I am not very amused when I read about OLPC as a tool for 3rd world. It sounds a patronizing attempt by the so called 1st world to experiment with 3rd world children. For your Phd, I am sure you will find it wont work since the intentions seem more experimental than anything else. So i agree with views Magda. Leonard
Magda Pischetola <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Thank you all the members of the list for your kind answers! I will try here to discuss some of the topics that have been raised:  Tim: the OLPC is said to be a quality tool for children of the developing world but what you pointed out is very true: people living in rural developing areas are going to appreciate any kind of technology that could be presented to them, as they do not have any alternative. So, the point is: why not offering them the technology that we all use everyday (a standard laptop) instead of a tool created to be a âlaptop for the third worldâ.  I am not sure that I agree with Satish when says that the OLPC is more advanced than a normal laptop, as it is thought as a game for children who arenât failiar with technology. It was proved by a recent research held from IBM that PCs and laptops introduced in primary schools as âgamesâ where making children ask why they do not have ânormalâ PCs and laptops, as the ones that they saw in other contexts. That is to say: are we sure that it is right to create a âgameâ of the first laptop that those children are going to use, just because they have never seen a laptop before? Whatâs the difference between the OLPC and the laptop that Taran suggested or the Asus EEE, which have now the same price than the OLPC one but are âseriousâ laptops?  Thank you all for suggestions, Magda --- Ven 5/9/08, Satish Jha ha scritto: Da: Satish Jha Oggetto: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC A: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group" Data: Venerdì 5 settembre 2008, 21:39 Magda, There is a bit of difference between making a PC and a learning PC for children. What we know as OLPC, without a dozen feature it has that do not come bundled with any other laptop, can be manufactured below $100. But add ruggedness, no moving parts, mesh networking, dual boot system, a screen that works well under the sun, a keyboard that is spill proof, a built in camera, a swiveling screen and an e-book feature and we are talking a serious package. retaining costs at $200 after adding all that narrated above and more is a feat in itself.. So OLPC is no ordinary laptop and the next version will be to laptops what i-phone is to cell phones and for less.. That said, we should encourage every initiative to reduce costs as the lower price points will undoubtedly increase the reach of computing, opening every newer frontier with drop in prices.. Thanks Magda Pischetola wrote: > > Dear collegues, > > > > I've been reading with great interests your posts in the latest months > and now I'd like you to ask your opinion about a topic that is going to be > an important part of my research. > > > > I am doing my PhD in Italy with a project on the Digital divide from the > point of view of Education. I am studying how can education reduce the DD > with media literacy and how teachers can help children to achieve a good > level of the so-called "digital skills", to access ICT and Internet and to > produce development. > > > > Now, this year I will follow a field research in a primary school where > teachers are going to introduce the OLPC laptop as a tool in their method of > theaching. Then, in the new year I'd like to compare the results to another > area of the world (I'm thinking of Buenos Ayres, Argentina). > > > > I'm asking to you all what you think - out of any preconcept that I might > share - about the initiative of OLPC in the world (if it is a goof initiave > or not and why) and which aspect would you stress in a field research like > this one (e.g. skills of the teacher, self-learning of the child, creativity > and flexibility of the project, etc.). > > > > I will appreciate very much your help. > > Thank you! > > > > Magda Pischetola > > > > -- > Satish Jha > President & CEO > OLPC India > One Cambridge Center > Cambridge, MA 02142 > T: 301 841 7422 > F:301560 4909 > www.laptop.org > __________________ > http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=tab_pro > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satish_Jha > _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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