[kictanet] Fwd: Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Thu Apr 11 12:16:15 EAT 2013

Edith,

I  totally agree that this foundation must start from the bottom. HOWEVER how do we address the issue of capacity building and simultaneously ensure quick gains? We cannot ignore the high school students yet they are the ones who have only four years and are out of school. How can the issuance of laptops be structured to help encourage self employment so that by the time the high school  students leave school they have ideas of self employment? I think this is paramount- we cannot ignore unemployment and the new government must look at how to use ICT to deal with this issue in whichever way. If it cannot be done next year because the standard ones were already promised and YES the promise must be kept, can the new government ensure that in the next financial budget the FORM 1 students are catered for? I know it can be done and it needs to be done. 

Gilda    

From: Edith Adera [mailto:eadera at idrc.ca] 
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 12:00 AM
To: Gilda Odera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Fwd: Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Gilda,

Building the foundation bottom-up (class 1) is very important, can’t be under-rated. That will be creating a new digital generation from the “roots”. Sega Silicon Valley has tested this at Kogere primary school and surrounding schools and the impact is amazing. From bottom of the pile, Kogere school rose up to top 5 in the area and the kids are amazing – they self-learn and do fascinating stuff with computers!

Edith

From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Gilda Odera
Sent: April 10, 2013 12:06 PM
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: [kictanet] Fwd: Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Regards,

Gilda Odera

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gilda Odera <godera at skyweb.co.ke>
Date: April 10, 2013 12:02:14 PM GMT+03:00
To: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Listers,

My recommendation is that this project should start from Form 1. Reasons:

1. We need to generate interest and start building that capacity base ASAP. Waiting for the standard ones to finish school is way too long.

2. Given the tight budgets the country is currently facing in implementing the constitution, it is wiser to work with less numbers yet still achieve the desired outcome as things settle down over the next five years. 

3. Once successful in high schools, the project can be rolled to primary schools. By then, results of giving the high school students laptops will be evident and there should be sufficient budgets to roll both.

In my view, capacity building is urgent in the ICT industry and therefore this noble idea should prioritise those who are bound to start innovating and harnessing their skills- which really are high school students.

My two cents.

Regards,

Gilda Odera

On Apr 10, 2013, at 9:55 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Another reason why the laptop project is the future

http://pandodaily.com/2013/04/05/ten-websites-that-teach-coding-and-a-bunch-of-other-things/

regards

Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya

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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