A laptop donation from my Girl Scout troop

A few weeks ago, my Girl Scout troop (3rd graders) won a laptop.  Another local Girl Scout troop had entered a "doodle for Google" contest and won 20 laptops.  That troop kept one laptop for each girl in the troop, and then gave each troop in Jackson one also.  I spent a lot of time thinking about what to do with that laptop.  I try to infuse my personal philosophy about making sure the girls spend time playing outside into each meeting.  The idea of 12 girls trying to share one laptop seemed difficult to integrate into how I typically run our troop meetings. So, as the trip to Uganda began to materialize, I saw an opportunity. 

For the past few meetings, I had the girls reflect on their favorite gifts that they had received (shortly after the winter break).  I also shared with them that I was going to Uganda and asked them to make cards and write them to a future pen-pal from Uganda.  Then at today's meeting after the girls finished their cards, I told them about the laptop.  I told them that I had a proposal for what we could do with the laptop, but I wanted to hear what they thought too.  I described my idea for the girls (really for our troop) to donate the laptop to a school in Uganda.  There was some discussion, and I asked each girl to share a little bit about what they thought our troop should do.  Comments such as - "I think that the boys and girls there should have an opportunity to learn to use computers just like we do,"  and "they might get tired of hand-writing their homework" were arguments for donating the laptop. 

The biggest opposition to giving the laptop was that the teachers and students in Uganda might not know how to use it.  I promised the girls that I would do my best to teach the teachers and students there how to use the laptop; they were skeptical that I really knew how to use a computer but agreed to let me try.  In the end, everyone agreed that we were proud to be able to give this laptop to those who might not have as much as us. 

As an educator, I wonder... did I lead them to directly to this without letting them have enough buy-in?  Was it developmentally appropriate to share with 3rd graders about how some schools around the world do not have the same resources as my girls are fortunate to have?  I hope I guided these girls in a direction that promotes generosity and sharing.  Ultimately, I hope they know that this laptop is going to a good home.