Laptop learning in Italy

Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire curriculum. From Rome our correspondent Duncan Kennedy reports:

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Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.

The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.

Instead of spending the equivalent of 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.

Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Rome

Kelime ve deyimleri dinleyin

elementary school
ilkokul, genellikle 5-11 yaş grubundaki çocukların temel eğitimlerini aldığı öğretim kurumu

turned up
beklenmedik şekilde çıkıp gelmek, burada, okula gelmek

grade
sınıf, aynı yaş ve düzeydeki öğrencilerin bir araya toplandığı düzey

curriculum
müfredat, bir okulda öğretilen konuların bütünü, aynı zamanda bu sözcük belirli bir konuda okutulan ders kitapları ve malzeme için de kullanılabiliyor

access to
erişimi olmak, kullanabilmek

are waterproof
su geçirmez, sudan zarar görmeyen

the equivalent of
tekabül eden miktarda, denk gelen miktarda

involved in the scheme
programa dahil olmak, deneye katılmak

to verify
doğrulamak, bir şeyin doğruluğunu teyit etmek

backing
destek, teşvik