Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Out of context--what a very useful idea. Solar home lighting, foot-driven water pumps for crop irrigation, bicycles for transport of products to market: all these seem to fit comfortably into the context of village life in Ghana. OLPC, not so much. Here are schoolchildren whose mothers can't afford to buy them the required notebook ($1.00)and uniform ($4.00), so they're not going to school. Those who do go to school don't have any books of their own, and the school doesn't have many either. Often the school does not have electricity, reliably or at all. Almost certainly it doesn't have, and can't afford, connection to the Internet. Trying to envision OLPC in this context is pretty challenging, don't you think? Less difficult is the notion of a community centre that has shared computers as well as other services (health, literacy, job skills, craft workshop, bike conversion and repair, etc.). The problem of context has dogged Western-driven development since t5he 1950s, and brought the demise of many expensive projects. I guess that's why the World Bank finally started hiring anthropologists in the 1980s--to get some folks with the ability to see and understand context. Sarah Blackmun The narratives of the world are numberless. . . . there nowhere is nor has been a people without narrative.--Roland Barthes Sarah Blackmun-Eskow President, The Pangaea Network 290 North Fairview Avenue Goleta CA 93117 805-692-6998 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.pangaeanetwork.org -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joel Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 8:56 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 5:09 AM, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: what is the different between telecenters and 'community computers'? If they are the same, for search purpose, perhaps we could keep to the same terms? Cindy In the 3rd world countries, a PC is generally too expensive for individual ownership (hence the relevance of the OLPC). The cost is not just the purchase price of the HW, but must include the SW costs, and the user's time to learn and use the technology. It is simply that an OLPC is so out-of-context in the lives of the average citizen. It is our belief that this is because too little effort is placed in providing appropriate applications / solutions at the 3rd world point-of-view. The telecenter OTOH MUST contextualize at the community level. Can the same be said for the OLPC? J Galgana BayangPinoy Organization, Inc. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Fw: Re: PhD research on OLPC
I think quite frankly in the developing world where I was brought up and come from an OLPC is not the first need, it is not the second, it is not the third, nor the fourth need nor the 10th most important need! Business people want to sell and still have their heads in the sand that a parent or government is going to squander $100 or $200 to buy a laptop when that parent does not earn that in one year! Wake up guys! Go to where you want to sell these things and come back. You might just change your mind. Arthur --- On Mon, 22/9/08, Joel [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Joel [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group digitaldivide@digitaldivide.net Received: Monday, 22 September, 2008, 1:55 PM On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 5:09 AM, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: what is the different between telecenters and 'community computers'? If they are the same, for search purpose, perhaps we could keep to the same terms? Cindy In the 3rd world countries, a PC is generally too expensive for individual ownership (hence the relevance of the OLPC). The cost is not just the purchase price of the HW, but must include the SW costs, and the user's time to learn and use the technology. It is simply that an OLPC is so out-of-context in the lives of the average citizen. It is our belief that this is because too little effort is placed in providing appropriate applications / solutions at the 3rd world point-of-view. The telecenter OTOH MUST contextualize at the community level. Can the same be said for the OLPC? J Galgana BayangPinoy Organization, Inc. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. Make the switch to the world#39;s best email. Get Yahoo!7 Mail! http://au.yahoo.com/y7mail ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Hello Joel, I think you misunderstood me. I was only asking for clarifications of the differences between the term 'community computers' vs. telecenters. If you read any of my previous posts you would understand that I am not supporter of OLPC. To my understanding 'community computers' is no different than telecenters. Just another new terms that says the same thing. Telecenter has been in existence for more than 20 years and there are many well researched documents written on telecenter. Why reinventing the wheels? Cindy = [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- On Mon, 22/9/08, Joel [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Joel [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group digitaldivide@digitaldivide.net Date: Monday, 22 September, 2008, 5:55 AM On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 5:09 AM, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: what is the different between telecenters and 'community computers'? If they are the same, for search purpose, perhaps we could keep to the same terms? Cindy In the 3rd world countries, a PC is generally too expensive for individual ownership (hence the relevance of the OLPC). The cost is not just the purchase price of the HW, but must include the SW costs, and the user's time to learn and use the technology. It is simply that an OLPC is so out-of-context in the lives of the average citizen. It is our belief that this is because too little effort is placed in providing appropriate applications / solutions at the 3rd world point-of-view. The telecenter OTOH MUST contextualize at the community level. Can the same be said for the OLPC? J Galgana BayangPinoy Organization, Inc. