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One Desktop per Child - miniPCs for Schools?

Posted by Cliff on from the uncomplicated-unobtrusive-computing-for-class dept.

gwjenkins asks: "I'm a teacher in charge of IT in a small school. We would like to bust out of the computer lab model but don't want a trolley of laptops wheeled from class to class. I've drooled over wi-fi PDAs but just can't afford a set for class (and the batteries drain too fast). In a classroom, space is at a premium and teachers won't use a technology that takes too long to set up. Most of the time the kids are just researching (Google), or typing (Google Docs), the rest of the time they can go to a lab. I would love to have a desk-based solution. Can you run a wi-fi mini-pc (sitting under the desk) from a 12-volt rechargeable battery (also sitting under the desk) with a 7" LCD (sitting on the desk), that boots from flash card into FireFox? No wires! No setup time! Has anyone done this? How? Alternatively can anyone say why this is silly?"

3 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Why it's silly by Baricom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We would like to bust out of the computer lab model?
    What's wrong with the computer lab model? It's cheaper because desktops are almost always cheaper than comparably-equipped notebooks. Besides, childhood obesity in the U.S. is at staggering levels - a short walk to a lab won't hurt.

    but don't want a trolley of laptops wheeled from class to class.
    What's wrong with a trolley of laptops? It's portable, easy to set up, and inexpensive when you factor in educational discounts.

    I've drooled over wi-fi PDAs but just can't afford a set for class (and the batteries drain too fast).
    Wi-Fi PDAs don't run Firefox and they don't run Office/OpenOffice.org/Google Docs.

    In a classroom, space is at a premium and teachers won't use a technology that takes too long to set up.
    MacBook setup: 1. Hand out notebook. 2. Open screen.

    Most of the time the kids are just researching (Google), or typing (Google Docs), the rest of the time they can go to a lab.
    So you have a lab, but you don't want to use it? I'm confused.

    I would love to have a desk-based solution. Can you run a wi-fi mini-pc (sitting under the desk) from a 12-volt rechargeable battery (also sitting under the desk) with a 7" LCD (sitting on the desk), that boots from flash card into FireFox?
    How do you propose to get the signal from the computer to the monitor and A/C to the battery? More importantly, why not a laptop? It's a computer with a built-in battery and screen. It sits on the desk, but doesn't take up much space at all.

    No setup time!
    I can't see how setting up two pieces of equipment is faster than setting up one piece of equipment.

    Alternatively can anyone say why this is silly?
    Okay, here's why it's silly. Unless there's something you're not telling us, you've just proposed to throw away the two best solutions to your problem (a lab and a laptop cart) for no reason other than the geek factor. I'm sorry, but I just can't see what your aim is.
  2. Re:Good lord... by basic0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I want to agree with this, I really do, but things have changed since you and I used computers in school. You're talking about an Apple II, so you've got a few years on me, but I remember having maybe two 286 systems available to a class of 30 students when I was in grade school, and you know what? Some of us grew up to be pretty handy with computers despite that.

    The major difference is that back in the days of Apple IIs and 286-en, we were using computers in school to learn about computers. I remember learning DOS commands and doing lines of "asdf jkl; dad sad fad lad" and so on in some curses-style typing tutor. It was all about building skills required to use a computer.

    Now, those skills are somewhat of a byproduct. The computer is the tool it's supposed to be, not the subject. Most kids have a computer at home already and are pretty familiar with it's basic usage. The technology now simply enables different methods of learning. You just can't timeshare an outdated piece of junk between 30 kids now.

    In "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", some douchebag jock dude says "The future...it's...computers..SAN DIMAS HIGH FOOTBALL RULES!". Now, I'm not sure if San Dimas Football's record warrants such a statement, but the future is now, and it *is* computers. However, just knowing the bare minimum (like a grandma who knows how to check her email and nothing else) won't cut it in the workforce. Students need WAY more exposure to using computers for everyday tasks than we ever got timesharing the ugly beige monsters of our day.

  3. Re:Good lord... by i_should_be_working · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What do you think kids of yesteryear did? Sure we had a computer in the classroom. It was an Apple ][ and you had to share it with 23 other classmates. OH NOES!!!

    Yeah, but life back then sucked compared to now. I wish I had been born a decade later just so that I would never have had to deal with:
    trudging to the library to get info for a report
    hand writing essays
    typewriters
    not to mention non-school related things like:
    snail mail
    print newspapers
    lack of instant free porn

    Just because we had to put up with this crap doesn't mean kids should still have to. Or maybe they should... lil' bastards.