Unconnected Classroom

"There are some very exciting uses of, say, digital video

generated by students and interactive whiteboards are extremely

popular with teachers and students," she says. "But it's only done

by a few people because it needs someone confident to introduce it.

There are things that, done well, can connect classes and expand

the curriculum, but if not done well won't encourage the children

and money can be better spent (elsewhere)."

Scientist and author Dr Karl Kruszelnicki agrees.

"Technology is positive. It adds another 10% to the classroom

package. But really all you need is a piece of paper, a pencil, a

student who is well fed and awake and an inspired teacher.

Technology is good, it's necessary but it's not the cure."

• Easily accessible technical support: Although designed to be robust, its very likely that kids are going to do use it in weirdest possible ways. Lack of easily accessible local technical support can dampen curiosity and interest.
• Native (non-English) language support: Kids (and teachers) in underprivileged communities will need something that they understand better or can learn quickly.
• Backbone infrastructure: Underdeveloped regions are most likely to lack any backbone telephone or internet infrastructure. And without that, information flow and peer-to-peer communication can be hindered to great extent.
• Gray/black market problems: For highly underdeveloped communities which are still struggling to survive without sufficient food and other basic facilities, it is certainly not a solution. If they are offered this laptop, more probably it’s going to be sold in gray market to fulfill their today’s needs. Hungry stomachs do not understand philosophy, however great it may be. They should be provided with what they need first and funds allocated for that purpose should not be diverted towards any other project.

Furthermore, the Sugar user interface allows for greater control over what can be done with the system. The programs being created for it (with the possible exception of Doom) are designed to help children create, explore, wonder, strategize, and learn.

This is why I fear that some the unique educational potential of OLPC will be lost with the conversion to Windows. The platform, and, at least as important, development community, would no longer be so focused on programs that were created for learning and thereby lose the strongest advantage the OLPC had. For all its issues, Sugar is an amazing endeavor.