May 25, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Efforts to put affordable laptops on the desks of every child are being slowed, in large part, because many teachers are not yet sure how to integrate them into their lesson plans.
But the Geneva Global Forum doesn’t think the push to bring technology into classrooms should be scrapped.
The organization, on it’s Beyond Philanthropy blog, argues that these efforts simply need to be adjusted to become more effective.
“The role of the teacher still seems to be a major differentiator in the value of computer-assisted learning,” the Geneva Global Forum argues on its blog. “This is a lesson that those promoting one-laptop projects for schools in the developing world should heed: Nothing happens without well-trained, well-motivated teachers”
So, instead of the $100 laptop, perhaps philanthropists should be seeking ways to provide a $10 laptop and $90 in training teachers on how to use them effectively.
