iMET 12 Assignment

286 Special Topics in Educational Technology

Flex: $100 Laptop (OLPC) and Open Source software

08/26/09 due 8/30/09

Assignment

1. Watch the following videos about the $100 laptop and Open Source software:
   • Nicholas Negroponte: The $100 laptop. (2006). Monterey: TED. [Video recording]
   • Richard Baraniuk on open-source learning (2006). Monterey: TED. [Video recording]

   These movies can be played with QuickTime, iTunes, or on a video-capable iPod.
   Hint: depending on your connection speed, you may want to pause the videos and allow them to finish downloading before you attempt to watch them. English subtiles are available by selecting from the dropdown menu located below the progress indicator bar.

2. Arrange a time to meet with your group members. Meet with your group in either Tapped-In, on Skype, or ???. Discuss the videos and answer the following questions:
   1. In your estimation, how will the OLPC initiative effect education and access to information globally?
   2. Both Microsoft and Apple have offered to provide the software for the $100 laptop. Why do you think the OLPC project leaders opted to go with the Linux operating system instead?
   3. What are the advantages, if any, of using an open source operating system for the $100 laptop? What are the disadvantages, if any?
   4. Were the $100 laptop available to you, how might you take advantage of that opportunity in your classroom or workplace?
3. Post a summary of your responses to these questions on the forum.
4. Each group member must post an individual response to one other group's forum posting.

Group Assignments

• Facilitators contact group members and establish a meeting time and place.
• Timekeepers keep the group on the topic, and help ensure that all members have a chance to be a part of the discussion.
• Recorders take notes during the discussion, prepare the summary, and submit the summary to the forum.

Group 1
Shauna (Facilitator)
Trina (Timekeeper)
Randall (Recorder)
Carl (Checker)

Group 2
Sarah (Facilitator)
Amy (Timekeeper)
Ana (Recorder)
Mela (Checker)

Group 3
Susan (Facilitator)
Pat (Timekeeper)
Derek (Recorder)
Danny (Checker)

Group 4
Troy (Facilitator)
Mark (Timekeeper)
Adriane (Recorder)
Brian (Checker)

Group 5
Sean (Facilitator)
Tom (Timekeeper)
Elliot (Recorder)
Rochelle (Checker)

Group 6
David (Facilitator)
Cindy (Timekeeper)
Cam (Recorder)
Leslie (Checker)

Link to Forum

Instructor
Joyce Dibble