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I don't get why they need laptops
By eppenoire on 5/21/2007 8:31:07 PM , Rating: 3
Excuse me if I missed something. Negroponte is trying to help poor countries improve their education. So, he wants to sell them laptops? How are laptops going to help their educational standards? It seems to me, that a collection of slightly used Encyclopedia Britannicas and bunch of math books from would be a lot more useful. Unless the idea is that digital books are cheaper, in which case shouldn't he be working with ebook manufactures?

Giving students laptops will not improve their education, just look at California. We have given our children great hardware to work with, but all they have accomplished is a new level of dumb. We have high school students who cannot pass a basic math and English proficiency test. Computers are easy to learn about, but unless you understand the basic core, you will never accomplish much more than writting some uneducated drivel in your blog.

RE: I don't get why they need laptops
By Etsp on 5/21/2007 8:46:53 PM , Rating: 5
You did miss something. IIRC These laptops contain literature that is focused on learning and teaching. Also, please please PLEASE do not compare the desire for education between Californian children and children of undeveloped countries. Their attitude about it is completely different when it comes to education. Most American children see it as a burden and a chore. Children of third world countries know that the number of people that are properly educated in those countries is very few, and those few have far more opportunities than they do, and usually a much safer, if not easier life. They have a far better understanding of the importance of education simply because they, and everyone around them, lack it.



By aurareturn on 5/21/2007 10:52:27 PM , Rating: 2
California giving their kids great hardware? Where? California gives the bare minimum for education. We still use(unusable)7 year old macs and 7 year old PCs. Browsing on the internet is nearly impossible.


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