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Mobile Computer Lab Connects Students in Rural Areas
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in South America. The city proper has a population of over 3 million, while the Greater Buenos Aires area has more than 13 million inhabitants. The University of Buenos Aires, the largest in Argentina, has produced five Nobel Prize winners. Students living in the city are getting a well-rounded education, but in the rural areas it's a different story.
In Suipacha, Argentina, located about 80 miles from Buenos Aires, the educational experience is much different than in the inner cities. There are 15 schools in and around Suipacha and only three are equipped with computers and Internet access. Most schools in this rural area don't even have telephones because the proper infrastructure doesn't exist. The lack of resources means most students are disconnected from the World Wide Web, but the government is trying to change that.
Internet On Wheels
Kim Jones, Sun VP for Education, visits the Mobile Computer Center |
The Ministry of Education for the Province of Buenos Aires came up with the idea of a mobile computer center as a way to close the digital divide. Technology is rolling into the rural areas thanks to this computer center on wheels. This mobile trailer travels to schools and other community events where it parks for a week at a time. Hundreds of students and teachers come from all over the region for a chance to work on computers. And for most, it's their first real exposure to the World Wide Web.
According to Gustavo Corradini, administrative secretary for the Ministry of Education, the Mobile Computer Center will travel more than 110,000 square miles, reaching 125,000 students at 2000 schools. "The criteria for the selection of the schools has to do with where we find the largest digital gap. We target children that we know have no access to, no possibility of accessing technology due to the places they live in and their social condition. Those are the schools we give priority to. And obviously with one trailer, this is quite difficult. We're planning to add two new trailers. In order to do so we have entered into an agreement with a technical school who will build, we will provide the material...they will build the first of these trailers. We already have Sun's support to equip it and our idea is to have a third trailer before the end of the year. I think that with three trailers we can cover the province in a better way and be able to reach many more children."
Ultra-thin Client Technology
 The Mobile Computer Center is equipped with technology developed by Sun Microsystems. The students are working on Sun Ray ultra-thin client computers powered by a Sun server. UPCN, a labor union in Buenos Aires, provided the trailer for the computer center and INSAT Corporation provides the satellite technology, allowing students to connect to the Internet.
Sun Ray ultra-thin clients, with their high performance and low cost, are an ideal solution for educational institutions. Sun Ray ultra-thin clients are:
- Crash-proof and requires zero administration — all the applications are run from a server
- Virus-proof and prevents illegal downloads — there is no need for a floppy drive
- Theft-proof — the desktop only works when connected to the network
- Silent, energy-efficient, and obsolescence-proof — there are no moving parts, all hardware upgrades are done on the server
- Requires no servicing — if something goes wrong with a client, you just plug in a replacement, and it works — no configuring or set-up required
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, UNIX, and even legacy applications
And teachers are thrilled. Kindergarten teacher Marisa Micottis states, "I consider the computer to be a very important tool for the children because it opens their minds and they exercise their minds a lot when they use the computer. They can have different access to different information through the Internet. They can use different games, which are very helpful for their learning, especially in kindergarten."
View a short video on the Mobile Computer Center by clicking here.
For more information on Sun Ray ultra-thin client technology, visit www.sun.com/sunray, contact education_news@sun.com or click here to have your local Sun representative contact you.
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