[Olpc-open] [OLPC-Chicago] The Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act - Contact your Illinois Legislators NOW!!!

[Larry Langellier]

Hi Edward,
 
I read your analysis of the Illinois Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act and the scripted letter supporting it with great interest. From what you wrote, it seems you and I are in agreement on the end goals we are seeking. As a matter of fact, your thoughts seem to mesh with mine enough that I'd like to figure out how we can collaborate to achieve our shared objectives. Before I comment on the other parts of your message, there was one part that disturbed me:
 

>If we want to make this program happen, we have to learn how education>using the XO is supposed to work, teach a bit of it to the legislature>and the public, and then make sure that that understanding informs any>bill on the subject. This means that group members will have to learn>to demonstrate the process with real children, and show the process to>everybody who will pay attention.
 
The point of HB 5000 is to establish a pilot project in Illinois for up to 300 schools to provide every child in those schools (or a subset defined in the school's application) with a low-cost laptop. It would seem to me a pilot program is a necessary first step toward what you seek - it is hard to show how education is suppose to work when every child has a laptop UNTIL pilots have been run where every child HAS a laptop. Your message seemed to imply a bill shouldn't be passed until all of this is understood. The point of the bill seems to be to fund a large-scale pilot to get the answers you seek.
 
You make MANY more points that I completely agree with. It is EXTREMELY important that the right criteria be established for project evaluation and proper training needs to be provided on multiple levels. However, there are also political realities in getting a bill passed that must be acknowledged. Getting funding for a sizeable 1:1 low-cost laptop project would seem to be a critical first step toward everything else we care about. A large number of special interests are affected by a bill like this. Perhaps I am too pessimistic, but I don't think that the State Legislature could (or should) force educational philosophies upon a school. The really hard and important work to instill Constructionism will be at the school level - school by school, administrator by administor, teacher by teacher, etc.
 
You raised some questions:
 

As usual, the Devil is in the details. This says nothing about how tochoose the laptops. Will the authorities decide to buy as muchhardware as they can for $400 per unit?
 
Three points from the bill seem to answer this question:
 
"A school or district may apply to the State Board for the establishment of a low-cost laptop pilot project grant for an entire school or for a particular grade or group of classrooms in a school."
 
"The dramatic expansion of low-cost computing options and the worldwide reliance on computer technology for commerce, education, information, and social interaction makes it ever more important to introduce computing skills to students at an early age. Accordingly, the State Board of Education shall establish a pilot project to provide a low-cost laptop computer to each student, teacher, and relevant administrator in a participating elementary school and implement the use of educational software and computer skills training in order to improve academic achievement and the progress measures listed in subsection (a) of Section 20 in this Act."
 
"'Low-cost laptop' means a portable personal computer suitable for use among elementary school-aged children, under $400 in initial cost."