Via John Popham: The Future is Mobile and that means Digital Inclusion Too
…we need to get away from the idea that using the internet is about sitting in front of a static computer.
And before you shout that many people cannot afford laptops, tablets and smartphones, I know. And that needs tackling too. That’s why I have advocated a national smartphone recycling scheme and I think we need more computer recycling schemes, with a greater focus on laptops, rather than desktop machines, than most existing schemes currently have.
The future is mobile, and, I think that is also the key to demonstrating the relevance of the internet to the lives of many people who have not yet considered it.
Not sure that premise is correct.. aren’t most computers sold these days laptops and iPads? Not to mention smartphones.
If anything, maybe we need a “bring back the desktop for internet!” – have you managed to talk to someone for more than 30 seconds before they ignore you to look at a device recently?
Current school ICT standards are rooms filled with desktop PCs where the kids get timetabled for a set amount of hours per week.
Even moving to the “laptop” is a step not taken by most schools in our region.
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In a school environment, I think a desktop is probably the most practical solution (compared to a laptop). Cheaper, easier to maintain, less likely to be stolen, less likely to be destroyed with a spilt beverage..
In an office, a desktop is probably the most practical too – just because you can adjust the ergonomics properly which is important if you are sitting at a desk for 8 hours in a stretch.
Once you get into “mobile”, then I would posit its more of a case of integrating the internet into “things” and the way we live in subtle ways – for example, you car updates its GPS maps with traffic information and suggests routes, your TV does video calling, your watch handles text messages.. rather than just giving everyone who already doesn’t have one, a smartphone.
@ John… I concur on the spilt beverages part.
(Of course, I’d prefer every kid had a tablet than share a school desktop)
I don’t think we’re at cross-purposes here. But kids in primary schools get access to 1 hour per week in the “ICT” room. If it were up to me I’d abolish ICT as a subject and work around getting ICT normalised into everything – ICT in Spanish, ICT in Chemistry.
We’re just way behind where most people think we are.
Yes, the ICT as taught at the moment is sad – my daughter gets twice as much RS! How can that be right in the 21st century?