[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Wed Apr 10 20:05:01 EAT 2013

Robert I get you, but remember you are an elitist...think of a peasant
famer in the rural! The age of laptops is gone. I wish we can assemble
cheap tablets for these kids.

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 9:16 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi Walu,
>
> The same issues you are raising were raised a few years ago when the
> government allowed the use of calculators in class and even much longer
> people burnt the printing press because they said that with a large
> illiterate population who will read the books.
>
> It is criminal to try and decide which toys are relevant to the
> development of your children as there learning is meant to equip them to
> survive and flourish in the future that neither you nor I have any idea how
> it will look.
>
> I spent over 150,000/- on high end gaming workstations for my children
> instead of buying a 50" LED screen or an iPAD and iPhone for my self, in
> addition I pay Zuku 5,000/- every month for dedicated internet access to
> the house instead of paying the same to DSTV for Satellite TV and finally
> my kids are allowed over 40 years of computer time every week during the
> school term and even more when they are on holiday.
>
> To many people out there this is a waste of money and I will regret the
> same over time, but they are all in the top 10 percentile of their class
> and they spend more time on useful sites than on gaming.
>
> Therefore unlike many naysayers I have the moral right to say that the
> offer made by the President indicates that he can see beyond many of us and
> he he understands that he is more a custodian of the path to the future
> than the architect.
>
> What we in the industry need to spend our finger grease on is giving
> answers to the questions you have asked as if we also raise questions who
> do we expect to answer.
>
> Regards
>
> PS.  Just before I forget, they also have kindles, the basic black and
> white one no Fires for now.
>
>
> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>   ------------------------------
> *From:* Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com>
> *To:* robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
> *Cc:* kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> *Sent:* Wednesday, 10 April 2013, 8:40
> *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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-- 
"Change is slow and gradual. It requires hardwork, a bit of
luck, a fair amount of self-sacrifice and a lot of patience."

Roy.
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