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Testing Technology on a Veritable Army of Children?

Posted by Cliff on from the new-technology-for-the-next-generation dept.

golem1024 asks: "I've been presented with the opportunity to design and implement any sort of project with a technological/learning/experimental bent that can be carried out over two days in 2005, across six continents, involving on the order of 3000 children as participants, drawing from a multi-million dollar budget. An example project that is being seriously discussed is to equip each child with a PDA that we will design from scratch, implement, and manufacture in quantity. (Think Neil Stephenson's 'Diamond Age') The organizers/funders (to remain unnamed until the event is publicly unveiled) have every intention of 'changing the world'...whether or not they will succeed is yet to be seen, but I think its certainly worth trying. To that end, I'm interested in gauging the thoughts of the Slashdot community." Sounds damned cool! If it weren't for the fact that the age group was targetted at a younger audience, I might think someone was reading last week's Ask Slashdot.

"The idea is to bring together children ages 10 to 15 years old from around the world at 8 or 9 centers scattered about all continents except Antarctica. The children will congregate at these centers for two days in 2005 to participate in creative technology workshops both virtually between centers and hands-on at their particular center. There will be a heavy emphasis on community building and shared information, in many ways similar to Slashdot. The entire event and all the projects it entails are designed to live on after the kids go home when the two days are up. How this will be done is as of yet uncertain, but will most definitely involve net connectivity to some extent (whether through the village kiosk's 28.8kbaud line in Cambodia or the living room broadband line in NYC). Naturally, issues such as language barriers will have to be addressed. In the particular case of the language barrier, there is talk of designing a custom written language (again, think mediaglyphs from 'Diamond Age') for children to use, build upon, and shape. What other projects are worth considering?"

15 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Imagine a Beo.... nevermind..... by inaneboy · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    What the heck was I thinking....

  2. very good sir!!! by neal+n+bob · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Well done - an on troll-topic first post. And logged in.

  3. Wireless devices in the classroom... by wayn3 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ... sounds like a new way of cheating on exams.

  4. erster deutscher Pfosten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    saugen Sie meinen Penis

    1. Re:erster deutscher Pfosten by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      That means: "first german post" and "suck my penis" for those not having a native German tongue.

  5. Sounds like... by GreenJeepMan · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    "bring together children ages 10 to 15 years old from around the world" Sounds like Slashdot to me.

  6. Attention adults by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    All your continents are belong to us!

  7. Just, Please, Please... by cporter · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    ... No Singing

  8. For our German speaking friends! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Eine sehr große Eingabe der Technologie auf Kindern einfach
    fallenlassen bildet sie nicht in sich selbst intelligenter. Das Geben
    jedem von ihnen von PDAs nicht notwendigerweise läßt ihre
    pädagogische Erfahrung irgendwie verbessern. Ich würde zuerst
    dieses betrachten: angenommen, wir ein grosses gob des Geldes für
    eine erstklassige educational-/learningerfahrung ausgeben möchten,
    was, wenn wir tun. Dann und nur fragen Sie dann, wie Technologie
    dienen kann, diese Erfahrung hervorzubringen.

  9. Is anyone else thinking... by good-n-nappy · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Lord of the Flies?

    --
    Never underestimate the power of fiber.
  10. Rehash of an old, old story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Been there, done that, submitted it to Slashbot. Slashblot chose not to publish it. Now they've acquired a conscience?

    Blow off.

  11. Army of Children? by Metrollica · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This better not be like Stephen King's book Children of the Corn, where children follow a greater force than God... technology!

    --



    --Metrollica
  12. Re:don't overestimate technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I'd like to drop a huge load of SOMETHING on them.

    -The Turd Report

  13. Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Maybe Taco could use this to poll children on what inexpensive resources Slashdot and it's partners can rent to users at a high profit margin.

  14. exactly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    moo fuckaz

    +3 Interesting

    CyberBandal

    --djhsdkfjhgfkjhsdkjhgsdkjgsdlkjsflkjsfdlkj