Slashdot, in it’s standard inimical way, poopoos parents who opposed giving students laptops.
Schools giving away laptops are hardly new. It has been considered a good idea to give students laptops, to give them access to the wealth of resources available, learn about technology, learn to make … powerpoint presentations …
It turns out, a lot of students spend time playing things like World of Warcraft, or cruising the net, instead of using their laptops to actually learn something, like … powerpoint.
OK, I imagine you are getting my drift here. Does it make sense to give every student their own laptop? A while ago, it was about getting students ready for the new workplace (ugh), and bridging the digital divide (a laudable goal.) Now, in the US, for the most part the digital divide isn’t between the economic haves and have nots, but mostly between the technology want-ers and want-nots.
My suggestion? Something old. Computers in classrooms where they make sense, and in the library. Provide help to parents who really can’t afford to buy their kid a computer or a laptop. Leave it at that.
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