It’s Christmas morning, 6 a.m. I woke up with a Christmas gift: A more fully developed vision for the Big Idea.
This week I’ve been deep into outlining the proposal on Omnioutliner, researching learning management systems, learning content management systems, elearning 2.0, eportfolios,open source social networks and wikis, widgets, pageflakes, and more.
My laptop is my learning system and my learning portfolio. I have hundreds of teachers.
Last night at a Christmas Eve party I told a few people about the Big Idea. My goal: Tell it fast and see the response.
As usual, I learned in the telling.
We all agree the educational system is archaic. I say that it’s maxed. When teachers, parents, and students are all not good enough, then the problem isn’t the people. It’s the system.
When I tell people about my big idea, they not only totally get it. It strikes their imaginations.
In the telling, I saw again, that, for we who have access, the Internet is our educational system. The haves have laptops and our children have laptops.
The digital divide is deepening and the Big Idea is a solution.
Mitch Bradley, the designer of the laptop for the One Laptop Per Child project, lives up the road right here in Makawao. A few years ago he showed us the prototype, an amazing, tough little thing. The project targets third world countries and has released it on Amazon this Christmas as a 2 for 1: $399 buys 2 laptops. One for you and one for a child in the Third World.
I always protest. We need One Laptop per Person right here in Makawao! Everyone needs broadband! Access is everything!
The Big Idea’s contribution and funding process will give us a vehicle for assuring that access. Then no child, and no adult, will be left behind.
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