Investigating Nicholas Negroponte and One to One Computing-Video:
Review the video about Nicholas Negroponte and his "One Lap Top Per Child" initiative. All raise specific issues of accessibility, equity, "the digital divide," "one to one computing,"and even open source software. Consider the following: How realistic do you think Negroponte's vision is? What are his goals and how feasible do you think it would be to implement them? Can it work given the opposition of Bill Gates and Intel?
Review the video about Nicholas Negroponte and his "One Lap Top Per Child" initiative. All raise specific issues of accessibility, equity, "the digital divide," "one to one computing,"and even open source software. Consider the following: How realistic do you think Negroponte's vision is? What are his goals and how feasible do you think it would be to implement them? Can it work given the opposition of Bill Gates and Intel?
I was the person in class who had to throw my hand up and ask how we were to bring all this technology into our classrooms if we were working in an underfunded school. After watching this Ted Talk on One Laptop Per Child I am much more convinced that we can bring technology to our most in need children. It was a very heartening speech and I am inspired by his idea.
ReplyDeleteOn the other reading, I have to wholeheartedly disagree. I think computers are making us smarter. Sitting down and being able to read text from a book for a long period of time is such an old definition of intelligence anyway. In fact, I think its quite possible that our brains are meant to be going from thought to idea (or maybe mine has already been rewired ;-)). Anyway, I can still sit down and enjoy a book even though I can click around on the internet too.
I think that Nicholas Negroponte's "One Lap Top Per Child" initiative is inspiring. I also think it is realistic, and from slightly perusing the website for the non-profit organization, I think it is a reality in many third world countries. His goals are feasible because they are practical. Before the video hype, Quanta, Google, and other partners were approached and hopped on board to help facilitate the process. In my opinion, the critiques by Bill Gates and Intel that the articles discuss are weak. Yes, a computer IS a gadget, and $100 is a lot cheaper than most gadgets you would find at an electronic store, and I don't think a young student in a country that may not have sanitation or electricity is going to have an issue with a lack of hard drive or screen size.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I think Negroponte has created something amazing for groups of people who probably have not had the chance to take part in the progress of technology. What is even better is that these XO laptops would give them the opportunity to do so through education, starting with the children who are the future of their countries. I'm into it!
Negroponte’s goal is to use the OLPC program to provide children, not just with a laptop, but with a tool that will help advance their learning and take them to levels of education that they never dreamed were possible. I found two major problems with OLPC. One, as Negroponte states himself in the TED address, OLPC does not provide the laptops with educational software. The laptops do come with programs such as a word processor, video camera, drawing tools, internet server, games, music, etc…. These programs will be beneficial to the children’s education, yet I think the implementation of specifically engineered learning software could take their success another step further. Secondly, not once in any of the four articles does Negroponte discuss how his program was going to take the time to invest in educating teachers to become competent in these laptops, and furthermore, learn how to implement them in their classroom. As we saw in class, the laptop initiative in Maine was so successful because the schools took the time to educate their teachers about the laptops and also taught them specific tools for integrating computer based learning in their classrooms. OLPC is such a wonderfully noble idea and I believe that it is taking major strides in the way that we are educating students. Many state that if projects such as OLPC do not have all of the bugs worked out, they should not be implemented. I disagree with this philosophy in that there is no real way to know if the laptops will be beneficial until they are put to use. The constant communication between the students, teachers, manufacturers, and other contributing factors will be necessary to gauge what future changes need to be made. Negroponte’s goals will be reached only when all of those who are involved with the project and the students work together in developing an adequate tool. Wonderful things can be done through the intervention of technology and Negroponte is on the cusp of capitalizing these results.
ReplyDeleteWhile the OLPC faced opposition from companies such as Microsoft and Intel from the start, it was able to gain the partnership of AMD to create software called Linus. AMD’s participation has helped move OLPC to a mass scale operation. While they collaboration is working for the moment, I think that the project can become even more successful if companies like Microsoft and Intel were willing to work together. One of Negroponte’s main points was that he wanted this project to create affordable laptops for children, and one of the main ways to do this is to create the products on a mass scale. The compilation of multiple companies and resources would maximize results and provide even more children with laptop-based instruction. Unfortunately, this goes against America’s competitive consumer nature. Hopefully, OLPC will gain momentum so that other companies will want to jump on the bandwagon of success.
