09 October 2008

Laptops instead of text books at school

Dear readers,
here is some interesting news. Honestly, I'm very suprised to see that it comes from Italy. A primary school in Turin has decided to use computers instead of books for its pupils for a year.

Pupils at a school in Italy are replacing all their text books with computers for a year - in what is being described as a unique experiment. More than 60 children - aged between eight and 10 - at Turin's Don Milani school will be using mini laptops with the full curriculum. Their access to the internet will be controlled by special software. The experiment, which is backed by parents, aims to test how a computer alone can improve the learning process.

Until Wednesday, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school was like any other in Italy. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, 60 fifth grade pupils and a number of third graders will start using computers only.
The mini laptops, which run Windows software, weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of one-and-a-half metres and are waterproof. Instead of spending the equivalent of $700 (£400) a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than $400 (£228).

Source:
Italy pupils ditch books for PCs by Duncan Kennedy for BBC News, Wednesday 8th October 2008

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