Laptops as teachers?

After reading the articles on "One Laptop per Child" mission, I read an article from 60 Minutes that went into greater detail about the non-profit organization. In the articles, I thought Bill Thompson made a good point in stating that even though kids in poorer countries may not even have necessities like food and water, and may not even go to school, they still need a laptop. He argued that laptops for these children would be the first step in providing a better future for their countries, because they will learn, expand and be able to attain more than they currently have through the Internet. The OX laptop creator, Nicholas Negroponte, stated that it took ten year old children only minutes to figure out how to use the laptop, and that with or without schooling, all children should have one. However, in the 60 minutes article, Lesley Stal argues against the point that both Thompson Negroponte make. He says that laptops are useless without a formal teacher to guide children through using it. He uses the example of music, saying that any child can pick up an instrument and make noise with it, but without someone to teach them how to make music, the instrument is useless. I agree with Stal. I think that while internet is important, these children must learn basic knowledge, and how to educate themselves through the Internet before they are simply handed one. I agree that it is an important step for countries with poor economies and living conditions to incorporate more money into not only providing laptops for these children, but for their education as well. If the future of Africa or Brazil or whatever the country in question is is not educated, then the country will just remain stuck in the economic ditch that they are in forever.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml