Learning
Across OLPC deployments, teachers and children are discovering new ways to learn, create, and collaborate. The XO Laplet turns lessons from something abstract into experiences that pupils can see, touch, and explore for themselves — in class and at home.
As children gain confidence with their laptops, they begin to explore beyond the classroom curriculum, teach each other, and share what they discover with their families and communities.
Global learning snapshots
From Nigeria to Brazil, Thailand to Uruguay, classrooms are being transformed as children use their Laplets to write, draw, record, search, and experiment — often far beyond what was previously possible in their schools.
Quotes from teachers
“With the laptop we can say that our school is really elevated because the children are really learning more... They see themselves discovering things that they have never been doing before.”
“The bringing of the laptop into the school has brought a transformation into the school... It has brought another idea of how to teach better: now we see that teaching is not more abstract; it's something that pupils can see, and they catch on better.”
“Pupils go even beyond what I can teach in the class. It's a very interesting thing to use. I personally have a better idea about teaching... We discovered that giving them time to discover something and to do it in their own way, they feel more happy and they are so excited in using it: ‘Yes, I discovered it! Yes, I can get it!! Yes, I can do this on my own!!!’ Teaching is getting more interesting and less stressful.”
“Some children are naturally faster than the others; we discovered that they go ahead of the class. They can teach their mates that, ‘Look I got it, this is how you do it...’ This way the slower children also are catching up. When the children can learn on their own, apart from what they can learn in class, they go faster above their mates in other places.”
“Now that we have the laptop, the relationship [among teachers] is definitely better, because teachers can relate better in the way they teach. And now they can move because teaching is getting more interesting... A teacher in Primary 5 can come to Primary 4 and see the projects, how the children are doing, how they are learning on their own, and how the teacher is helping them. And so the teacher can now go back to its own class, apply some methods, exchange ideas in how to use them and how to impart knowledge better than before. I think we are relating better now.”
Quotes from children
“I use my computer very carefully so that it will not spoil. I use it to type, I use it to write, I use it to draw, I use it to play games... I'm using my computer at home to type assignments.”
“I like the laptop because I always snap pictures... I snap pictures and I play games; we use Google [Internet]. I put it in Write and use it in class work.”
“Sometimes I play football and sometimes I stay in the classroom... I operate my laptop: I write, draw, and record music... At home, I go turn on the television and record music.”
“I think the laptop is very good. It helps us to find some words, like our uncle [teacher] will teach us... The things we didn't know, we go check on the laptop.”