Technology in Third World Education

Intro  Technology in any classroom has its benefits  In west we use it every day  Ever increasing gap between first and third world  Most don’t even have phone lines  Going to take a lot of work

Benefits Link many people with vast amounts of info Decrease social gap Less cost than textbooks, etc. Need to be taught practical use Info at the touch of a button Long distance tutors Public electronic libraries

Negative Side Money could be used to provide roofing, etc. Many places don’t have phone lines or electricity Many not even literate Poorly trained teachers, poor management Tradition, girls not allowed to go to school Geographically impossible to go sometimes

Progress?  Pakistan computers installed  Need to find “best fit”, appropriate technology  Need to be taught how to use technology to be able to fully benefit from it

Virtual Schools Much cheaper than setting up institutions, therefore better for third world Many organizations willing to fund them Not a Magic Bullet, but very important to the future

University of Witwatersrand Very successful university in South Africa Sun Microsystems donated Web provider to them in 1994 People from all over the world study in their vast range of programs Leads to better future for those in third world

Conclusion Technology is the way to the future Third world is in reach of the future Knowledge is power We need to empower the world by providing education for everyone