[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Wed Apr 10 18:06:57 EAT 2013

But just to throw a spanner in the works. Let me ask, why are we providing
laptops to class 1 kids?

We might end up providing the laptops then wonder what next.

Is it to teach IT literacy, to provide kids with a tool to explore,
delivery of syllabus ?

We need to define a problem then come up with the use case.
On 10 Apr 2013 17:42, "Walubengo J" <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>
>
> @Ikua,
>
> Indeed it is never too early for ICTs. As the tweeting class, all our Kids
> have these gadgets at home and its largely beneficial.
>
> But trust me, the 'private' experience takes a whole new shape when done
> nationally and on a public basis. Other than the well known economic
> concept of the 'tragedy of the commons' there are those are other
> challenges I highlighted earlier.  These risks/challenges are 10 times
> lower under our high school system when compared to our primary school
> system. Our high schools already have curricula beyond IT (Harry H?),
> theres already a small but emerging community of ICT high school teachers
> and quite a good group of high schools already have substantial  Computer
> Lab Management experience.
>
> As a risk management consultant, @Ikua, you will agree with me that this
> project has a better chance of success and bigger social dividends if it
> kicked off at high school level rather than at primary level. After all, by
> the time these standard 1s get to high school, they will get this free
> device/ict ystem extremely mature. And as these form1s get to University,
> we shall be ready to graduate the true knowlege workers in just another
> 8yrs rather than in the next 20yrs- when std1s graduate.
>
> So guys, am not fighting the idea, am just increasing its chance of
> success by suggesting changes to its point of entry within our educational
> system.
>
> walu.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 2:36 PM AST (Arabian) Evans Ikua 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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> >>
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> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/harry%40africanedevelopment.orgTheKenya 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
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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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> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ikua.evans%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.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >*----------------------------------------------------
> >Kind Regards,
> >Evans Ikua,*
> >lanetconsulting.com,
> >lpi-eastafrica.org,
> >ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
> >Skype: @ikuae
> >Cell: +254-722-955831
>
>
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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.
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