How to Help the World’s Poor Kids Connect
The Wall Street Journal sponsors a discussion between One Laptop Per Child and NComputing, each with their own vision for helping young people in developing countries succeed with help from technology.
The Wall Street Journal sponsored an email-based discussion between Stephen Dukker, CEO and founder of NComputing (see "A Work Station for Every Student in Macedonia" ), and Walter Bender, president of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), on whether low-cost laptops will help kids in developing countries. NComputing’s approach is to develop technology that allows one computer to support multiple users. They claim to be able to provide a computer for $11 without a monitor.
Dukker introduced the conversation by saying, “Helping the developing world cross the Digital Divide is a fundamental act of decency, generosity and even self-interest for the developed world.” While Bender had no objections to the statement, he did clarify that the goal of OLPC – which was founded by Nicholas Negropone of the IBM Media Lab – is not to bridge the digital divide but to provide a learning resource. “We happen to think that the most efficient way to reach children and give them opportunity is to provide them with connected laptop computers.”
Each defends the economics of his turf and the required infrastructure for connectivity. Dukker writes,
It seems like OLPC and NComputing have a common mission of helping the developing world's children rise out of poverty and other social problems through computer-assisted education. We just have different approaches to delivering that computing experience.
Bender, again, sees significance in semantics:
Your choice of words describing our missions is interesting: "computer-assisted education." At OLPC, we'd say: "computer-enabled learning." Let me make an analogy to immunology that Antonio Battro first brought to my attention: A vaccine is not a cure; it is an agent that enables your body to manufacture a cure. Likewise, computing is not a cure; it is an agent that will enable children to engage in learning.
Bender concludes with his ongoing argument for more sophisticated, albeit more expensive, technology
I am certain that you can manufacture a low-cost thin-client device; I am equally certain that you can use it to deliver instructional material. And furthermore, I am sure that it is an easy, low-risk sales proposition. But meeting customer demands is not necessarily congruent with meeting the needs of children. Providing electronic access to content is undoubtedly more efficient than delivering printed materials. But how does it change the lives of children and their families? Is it the new mimeograph machine?...
Children need to learn learning, which is primarily acquired through the passion that comes from access, the ability to make things, to communicate and to express. Writing a computer program, while seemingly esoteric, is in fact the closest a child can come to thinking about thinking. Likewise, debugging a program is the closest one can come to learning.
It goes without saying that Internet access and tools for expression (text, music, video, graphics) are the contemporary "toys" for learning. Every child of any means in the developed world has access to a computer at home and usually his or her own, with music, DVD, plus interactive and rich media to do anything from learning languages to play games.
The world can afford to make these same resources available for every child.
The Wall Street Journal then invites readers to share their thoughts:
What do you think? Are low-cost laptops the best way to help children in the developing world? Share your thoughts and join the discussion.
SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, Will Low-Cost Laptops Help Kids in Developing Countries?
