So why do kids need laptops?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7642985.stm

My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first! What a
complete waste of money. You see what calculators did to young peoples
arithmetic skills. Nowadays they have no idea if the decimal point is
in the right place. Learn the fundamentals and then use the
technology! Why learn to type before you can write! Back of an
envelope calculations will become a thing of the past.


Hardy

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

On Sep 30, 2:15 pm, HardySpicer <gyansor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first!

I don't think the goal is to replace pen and paper so much, as to
replace the expense
of deploying textbooks and keeping them current.  It's intended as an
information age
equalizer.

Some implementations have also tried to present the open source /
software freedom
idea of getting in and changing the software instead of being content
with the way things are.  Of course others are heavily locked down,
both technically and under threat of school discipline.

I think its a great idea. Look at the $100 dolar laptop initiative...

There is so much resources available over the internet that a child in
a school with a poor library but with a laptop might be able to
account for a poor library in his/her school.

This is not to mention, up-to-date information and ability to create
conections with people from different cultures...

HardySpicer <gyansorova@gmail.com> writes:

> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7642985.stm
>
> My neice has one at her private school in NZ (mandatory) and here we
> have the whole country of Venezulea ordering them. Is it really
> nescessary? Whats wrong with a pen and paper? I have nothing against
> modern technology but surely you learn the fundamentals first! What a
> complete waste of money. You see what calculators did to young peoples
> arithmetic skills. Nowadays they have no idea if the decimal point is
> in the right place. Learn the fundamentals and then use the
> technology! Why learn to type before you can write! Back of an
> envelope calculations will become a thing of the past.

Preaching to the choir. Amen, Hardy!
-- 
%  Randy Yates                  % "Ticket to the moon, flight leaves here today 
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC            %  from Satellite 2"
%%% 919-577-9882                % 'Ticket To The Moon' 
%%%% <yates@ieee.org>           % *Time*, Electric Light Orchestra
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

Ikaro <ikarosilva@hotmail.com> writes:

> I think its a great idea. Look at the $100 dolar laptop initiative...
>
> There is so much resources available over the internet that a child in
> a school with a poor library but with a laptop might be able to
> account for a poor library in his/her school.
>
> This is not to mention, up-to-date information and ability to create
> conections with people from different cultures...

A child (or any person, for that matter) only has so many hours
in a day available for learning. If they're not using them for
learning the basics, then what's the result? 

Or are you saying that school children, after their arithmetic,
reading, writing, spelling, history, and science classes (and
homework) are sitting around twiddling their fingers?
-- 
%  Randy Yates                  % "And all that I can do
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC            %  is say I'm sorry, 
%%% 919-577-9882                %  that's the way it goes..."
%%%% <yates@ieee.org>           % Getting To The Point', *Balance of Power*, ELO
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com