Superintendents Extending Education Through Technology

Providing a laptop for every single child would be a lofty goal even for the most affluent school districts. So, I was skeptical when I heard about the One Laptop Per Child organization and their hope of providing portable computers to children in some of the world’s poorest nations.

Why would people in areas that lack easy access to clean water and adequate medical care want computers? It seemed like a condescending act of misplaced charity… until I had a chance to use one of the computers from this organization.

These laptops (called the XO) were developed with their target users in mind. The laptops are strongly built, waterproof, shock-resistant and inviting to use. From the laptop.org website:

A small machine with a big mission. The XO is a potent learning tool designed and built especially for children in developing countries, living in some of the most remote environments. It’s about the size of a small textbook. It has built-in wireless and a unique screen that is readable under direct sunlight for children who go to school outdoors. It’s extremely durable, brilliantly functional, energy-efficient, and fun.

Did I mention they cost under two hundred dollars?

Aside from being well made, they also have a built in feature set that makes them more than word-processing units. The built in software allows students communicate wirelessly (via text chat, drawing boards, and more) from one laptop to another. This can be extremely useful when your nearest neighbor is 8 miles away, or communicate with another student across the globe.

Although it is a matter of life and death for people across the globe have access to food, shelter and medicine, it’s also vitally important that these conditions not exclude them from the rest of humanity. For many of the One Laptop recipients, one machine takes the form many tools: Community organizing device, textbook, entertainment console, and gateway to a world in which they might otherwise be silenced.

This organization – with its mission that sounds so far fetched at first – is working on a global level to empower children with technology. Pretty amazing.

What might we do here in Michigan, in our cities, in our districts, in one classroom that can make a difference? Share your thoughts in the comments.