[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Wed Apr 10 15:11:46 EAT 2013

+1 Evans! It appears there many tested solutions, i like Qimo for Kids

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 2:36 PM, Evans Ikua <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:

> A good place to start would be to get the laptops installed with Qimo for
> Kids.
>
> Qimo is a desktop operating system designed for kids. Based on the open
> source Ubuntu Linux <http://www.ubuntu.com/> desktop, Qimo comes
> pre-installed with educational games for children aged 3 and up. Qimo’s
> interface has been designed to be intuitive and easy to use, providing
> large icons for all installed games, so that even the youngest users have
> no trouble selecting the activity they want.
> My kids use it and the one in class 1 has really improved his grades
> because of its educational games that improve memory, language and maths
> skills, not mention that his keyboarding and mouse skills are very good.
> For those who think class 1 is too early, he started using this about 2
> years ago. and i wish I had discovered it earlier.
>
> Also, I hope and pray that my tax money will not be used to pay for any
> software that we do not need at all.
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 1:28 PM, Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> +1 Harry!
>>
>> As you can see on literacy (*age 15 and over can read and write*) here:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate , Kenya
>> is one of the leading countries in Africa but still a distant from getting
>> it to the best level.
>>
>> There is no world map indicating IT literacy by country
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_literacy, we should support this
>> move by the new government so that come 2030, we shall be leading on this
>> space.
>>
>> We should begin now.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 11:49 AM, Harry Hare <
>> harry at africanedevelopment.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hey Walu et al,
>>>
>>> I do not expect the President to have answers to your questions below.
>>> You know the workings in government, what has been made is a high level
>>> policy pronouncement now it will be unto the technocrats like yourself to
>>> craft a working strategy and plan for this to work.
>>>
>>> I expect that a team within the Ministry (may be include KIE and the ICT
>>> Integration Unit) will be set up to work on the detail of how to deliver
>>> this policy. And on your point "1", shouldn't we be targeting IT for
>>> Eduction and not IT education? Why would yu need an IT curriculum for class
>>> one?
>>>
>>> Kindest Regards
>>>
>>> Harry Hare
>>>
>>> Director  |  African eDevelopment Resource Centre
>>> PO Box 49475 00100 | Nairobi, Kenya
>>> Tel +254 20 4041646  |  Cel +254 725 650044
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Owino Jakakaeta <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
>>> Reply-To: Owino Jakakaeta <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
>>> Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:24:38 -0700 (PDT)
>>> To: Cio_Magazine Hare <harry at africanedevelopment.org>
>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
>>>
>>> 50 + 1 @ walu
>>>
>>> Owino Jakakaeta
>>> Life is too SHORT to eat Green BANANAS!
>>>
>>>
>>>   ------------------------------
>>> *From:* Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com>
>>> *To:* "mpodhiambo at yahoo.com" <mpodhiambo at yahoo.com>
>>> *Cc:* kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 9, 2013 10:40 PM
>>> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
>>>
>>>
>>> @Yawe,
>>>
>>> I was on travel (not to SA :-) but caught up with our two new
>>> Principals.  Great speeches. But if there's someone already in the new
>>> Presidents kitchen cabinet plse pass the following news.  Just drop the
>>> laptop business or at least modify it because of the following reasons.
>>>
>>> 1. Curriculum.
>>> Ok. So the kids have laptops next year. What to do with them? Play
>>> games, watch porn? In other words do we have an IT curriculum for these
>>> youngsters or we believe they will automatically become Bill Gates once we
>>> throw gadgets at them.?
>>>
>>> 2. IT Teachers.
>>> Assuming we cobble together some curriculum before next year. How soon
>>> can we get out primary teachers upto speed on the same? Do we have a ToT
>>> program in place. ToT= Training of Trainers for the non-academics.
>>>
>>> 3. Examinations.
>>> It is known that Kenyans learn ONLY when it is examinable. Indeed
>>> teachers make space in their timetables if they know the unit is
>>> examinable. Otherwise you can as well do your IT lessons at home as your
>>> hobby since the lesson will NOT be scheduled at the expense of say
>>> Mathematics which is examinable. So is the KNEC ready with this exam?
>>>
>>> 4. Security/Theft.
>>> If folks can still IEBC laptops from secure strongrooms, what about
>>> laptops hanging either in staffrooms or  on standard 1 pupils?  What about
>>> a poor parent who opts to trade in the laptop in favour of cash to use for
>>> other purposes? This is not far fetched since even the largely successful
>>> Wezesha Laptop initiative were University students got subsidized Laptops
>>> and quite a number sold them off at market price.
>>>
>>> 5. Maintenance\Disposal program.
>>> Usually laptops are rarely maintained. Just dump them after 3-4yrs. So
>>> we need to think efficient disposal mechanism for 1million+ gadgets across
>>> rural and urban Kenya. Worse still those Kids will now be in standard 4 and
>>> so our buget for laptops will double -both for Sdt1s and the Std4s.
>>>
>>> But I have a simple solution for our new digital President. Just traget
>>> Form1s and perharps forget Laptops and adopt Networked
>>> PCs. The ecosytem described above is more mature to take on this great
>>> idea. Our Primary schools will just drain this initiative with little
>>> returns to the taxpayer.
>>>
>>> walu.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 7:56 AM AST (Arabian) robert yawe wrote:
>>>
>>> >Hi,
>>> >
>>> >I like the confirmation by the President - sworn and his deputy on the
>>> issue of laptops for class 1 students from next year, it is commendable and
>>> quite easily achievable but as ICT experts are laptops the ideal items or
>>> would low power touchscreen tablets be more practical and appropriate?
>>> However .com that the two principles are I suspect that they might not be
>>> up to speed on devices.
>>> >
>>> >Here again for the umpteenth time the opportunity for us to become
>>> relevant presents itself, shall we take action or sit back to carry out a
>>> forensic analysis when only 80% of the students get the devices?
>>> >
>>> >Regards
>>> >
>>> >PS.  A new dispensation, a new dedication and new vigor
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >Robert Yawe
>>> >KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> >Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> >P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> >Kenya
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>
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>>> people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
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>>>
>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>
>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Muthoni
>>
>> My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
>> --------------------------------------------
>> Mahatma Gandhi once said:-
>>
>> First they ignore you,
>> Then they laugh at you,
>> Then they fight you,
>> AND THEN YOU WIN!!!
>>
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>>
>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> *----------------------------------------------------
> Kind Regards,
> Evans Ikua,*
> lanetconsulting.com,
> lpi-eastafrica.org,
> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
> Skype: @ikuae
> Cell: +254-722-955831
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmuthoni%40gmail.com
>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>

-- 
Muthoni

My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------
Mahatma Gandhi once said:-

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
AND THEN YOU WIN!!!
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