[LINK] One Laptop per Child Doesn't Change the World

[Jan Whitaker]

At 09:58 AM 10/12/2007, Scott Howard wrote:
>Is OLPC the best way to assist with the delivery of that education?  Only
>time will tell, but to write it off as a gimmick shows a complete
>mis-understanding of the situation in many parts of the world, and of what
>OLPC is trying to bring to people - it's not about giving them laptops, it's
>about giving them education.

I've forwarded the article to a friend in the US who participated in 
the buy one send one program to get his view. He's an IT tragic like 
me plus works in education. I put the question to him as to how he 
reconciled the tension stated in the article. I see the issue as a 
matter of competing priorities and doing what's necessary and most 
effective at the time: if you need food and water, you need food and 
water, not communications/education. BUT if the basic need is 
fulfilled enough to allow you to move to the next level, education 
can exponentially increase your ability to get more food and water, 
then more education, then health and medicine, etc. Education is a 
powerful enabler.

The educator side of me supports the program. The first things first 
part of me supports investment in the basic needs. It's not a simple answer.

Jan


Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
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Living, like writing, requires no wisdom. Only revising does. - Jim 
Sollisch, Sept, 2007
'Seed planting is often the most important step. Without the seed, 
there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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