[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears

Ali Hussein ali at hussein.me.ke
Wed Apr 24 09:57:58 EAT 2013 

Gilda

+1. 

We must have our sights on short, mid and long term goals. We must be able to pluck the low hanging fruits so that we can anticipate the wait for the ones to come from the fruit trees we plant today.

Ali Hussein
CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd
Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd

+254 713 601113

"The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 23, 2013, at 7:15 PM, Gilda Odera <godera at skyweb.co.ke> wrote:

> James,
> 
> You have missed my point!
> I fully agree with all you are saying and I stated so in my email. What I am saying is that given where we are as a country we CANNOT afford to ignore mid term gains and we have read in this list what it did for the Bernards of this world. Yes, the long term gains in the next 12years (when the standard one student finishes O level and can now out things into real practice) will be excellent for the nation BUT we must put in measures in place for the mid term gains by not ignoring these young students in high school who are already hungry for more...in fact four years is less than mid-term. A balance is definitely needed here.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Gilda Odera
> 
> On Apr 23, 2013, at 4:19 PM, James Mbugua <jgmbugua at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Gilda
>> 
>> You have missed the point. The effort here is not to introduce packages early for high school students, it is to transform an entire generation's mind set to be ready by the time it hits Form 1 to conceptualize and model complex problems that can revolutionize this country.
>> 
>> We are not saying all the students will be computer whizzes, but the Zuckerbergs and Bill Gates and Steve Jobs amongst us will be captured early. By the time they reach those other stages not only will they be many but their minds will be ready for introduction of complex problems like multi-dimensional modeling, nanotechnology and all these other things we discuss here.
>> 
>> Waiting till Form 1 is too late, Chinese, Indians, Americans are already well ahead. We must start with them and I guarantee you by high school there will be no difference between the tech savvy Kenyan kid and the tech savvy American one from coding to gaming to IT security name it.
>> 
>> And the good thing is that by that time most of these kids do not want your job, they want to strike out on their own and do their own things hence creating employment.
>> 
>> JG
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 1:16 PM, Gilda Odera <godera at skyweb.co.ke> wrote:
>>> Hi Robert,
>>> 
>>> Let's meet early next week and discuss offline.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> 
>>> Gilda Odera
>>> 
>>> On Apr 23, 2013, at 2:37 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hi Gilda,
>>>> 
>>>> I believe we have exhausted the forum stage and it is time we presented some of this issues to the Jubilee team so that they can start making adjustments to the policy.
>>>> 
>>>> So who wants to join the team that will bell the cat?
>>>> 
>>>> Regards
>>>>  
>>>> Robert Yawe
>>>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>>> Kenya
>>>> 
>>>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>> From: Gilda Odera <godera at skyweb.co.ke>
>>>> To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk 
>>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 11:22
>>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears
>>>> 
>>>> Bernard's email confirms my thoughts. Within four years in high school he mastered how to use the computers and is now writing software for companies across Africa! Now imagine replicating this with thousands of high school students...in four years this country will be reading amazing stories. And what's more, we will be tackling unemployment issues at the same time to some good extent.
>>>> 
>>>> Now, don't get me wrong- I fully support the fact that kids should be given a similar chance. However, my take is that next year it should be piloted to get it right. Instead of giving all the 800,000 primary children laptops, pilot 200,000 and give the rest to high school students. Go through the curve for the primary children to see what challenges lie there. Once addressed, roll out further the following year. Meanwhile, you will be having some thousands of high school students already on the way to maximising their potential.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> 
>>>> Gilda Odera
>>>> 
>>>> On Apr 22, 2013, at 2:57 PM, "Bitange Ndemo" <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> > Bernard,
>>>> > Please watch these two clips.
>>>> > 
>>>> > 
>>>> > http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud.html
>>>> > 
>>>> > http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html
>>>> > 
>>>> > The current pedagogy is under threat.  It is time for a paradigm shift in
>>>> > education.
>>>> > 
>>>> > Ndemo.
>>>> > 
>>>> > 
>>>> > 
>>>> > 
>>>> >> Personal experience:
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> I first saw a computer when I went to FORM 1 at Starehe.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> A student named Chris Ochieng joined Starehe a year later. He had grown up
>>>> >> with a computer in his father's house and had learnt at his very young age
>>>> >> how to write software. He would come into the computer room on Saturday
>>>> >> afternoon when we were not allowed to play computer games and all computer
>>>> >> games diskettes were stored away. He would write a game for us and we
>>>> >> would
>>>> >> play the game. From him, we learnt a lot more and got the confidence we
>>>> >> needed.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Today both Chris & I write software for some of the leading organizations
>>>> >> across Africa.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> When I left Starehe, I couldn't afford going to University due to the fees
>>>> >> needed (I was sponsored at Starehe) BUT I didn't need to because the
>>>> >> knowledge acquired from Starehe gave me a well paying job the afternoon
>>>> >> after my last KCSE paper.  The rest is history.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> If anyone doubts the value having children exposed to computers will have
>>>> >> on
>>>> >> this Nation, please take it from me, if it was not for computers exposed
>>>> >> to
>>>> >> me at Form 1, I would have left Form 4 at Starehe, not had fees to proceed
>>>> >> to campus and therefore languish in poverty - job seeking forever. NOW,
>>>> >> imagine if computers were exposed to me in Std 1..how I wish this was the
>>>> >> case!
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> With the little acquired from this, my company this year celebrates 20yrs
>>>> >> of
>>>> >> existence as a software company and we employ several university graduates
>>>> >> -
>>>> >> yet I have never been to a university myself.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Whether Std 1 is the right time or if its Std 4 or Form 1, I wouldn't know
>>>> >> but I know the earlier the better.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Give these children the chance, if the President says we can afford it J
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Kind Regards,
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Bernard Kioko
>>>> >> Chief Executive Officer
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Bernsoft Interactive Limited
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Office:  +254-703-080-080
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Mobile: +254-722-540-883
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> From: kictanet
>>>> >> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bkioko=bernsoft.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
>>>> >> Behalf
>>>> >> Of robert yawe
>>>> >> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2013 9:52 AM
>>>> >> To: bkioko at bernsoft.com
>>>> >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>>>> >> Subject: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Hi,
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> I have kept wondering why many people want to delay the introduction of
>>>> >> computers to those either in secondary or even university.
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> I came across this article which explains the fears many of us are having
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130422020049-8451-the-tech-indu
>>>> >> stry-s-darkest-secret-it-s-all-about-age
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> You might also want to watch the following presentation I gave at the
>>>> >> University of Nairobi on the issue termed "the professional students
>>>> >> dilemma"
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> http://youtu.be/9b4BJ7iTOfA
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Regards
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Robert Yawe
>>>> >> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>>> >> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>>> >> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>>> >> Kenya
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>> >> 
>>>> >>  _____
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
>>>> >> 
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