Birmingham will be the first city in the US to buy the OLPC (one laptop per child) laptops at $200 that were originally meant for third world countries and cost about $100. The city's $3 million deal will see 15,000 child between kindergarten and grade eight having their own computers to work at.
"Our students will have access to global thinking now," Birmingham schools Superintendent Stan Mims said. "It becomes a tipping point in the digital divide."
Birmingham officials hope to raise the level of their education with the laptops, and this could open the door for other American cities in buying the devices. In turn, this could help finance the OLPCs for poorer countries.
"We live in a digital age, so it is important that all our children have equal access to technology and are able to integrate it into all aspects of their lives. We are proud that Birmingham is on its way to eliminating the so-called `digital divide' and to ensuring that our children have state-of-the-art tools for education," said Mayor Larry Langford.
Cheap Laptops for Education
One Laptop Per Birmingham Child
Trend Themes
1. Affordable Laptops for Education - Opportunity for technology companies to create new laptop models or modify existing ones that cater to the educational market and offer a lower price point.
2. Disruptive Technology for Education - Potential for technology innovations that aim to improve and revolutionize the way students learn and utilize technology.
3. Digital Inclusion and Accessibility - Opportunity to develop technologies and policies that prioritize equal access to technology and digital education for all students, regardless of economic or social status.
Industry Implications
1. Education Technology - Opportunity for companies in this industry to align their products and services towards enabling digital inclusion and accessibility, as well as creating innovations that could disrupt traditional educational systems.
2. Consumer Electronics - Opportunity to create new product offerings specifically for the education market that focus on affordability, durability, and features that support learning and productivity.
3. Telecommunications - Opportunity for telecom companies to develop infrastructure and policies that help bridge the digital divide and enable equal access to the internet and digital resources for educational purposes.