One Laptop per Child: Lessons learned after 5 years and 2.5 million laptops in 40 countries

Brown-bag talk with long-term OLPC and ICT for education analyst and practitioner Christoph Derndorfer. Friday 10/5 at 12:00 to 13:00, Incuba Science Park (5524) room 139 (Free and public access + you may bring your lunch).

Remember the $100 dollar laptop? (otherwise, take a graphic look here)

It was presented by the One Laptop per Child foundation in 2005 together with Kofi Annan who proclaimed that such innovations promise “major advances in economic and social development”.

Among debates over digital divides, insufficient school systems and a better future for all in the information society, OLPC launched a highly ambitious attempt at social change through technological redistribution: equip each of the world's poorest children with a laptop and connect them to each other, the world and a brighter future (see mission videos). If laptops can provide interactive learning environments superior to that of third world schools, they can ultimately help eradicate poverty through education, it is argued.

Such was the setup back in 2005. But how did OLPC and their laptops fair once out of the hands of OLPC and into the hands of children?

Christoph Derndorfer, an editor of OLPCnews.com and volunteer with OLPC (Austria), has been involved with the initiative since 2007 and will talk about lessons learned from 2.5 million laptops distributed to children and teachers in 40 countries. Christoph has extensive experience with OLPC, both as a practitioner and commentator.