FW: OLL News: Kids (not) being taught computers

[Michael Sauers]

Just an interesting little story...

-----Original Message-----
From: OnLineLearningNews at emailch.com
[mailto:OnLineLearningNews at emailch.com]
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2000 7:12 PM
To: msauers at bcr.org
Subject: Me vs. you: OLL News


NEEDLE AND DRUM: WEB ACCESS, NO TRAINIMG

What happens when slum kids in New Delhi, India, get Web access -- but no
training?

Within five hours, an eight-year-old found a Disney site.

Within days, kids had downloaded Hindi films, Disney movie clips and sports
trivia.

Researchers positioned a high-powered computer in a public place near the
slum last year, available for anyone, reports the Straits Times of
Singapore.

The children, many without primary education, began using the Web to play
games and check newspapers.

They developed their own language for working on the computer: the cursor is
a "needle," Web sites "channels."

The Windows hourglass that shows when an application is running is the drum
of the Hindu god Shiva.

One researcher noted wryly that many computer users spend a lot of time
learning computer technology.

"With these children," the researcher told the newspaper, "that seems
irrelevant."

Go to http://web3.asia1.com.sg/archive/st/2/analysis/cpe3_0613_prt.html for
the full story.

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Michael Sauers, Internet Trainer
Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR)
Aurora, CO :: msauers at bcr.org :: http://www.bcr.org/~msauers/
WWW Library Directory @ http://www.webpan.com/msauers/libdir/
Opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted.
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