[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants

Wed Apr 10 15:18:21 EAT 2013

Sounds good. Actually it is not that std one is too early, I am more concerned about the urgent industry shortages and there is need to speed up capacity building.

Regards,

Gilda Odera

On 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 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
> 
> <BE879F37-3572-4C77-AE58-D75CCB44EE43[23].png>
> 
> 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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> 
> My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/
> --------------------------------------------
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> 
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> 
> -- 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Kind Regards,
> Evans Ikua,
> lanetconsulting.com,
> lpi-eastafrica.org,
> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
> Skype: @ikuae
> Cell: +254-722-955831
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