Negroponte’s OLPC has many positive and negative attributes, but his underlying goal surpasses them all: providing the world with equal access to knowledge.
I am really impressed by the motivation and hard work and research that has been put into this initiative. I think that Negroponte has admirable ambitions when it comes to wanting to provide easier access to education for children around the world who arent able to access the world through technology like we can. I think the idea is really interesting and could really make a huge difference in the level of education that occurs in these students. There could be some negative critiques based on the fact that these computers are relatively simple and don't have many software options available but I think that given the huge opportunity that this is for such a revolutionary educational project, people will appreciate the laptops nonetheless. Something I found interesting was how energy efficient the laptops were going to be. Solar powered, low energy, dimmer lighting than a normal computer, etc. I am impressed by how big of a scale he is working towards, I think that's pretty remarkable for a first time initiative.
ReplyDeleteEven with facing some opposition from big company CEOs like Bill Gates, I still think this OLPC idea is hugely innovative and likely to be a success given cooperation from larger companies willing to invest. I am excited by this project and I hope it is successful in changing the way of education for children in the world who aren't as fortunate as many others.
I think Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child program is a great idea. It epitomizes the constructivsm approach to learning – putting tools in students’ hands to allow them to learn by experience. While I do not believe that a computer can replace all of the resources necessary to support an innovative classroom, it is a leap in the right direction. And I love the fact that the laptop can make use of renewable energy sources.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the objective of Negroponte’s initiative – to be an educational project, not a laptop project. In this way, I don’t think it matters that Bill Gates and Intel are not on-board with the idea. Of course they are going to want their software in the hands of millions of children, but this program is not about selling a brand name to a country and its children. It’s about providing opportunities for children to connect and explore and create in the 21st century.
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ReplyDeleteI believe Negroponte’s vision in his initiative “One Laptop per Child” is an attainable one, if given the support of various parties. I believe it is important to have the technological and financial support of companies such as Microsoft and Intel to ensure the continual production and improvement of the XO machine. Having the support of the local government is crucial to the success of the initiative because no matter how many laptops make it to a country in need, unless there is a government committed to the distribution and maintenance required to keep the initiative going, there could be many roadblocks before the project is given a chance to thrive.
ReplyDeleteThe possibilities that come from this initiative are massive: the distribution of information to more students (in many countries, printed texts are often limited and/or outdated), the decreased need for material goods that are hard to come by in parts of many countries (pencils, paper, chalkboards), and the increased exposure and awareness that comes from such a machine (internet and video images, international classroom interactions). It seems that Negroponte and his team have created a machine that could withstand many of the environmental obstacles of various countries and mostly, their mission is one of immeasurable value: to bring education to all students across the globe.
As Negroponte explains his project, it sounds incredibly realistic. There are so many ways that children can benefit from having access to digital media and information. The amazing thing about the technology we experience today is the access of information, and today's market provides for an opportunity for a project like OLPC to provide an equitable access to this information.
ReplyDeleteI do think that some sort of infrastructure would be needed in order to make this project a more effective endeavor. Just the act of giving a child a laptop will not improve his quality of life. It can be used as a tool to access information and educate ones self, but there needs to be some sort of technological education. It's like the old adage about giving a man a fish. We need to teach children to fish for themselves. There are things taught in the classroom that need to be facilitated by a dedicated and qualified mentor. I see that as the next logical step of the OLPC program. And clearly this would not be as feasible.
Okay… Realistic? Hmm, I don’t think so.. Perhaps it is possible, yet moreover, it is idealistic. Can a “$100 laptop” be produced? Absolutely! Especially with the large-scale production, the price is kept down. But, when a company produces an everlasting product, where does this leave the company? Consider the Tesla, a beautiful car that just keeps going and going and going. Probably costs the same to produce this car as a Ford, relatively, but the purchase cost is much more. Why? Well, what happens to the company when their consumers aren’t coming to them for maintenance anymore? It goes kaput. The company, not the car. In more relative terms, let’s look at an Apple computer: roughly $1000 to buy, with a $300 profit margin, or a Dell costing $400 with a $20 profit margin – these companies are “for profit” - they are not in it for charity. This is a profit and business driven economy. So, what is in it for them? The goodness of their hearts? Unlikely. So, I think that Negroponte’s idea of the $100 laptop will be squashed by the very companies he is petitioning, unless of course, they are going out of business.
