids will be ready to compete when the get
out of school.

As far as the e-waste issue, it is probaly less of a concern with the
OLPC than with the more typical solution of providing "retired" business
hardware.  the OLPC units draw less power, and are probaly more friendly
to dispose when the do break down.

-- 
Charles MacDonald               Stittsville Ontario
 cmacd at TelecomOttawa.net        Just Beyond the Fringe
        http://www.TelecomOttawa.net/~cmacd/
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