<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Hi Edith,<br><br></div>"Failure" in the context of the OLPC project needs to be clearly defined. I think that what the media have largely trumpeted as a failure was that the goal of coming out with a sub $100 laptop was not achieved. The costs of producing the OLPC devices is higher than $100 per piece.<br>
<br></div>However, the fact that these devices are designed *from the ground up* with children (and learning) in mind has been a huge success in terms of yielding devices that are more appropriately suited to the vagaries of youth, both in terms of ruggedness as well as look and feel.<br>
<br></div>The examples I gave earlier where countries like Uruguay with a tiny population of 3m have rolled out 500,000 over the past 5 years is a resounding success to me.<br><br></div>Rather than reinvent the wheel - let us take one that works, modify it to better suit us, and fit it into the right mix of complementary hardware, software and systems to make the overall undertaking a success.<br>
<br></div>Best regards,<br><br>Brian<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 11:47 PM, Edith Adera <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:eadera@idrc.ca" target="_blank">eadera@idrc.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Brian,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u>�<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">It appears the �one laptop per child� program (OLPC) failed as widely touted, so important to learn lessons from that failure.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u>�<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Edith
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u>�<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> kictanet [mailto:<a href="mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Beadera" target="_blank">kictanet-bounces+eadera</a>=<a href="mailto:idrc.ca@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">idrc.ca@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Brian Munyao Longwe<br>
<b>Sent:</b> April 10, 2013 9:34 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Edith Adera</span></p><div class="im"><br>
<b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br>
</div><div class="im"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants<u></u><u></u></div><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Hi Robert,<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Good points. We actually don't need to look very far. The "One Laptop per Child" program has been on this issue for a while now and has a few� models of laptop (including a tablet) that can be offer at a price
of +/- $100.<u></u><u></u></p>
</div></div></div><div><div class="h5">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">The OLPC project has already delivered over 200,000 laptops in Rwanda and over 500,000 in Uruguay via government driven programs. Considering these are relatively small countries (7m and 3m total populations
respectively). The goal of 1 million laptops per year for std1 entrants is not unnattainable.<u></u><u></u></p>
</div></div></div><div><div class="h5">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">As for content - this is where the opportunity lies. All of the current education materials exist in soft form with the varioius printing presses, it would not take much effort to process these into eBook format
and push them onto a digital library along with related material such as story books, dictionaries, encyclopediae etc.<u></u><u></u></p>
</div></div></div><div><div class="h5">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">In addition to the above, there is a huge opportunity to create educational games for all school going ages. Research has shown that children learn much faster when the knowledge is conveyed in a "fun" way.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Kazi kwetu?<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Brian<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 7:56 AM, robert yawe <<a href="mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi,<br>
<br>
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.
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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?<br>
<br>
Regards<br>
<br>
PS.� A new dispensation, a new dedication and new vigor <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">�<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Robert Yawe<br>
KAY System Technologies Ltd<br>
Phoenix House, 6th Floor<br>
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200<br>
Kenya<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696<u></u><u></u></p>
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