ReplyDelete-Carrie
I think that Negroponte's idea is not only realistic, but an incredibly inventive way to allow children in developing countries access to new information and technology. By making certain trade-offs in structure and through mass production, I think Negroponte will come very close to his intended cost of $100. Further critics of his idea have only pointed out possible laptop structural deficiencies although Negroponte has been clear from the beginning that this is not "a laptop project but an education project". Another sign of his succes is that Intel, a former critic, has recently decided to help Negroponte and OLPC.
ReplyDeleteI am still somewhat skeptical because I do not feel that Negroponte has a plan for after these children recieve computers. I think that there still must be some type of guidance and instruction when children are first learning to work with these machines, although I like the student-directed learning they encourage. I would like to hear more about Negroponte's past experiences and success in pairing children and computers and how he intends to mirror that success in this intiative.
I think Negroponte's vision is incredibly realistic especially since he is already achieving what he set out to do. He is realistic in the cost of what the actual laptop is to make, and how the majority of the cost of the laptops we purchase are mostly distribution, marketing, and sales. Because none of this has anything to do with his non-profit and what he's trying to do, none of this is an issue that adds to the cost. Negroponte definitely has the financial support by both manufacturers and internet companies.
ReplyDeleteHis goals are to have one laptop per child, and he is starting in the most impoverished areas. I was most surprised by the fact that those who don't even have any power in their homes are given laptops. Additionally, how the students using them do not speak English or have even used a computer before, but they are able to learn how to very quickly. It is so interesting to me how children in this generation, even in third world countries, are so technologically savvy. My three year old nephew already knows how to use his dad's ipad to watch his favorite movies on netflix. It is just so amazing. As to say how feasible his goal is, for him, I think it is definitely within his reach. Is it totally easy peasy? Maybe not, but he is well on his way. With the opposition of Bill Gates and Intel, I really think that has little to do with what Negroponte is trying to achieve. People will always want their fancy nice things, but having the $100 laptop in schools as a tool as opposed to textbooks, is what I think can make learning and teaching more effective.
As far as the "Google is making us stupid? article goes, I think it was borderline satirical. I understand where the writer was coming from, but I think that the fact that we zip through information faster than we ever have before is just a reflection of the response to all the stimulation around us. I definitely do not think that computers or the internet are bad things that don't allow us to make room to think. I think that if anything the increase of information and the way that it is readily available has allowed many people across the globe to share and learn things that were virtually impossible to prior. While there is a beauty in sifting through old periodicals in a gorgeous research facility, my favorite word is efficiency, and computers and the internet allow for my favorite word to happen more frequently.
ReplyDeleteThe project of One Laptop Per Child inspired me, NOT just because of his deep knowledge of economics, NOT because the project has potential for success, NOT because it is radical and philanthropic, but because it is an idea that has been researched and developed so holistically that he was even able to end his lecture with "possible criticisms", of which he found counterexamples to defend.
ReplyDeleteNegroponte admits, however, that along with the laptops, they would not be providing educational software. I would think, that with all his effort to expose third world countries to the internet for the sake of an education tool, he would have wanted partnerships with organizations to then have responsible educating.
The OLPC initiative is praise-worthy on many levels. Mainly, it served as the only initiative aimed to increase technological literacy in heavily impoverished areas. I was impressed by the engineering and thought that went into designing computers for the needs of rural environments. At the outset, Negroponte presents an economical, innovative product accessible to children.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the criticism about implementing and distributing the technology. On the surface, several problems emerge. For example, ensuring goverment purchasers actually deliver the laptops to villages and communities is a problem. Supply channels and logistics pose major challenges in developing countries. With goverments facing limited budgets and difficulties, the actual price of purchasing a laptop is higher than stated. This leads to equity problems as harder to reach areas will be less likely to receive the laptops. Another problem that arises is staff training. By nature, people are more or less unwilling to adopt a new technology without getting used to it. Training teachers on effectively using the laptop with powerful software would avoid misuse or underuse of the laptops.
In response to opposition from Microsoft, I think the plan is still able to be implemented. I am a proponent of open-source software but still find useful software from Microsoft and Apple. Many open-source programs have bugs and may not offer needed functions for the workplace. Given the needs of students, I think packaging the laptops with open-source Linux based programs are sufficient and can lead to the educational outcomes desired. Having the partnership with intel helps. I don't think the laptop is in competition with Microsoft. I hope market competition inspires another company to produce a superior product cheaper.