Our daughter, Joanna, is a high school sophomore here in Eugene, OR. This year, after issuing textbooks, her teachers told her she didn't need to bring them back and forth to class. Almost all her assignments are online now, so she can just look online for what is due the next day. But she came home angry and troubled at this state of affairs.
Now you must understand that Joanna is my personal tech support, guiding me through every glitch and new update that descends from Redmond on High. She has a confidence with computers that is unusual for most young women, perhaps because she has grown up in a family where each person has his/her own PC and/or laptop.
But Joanna is also sensitive to the fact that the balance has swung against those who are not as privileged, kids who are her classmates. "It isn't fair," she fumed. "Some kids don't have computers, or they only have one in their household, and they have to share it with others in their family. You can't just come home and do your homework anymore. Those kids who don't have their own computers have to sign up for a slot, either at school or at the public library, and pray they can get it done during that time. That can mean you have to choose between participating in sports or other after school activities, or doing your homework. It isn't fair!"
Brad recently mentioned the One Laptop per Child program. What a wonderful idea! We'll need to get them for some of Joanna's friends as well as for kids in developing nations.
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