Researchers have long been working on a low-cost computer model that children can use during regular classes. Just imagine watching a video of rain formation on a portable computer as your geography teacher explains the weather phenomenon! All this and more is possible now with products like the Classmate PC from Intel
The Classmate PC
This is a small, educational computer that Intel developed keeping students of developing communities in mind. It is expected to be a blessing to the vast majority of households in the emerging market who have limited access to technology
Classmate PCs are small and lightweight, resembling a laptop, and powerful enough to cater to the computing needs of students. They are designed to be durable and rugged. Intel’s vision is to provide one such computer to every child
Hardware and software
The PC has an Intel Celeron M 900MHz processor with 512MB or 256MB of memory. The first generation Classmate PC has 2GB of storage; the second generation offers a choice between 8GB, 4GB and 2GB of storage. It can work on either Microsoft Windows XP or the Linux operating system
The screen size is 7-inch for the first generation and either 8.9-inch or 7-inch for the second generation. Both generations support wireless networking. The PC weighs around half a kilo
Other features
The Classmate PC comes with policy control features that teachers and parents can use to monitor the usage of the computer both in the school and at home. Information from the internet can be filtered thus restricting children’s access to inappropriate websites or content
The feature can also be used to schedule computer usage – what children can do during school time against what they can do in the evenings; when to switch off the PC, etc
An activity log helps parents and teachers know how a child has been using the PC. Using this information, parents can then work with teachers on a student’s progress
The wireless feature connects students and teachers to create a virtual classroom. It enables teachers to disable the PC during a class activity to ensure attention; broadcast interactive (audio-video presentation) material as part of a lecture; communicate with one student or the entire class using headphones; copy homework files on students’ PCs; conduct online quizzes or tests; and many more such activities to create a more engaging class environment. Students can also collaborate with classmates on lessons
The note-taker application digitises traditional handwritten notes; these can be stored and retrieved later by students. The screen scaling software enables students to customise the look and feel of the screen
eLearning in the UAE
Al Mawakeb School in Dubai uses laptops in place of traditional books in certain classes. Grade 11 and 12 students carry these notebooks equipped with the course material. The digital classroom has interactive white boards, multimedia projectors and state-of-the-art network structures at a teacher’s disposal
Standard Al Mawakeb books have been converted into digital format so that students can access them on their computers
A success story
When an 11-year-old boy in Malinalco, Mexico, was allowed to take his classmate PC home for homework, he also began to manage his parents’ small business. As owners of a small market, the boy’s parents were frequently asked about the availability of a particular item. But because they had no method of keeping track of stock, they often started searching, not knowing whether they would find it
Having learned the basics of a computing software programme, the boy started a computer inventory for the store. He also used the programme to manage the store’s cash intake. As a result, his parents say they now see the value of technology, not just for their business, but for their son’s future as well.
Source : www.classmatepc.com
