PROJECT TECHNOLOGY
KINDLE FIRE TABLETS
We are transitioning to Kindle Fire tablets beginning in 2020. The Kindle Fire tablets are fast and responsive with an 8 inch display screen. They have a 12 hour battery life which is a big improvement on the XO laptops and will greatly increase how much they can be used in the classroom. The Kindle Fire tablets also have a wide variety of educational software available and have a more user friendly interface for students and teachers.
XO LAPTOPS
When we first started this project, we had high hopes for XO laptops. XO laptops were designed and built specifically for children living in very remote areas in developing countries. They are the size of a small textbook and lighter than a lunch box. The laptops are brightly colored, extremely durable, and energy efficient. Unfortunately, a variety of problems have arisen with these laptops over the years. The software has proved challenging as it is not intuitive for teachers or students in Lesotho to learn. A more difficult problem to overcome is hardware - essential replacement parts for the XO laptops are no longer being produced and the XO laptops at Nohana and Kokobe Primary are reaching the end of their lifespan.

