Update from OLPC: Uruguay buys first $100 laptops.

Uruguay buys first $100 laptops. BBC. Online October 2007. Uruguay becomes the first country to place an order for the low-cost children's laptops. … bought 100,000 of the machines for schoolchildren aged six to 12. … A further 300,000 may be purchased to provide a machine for every child in the country by 2009. … now costs $188 (£93). … The order … was placed by the state-run Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay (Latu) which runs a large scale education and communications project known as Ceibal. … Latu had also evaluated the rival Intel Classmate PC. …

ICT Review: "I’m typing this on a Classmate PC"

"I’m typing this on a Classmate PC" . Christopher Dawson. ZDNet. Online October 2007. Ginny notes: In this first of a series of postings, Chris Dawson is trying out the Intel Classmate PC at home and in school and reporting his experiences and findings on his “Education IT” blog. Chris is known for thorough analyses and useful observations. There are multiple feedbacks on the blog also, some quite useful, although many focus on the Windows vs Linux question.

Informative Reading: Can Game Development Impact Academic Achievement?

Can Game Development Impact Academic Achievement? Richard E. Ferdig and Jeff Boyer. THEJournal. Online October 2007. Electronic gaming has recently been hailed as the great new potential for transforming education. A growing body of research and practice suggests videogames can motivate as well as teach and help users learn. Fewer scientific studies, but just as much potential, exist within the area of student game development. In part 1 of this two-part article series, we look at the foundational reasons for why game development matters in the K-12 curriculum, both inside and outside of school...

Update from Industry:UN telecommuications agency endorses WiMax.

UN telecommuications agency endorses WiMax. Victoria Shannon. IHT.com. Online October 2007. The United Nations telecommunications agency ... has given the upstart technology called WiMax a vote of approval… a wireless technology that allows Internet and other data connections across much broader areas than Wi-Fi … opens the way for many ITU member countries to devote a part of the public radio spectrum to WiMax, and receivers for it could be built into laptop computers, phones, music players and other portable devices. …

ICT Support for Learning:Computerized tests may better measure reasoning skills.

Computerized tests may better measure reasoning skills. Meris Stansbury. eSchool News. Online October 2007. … Critical problem-solving and information-analysis skills that cannot be easily measured on traditional pencil-and-paper exams may be revived through computerized tests … can be an effective way to measure so-called "21st-century skills"… two computer-based testing scenarios …a search scenario and a simulation scenario … scenarios were engaging, highly interactive, and open-ended so as to capture skills not tapped by multiple-choice tests. … Report: "Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments"

Events online: Economist Online Debate.

Economist Online Debate. Proposed: The house believes that the continuing introduction of new technologies and new media adds little to the quality of most education. Online Debate Oct 15-23, 2007. ...observe and participate in the Economist’s inaugural debate in an online series designed to “elevate the dialog on pressing issues facing the world today.” … Sir John Daniel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning, will argue for the proposition above. Bob Kozma, Emeritus Director and Principal Scientist at the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International, will argue against it. …there will be plenty of opportunity for reactions from the floor. ...contribute your best thoughts. (GW note: Over the past few years, I have included a number of reports and comments by Bob Kozma in this blog. Kozma is knowledgeable about ICT in education globally and speaks and writes eloquently to its issues. This should be an interesting debate.)

News from Intel: Intel sets up teacher training program online

Intel sets up teacher training program online. Sinead Carew. Reuters to Boston Globe. Online October 2007. … Intel Corp will offer online training to help teachers incorporate technology into their lesson plans in a program it estimates is worth $300 million over four years. ... As well as in developing countries such as India and China, Intel is working on the online program with countries such as France, the United Kingdom and the United States. … “There are more computers per kid in the United States than in any other country," (Craig Barrett, Intel Chairman) said. "If it were just the availability of computers, the problem would have been solved. You have to conclude it's the basic education system and the capability of teachers to teach math and science." …