<div dir="ltr">Excellent stuff, but how do we make sure the actual devices get to the children, even if lost within a month?<div style><br></div><div style>Maybe some electronic signatures/transmissions registered in a database using classroom or public wifi / internet?</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>Asset management it is.</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 2:21 PM, Mark Elkins <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mje@posix.co.za" target="_blank">mje@posix.co.za</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="im">On Thu, 2013-04-11 at 17:01 +0200, Mark Elkins wrote:<br>
> Today, Thursday 11th April, 2013, I visited the Sunward Park High<br>
> School, Sonskyn Rd, Sunward Park, Boksburg (Johannesburg). The school<br>
> has recently embarked on a one tablet per child project. My purpose<br>
> was to simply visit the place to satisfy my own curiosity.<br>
<br>
</div>Some more thoughts on the subject...<br>
<br>
I always assumed that a traditional laptop would be the best device to<br>
use. For Schools, its difficult to argue against a 10" android tablet.<br>
They are light weight, last for a full school day and can run open<br>
source software. If its Android based, there are no ugly licence<br>
agreements and restrictions that Apple applies. Android devices can run<br>
flash easily - unlike iPads.<br>
<br>
Cons would be their child-proof-ness.....<br>
If provided in a reasonable case, perhaps with Bluetooth keyboard - then<br>
they become more durable. The most break-proof device I ever saw though<br>
is the One-Laptop-Per-Child device. I didn't really like the OLPC<br>
software though.<br>
<br>
Charging is an issue - regardless of the device. There was talk at the<br>
school that a new "Solar Shelter" was going to be built in the<br>
playground, build from solar panels. Solar charging makes sense - even<br>
when the School is connected to the grid.. Learners can also use the<br>
roof as a shelter from the elements.<br>
Perhaps in the future, the protective covers of Tablets could also be<br>
made of a flexible solar cell? Tablets need less power than laptops and<br>
can probably be manufactured at a lower cost. The screens could also be<br>
replaced with the flexible plastic displays - which would negate their<br>
primary problem of broken glass screens. If there is a need of a million<br>
units a year, then at least do local assembly.<br>
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><br>
--<br>
. . ___. .__ Posix Systems - (South) Africa<br>
/| /| / /__ <a href="mailto:mje@posix.co.za">mje@posix.co.za</a> - Mark J Elkins, Cisco CCIE<br>
/ |/ |ARK \_/ /__ LKINS Tel: +27 12 807 0590 Cell: +27 82 601 0496<br>
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