Every child should have a laptop.
Every child?
Yes. Every child in every school, whether rich or poor, should be handed a laptop, netbook, or some other portable, wireless device on their first day of school along with textbooks, pens, paper and other school supplies.
Impossible you say.
Nutty idea.
Every child?
Yes. Every child in every school, whether rich or poor, should be handed a laptop, netbook, or some other portable, wireless device on their first day of school along with textbooks, pens, paper and other school supplies.
Impossible you say.
Nutty idea.
Ok. Here's another one.
Wireless access should be a public utility. It should be available to every household in the same way that electricity is available to every household. It should not be the province of the few. It should be a resource for all.
Never happen you say.
Nutty idea.
Well how about the idea of an "Earth Day?" Back in 1969 when the idea of Earth Day was proposed, I'm sure there were a number of naysayers who thought...yeah right. This is stupid. More hippie, commie nonsense. This will go nowhere.
Wireless access should be a public utility. It should be available to every household in the same way that electricity is available to every household. It should not be the province of the few. It should be a resource for all.
Never happen you say.
Nutty idea.
Well how about the idea of an "Earth Day?" Back in 1969 when the idea of Earth Day was proposed, I'm sure there were a number of naysayers who thought...yeah right. This is stupid. More hippie, commie nonsense. This will go nowhere.
Earth Day is now observed in 175 countries. It is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day Network campaigns every year. It is now, by some estimates, "the largest secular holiday in the world."
How's that for a nutty idea?
My last blog post was titled: You take inspiration where you find it. That sentiment is certainly very true today.
Every great event in the course of human history begins with an idea. An idea becomes a cause. A cause can become a movement that, one day, changes the world.
So I'll say it again...
Every student should have access to a laptop.
Every home should have wireless access.
Crazy idea, right?
Maybe.
But maybe, just maybe, it's an idea that could become a cause that, one day, changes more than just our schools, but changes our world. Think of a world completely connected. Think of a world where the barriers between "us" and "them" become blurred, then broken down. Because if you think of it, there really is no "them." It's just "us." One world, one planet, one cause, one destiny.
Happy Earth Day everyone.
Every great event in the course of human history begins with an idea. An idea becomes a cause. A cause can become a movement that, one day, changes the world.
So I'll say it again...
Every student should have access to a laptop.
Every home should have wireless access.
Crazy idea, right?
Maybe.
But maybe, just maybe, it's an idea that could become a cause that, one day, changes more than just our schools, but changes our world. Think of a world completely connected. Think of a world where the barriers between "us" and "them" become blurred, then broken down. Because if you think of it, there really is no "them." It's just "us." One world, one planet, one cause, one destiny.
Happy Earth Day everyone.
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5 comments:
Not a nutty idea at all! Every child should have a computing device. Every teacher should have a computing device ... in the developing world we still have a long way to go, but small beginnings should not be despised. If we hang on to the nutty ideas we will get there!
I couldn't agree more! Keep those nutty ideas coming, remember that once a pencil/ballpoint pen/ chalkboard/ calculator were crazy ideas in education...far too expensive to ever be realistic in the classroom.
Thank you, Michael, for calling up the original Earth Day to make your point. I remember vividly walking 3.5 miles to school that morning morning picking up trash along the busy highway. We believed that day we were making change in the world and your reference helps me hope we have the ability to do it again today.
We are actually getting closer to a laptop for every child and broadband everywhere. The netbook computers are nearing a price point of $250 for NEW ones. And WiMax is stealthily sneaking in, it is technically available only in Baltimore (and a few places out West) but it is available NOW in Chicago. If you register yourself as a Baltimore user! How does $30 per month sound?
I was hoping that there were others who saw how important educational technology can be for the environment! I use an automated comment program called Annotate that helps me comment on student essays electronically from a great bank of instructional comments. Check out Annotate at 11trees.com
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