I recently read an article that caught my attention. It was called Laptops bring lessons, maybe even peace by Jessica Ravitz. It is about the company called One Laptop per Child. They are a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide laptops to the poor children of the world. So far about 750,000 kids from Uruguay, Haiti and Mexico to Mongolia, Ghana and the small Polynesian island of Niue have their own laptop to help the learn. Recently officials in Afghanistan have talked to the company about getting laptops to the little girls in the country. Even with everything the Taliban tries to keep away from women and girls the government is still trying to allow them to learn.
The children that are helped by the caring organization receive XO laptops. Using these laptops they can learn more than they could have dreamed of. They have free wireless and are shipped at no cost. They can learn mathematics, read online textbooks, compose music, and visit with others their age around the world. There are also thousands of volunteers around the word that help with training to use the computers.
There are also schools around the United States that have incorporated this program to help its kids that live in poverty. A high school in Alabama has 14,000 students with these computers. I think this is a wonderful program that is really helping many kids in the world. It is sad that there are so many children that have never been in a classroom. The world is really missing out on the minds of these children. I am also glad to see that the program is helping the less fortunate in the US too. Sometimes I think programs that are helping everyone in the world forget that we have kids right here in the US that don’t get to use the more advanced forms of technology. We need more organizations helping the less fortunate like this one.
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That is a brilliant program! Helping the worlds youth aid themselves in their learning experiences. I agree that it's depressing to see that large of a number, that just keeps growing, of children who are poor and underpriveleged in this world. They are our future and it's sad to think about how many won't live to see it or won't be given the resources to help contribute to make their futures, and ours, better and safer for coming generations.
ReplyDeleteI think is a great project. I wonder what kind of impact it will have on the statistics put forth in the video "Shift Happens" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U)
ReplyDeleteI've seen this a couple times now and it amazes me every time that the top graduates in India or China out number all the students in the US. So if this laptop program helps those in other countries who otherwise would not have access to that kind of knowledge, then how far down the list does the US go in terms of brain capital?
That is very great of them to do this to help those in need. And yes, organizations that want to help other countries should try to focus on ours. We have those that are less fortunate all over the place. Those that are in need of a good education, or even education to begin with are here too. I mean, its great that One Laptop for Every Child is doing what they do. And I hope they help a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteErica this is a good post about helping other people. I think it is great that people and organizations around the world are trying the help the people and kids around the world that desperately need help. A lot of these kids probably do not even know if they are going to get to eat every day let alone even think about learning. This is also a great way to help get these places out of poverty because the kids will grow up knowing things and be able to go out in the world and make something of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a great way to help children that are poor and unable to attend school. This whole idea makes me realize how much of us, meaning students, take our education for granted. Most of us complain about having to go to school every day and feel that it’s a waste, when a lot of children don’t have any chance of learning anything at all. One Labtop per Child is a great organization and is really looking for the best of the child. I also thing that it’s great that its helping the unfortunate in our own country. I feel that nothing but good will come from all of this.
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