Sep 13, 2009

Laptopeados

Hablando de la OLPC, la laptop de 100 dólares de Negroponte, la cosa quedó absolutamente en la nada. Lamentablemente, una computadora por si sola no garantiza mejoras en el sistema educativo.

Si el objetivo era que cada niño tenga una computadora, aún si no se entiende bien para qué, lo más eficiente hubiera sido encontrar una solución de mercado:

Once the laptop finally started arriving in the developing world, its impact was minimal. We think. No one is doing much research on their impact on education; discussions are largely theoretical. This we do know: OLPC didn’t provide tech support for the machines, or training in how to incorporate them into education. Teachers didn’t understand how to use the laptops in their lessons; some resented them. Kids like the laptops, but they don’t actually seem to help them learn.

It’s time to call a spade a spade. OLPC was a failure. Businessweek called it two years ago. Now, Timothy Ogden, editor-in-chief of Philanthropy Action has made a compelling argument to give up on OLPC. He points out that supporting de-worming programs has more impact on child learning than the OLPC laptops. The laptops were designed without end-user input, they cost too much both to produce and to run, and they’re now being outcompeted by commercial laptops. Only about a million OLPCs have shipped so far.


(Gracias, Fernando)

2 comments:

  1. Ojo, la OLPC fue el puntapie inicial para todas las netbook que andan dando vuelta.

    Un fracaso que deja huella.


    Pero como bien posteaste mas abajo, pensar tener computadoras cuando no tenes un lugar fisico en condiciones para albergar a los alumnos, es vivir en una nube de pedos.

    Y lo peor es que le quieren dar computadoras a chicos que cuando terminan el secundario no pueden leer un texto y comprenderlo, y a maestros que no saben usar el control remoto de una TV.

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  2. Y claro, para eso está internet!!
    Copy+paste+copy+paste+copy+paste=titulo universitario!!!

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