Ted Talks: Nicholas Negroponte Takes OLPC to Colombia Response
What were the three most powerful ideas you heard in this talk? List each idea and explain why it was powerful.
Nicholas Negroponte’s program liberates communities that have been in the “dark” for decades- Because of constant bombings and acts of violence, numerous communities have been closed to the outside of the world. With laptops, students are now connected to the outside world, and can learn the same skills that would be taught in an American classroom.
Computers= education- The idea that a simple laptop can be used as an educational tool comes from the fact that if there are around ten laptops in a classroom, and each can hold one hundred online books, the classroom can …show more content…
What were the three most interesting quotes you heard in this talk? For each, explain why it was interesting.
“There are one billion children in the world, and fifty percent of them don’t have electricity or technology at home or at school.”
Although I have previous knowledge that many children are not fortunate enough or live in an area where these basic necessities are available, the high number really surprised me. The quote shows that the need for the laptops was great, and with them, the original number can be greatly lowered.
“These computers open the children to the rest of the world for the first time in years.”
Young people within Colombia have never been able to go far outside of their homes in fear of being harmed by various guerilla groups, so by using computers, virtually travel outside their countries and into the real world where they learn to read, write, and much more.
“Teachers have said they have never loved teaching so …show more content…
The authorities instructing the kids with computer's felt their job was extremely rewarding, as with the help of Negroponte’s computers, they now have the ability to educate people on important, lifelong skills. This is interesting because teachers now love going to work due to the amazing things the new laptops can do.
How does the talk connect to one specific idea we have discussed in class?
The guerrilla groups in Colombia began over forty years ago-starting as a political movement then turning into a drug campaign-and have been affecting the community in such a way where minors and their family have had to remain in their houses for days at a time.
If you could ask the speaker one question, what would you have asked and why?
What inspired you to create and grant laptops specifically for impoverished, guerilla contained areas such as Colombia? Countless prototypes for laptops have been presented to countless audiences, but what makes the laptops Negroponte has developed is their purpose. He chose to make the devices similar to iPads-portable, small, but carry a large amount of information. Characteristics like these made it possible for them to be mass made and distributed to change the lives of many children.
Would you recommend this talk to a classmate? Why or