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Can someone inform me whether this OLPC has been abandoned by MIT or what's the current progress now. Terimakasih dan Salam Sejahtera, -- Md Rusli Haji Ahmad Director Universal Service Provision Div. SKMM -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joel Sent: 22 September 2008 11:56 To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 5:09 AM, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: what is the different between telecenters and 'community computers'? If they are the same, for search purpose, perhaps we could keep to the same terms? Cindy In the 3rd world countries, a PC is generally too expensive for individual ownership (hence the relevance of the OLPC). The cost is not just the purchase price of the HW, but must include the SW costs, and the user's time to learn and use the technology. It is simply that an OLPC is so out-of-context in the lives of the average citizen. It is our belief that this is because too little effort is placed in providing appropriate applications / solutions at the 3rd world point-of-view. The telecenter OTOH MUST contextualize at the community level. Can the same be said for the OLPC? J Galgana BayangPinoy Organization, Inc. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any files transmitted with it (Message) are intended only for the use of the recipient(s) named above and may contain confidential information. You are hereby notified that the taking of any action in reliance upon, or any review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, printing or copying of this Message or any part thereof by anyone other than the recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this Message in error, you should delete this Message immediately and advise the sender by return e-mail. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this Message that do not relate to the MCMC shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by the MCMC. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Mark writes, The role of ICTs in education is thus much more natural and compelling than that of radio, television, and film. I would suggest that attempts to generalize a ceiling effect for the long-term role of ICTs in schools based on prior educational technology research on the diffusion of radio, television, and film are flawed. Thanks for the interesting insights. Videos, TVs, radios and ICTs are enablers. Their success depends partly on how teachers integrate them skillfully in the teaching and learning process. OLPC needs to be accompanied by OLPT (one laptop per teacher). ICTs or OLPC won't cure inadequate teaching or flawed education system. The one fit all solution is another culprit- those who propose technological solution to enhance education often discount the challenges in and the differences between developing nations.I visited some schools in Africa recently- the list of the challenges is overwhelming - badly wired networks, regular power cuts, lack of skilled technicians, inadequately trained, less paid and motivated teachers... I ask myself what good 1 million OLPTs will do in that setting. Some smart kids will use OLPT, the rest of us will sit and see OLPT come and go. Lishan ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] DTV --- Digital Tornado to Hit Rural Fringe Areas ---100% loss of New York Viewing In Hunterdon Country, NJ Real World Test.
This is the ultimate 'digital divide'--- Teletruth News: New Report and Survey. September 23, 2008 (Contact info below) New Study and Real-World Testing of Over-the-Air Television (OTA) viewers: To read the report: http://www.newnetworks.com/dtvreport.htm DTV Digital Tornado to Hit Rural Fringe Areas from Antenna, Lack of Signal, and Technical Problems New Real-World Test of Hunterdon, County, New Jersey Reveals 100% Loss of New York Stations, 100% Lost of Some Stations Or No Reception with Current Antennas and Converter Box Configurations. FCCs Wilmington Test Not Real-World Test for Most who Are Impacted by the DTV Transition Rural areas. Whole Communities Are Expected to be Impacted. Teletruth Files Separate Data Quality Act Complaint FCC's DTV and Wilmington Data and Statements Play Down Harms FCC's Needs a Class in Basis Statistics. Executive Summary Email to Teletruth: After I emailed you I also emailed every single person with the FCC that I could find an email address for. I'm really, REALLY concerned for the safety of my loved ones who rely on the TV for emergency situations and news. It is also how my elderly family members stay in touch with the outside world. EXAMPLE: Real World-Test Score of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Customer has large antenna on the roof. Test with converter box and current equipment 100% loss of current programming, No New York or Philadelphia stations; three of the same PBS station using multi-casting. Hunterdon County, NJ is part of the New York Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and is considered a rural fringe area. With Current TV Converter Box added CBS Channel 2 NYNO Signal CBS Channel 3 PANO Signal NBC Channel 4 NYNO Signal Fox Channel 5 NYNO Signal ABC Channel 6 PANO Signal ABC Channel 7 NYNO Signal WOR Channel 9 NYNO Signal CW Channel 11 PANO Signal PBS Channel 13 NY NO Signal PBS, NJN Channel58.1 PBS, NJN Channel58.1 PBS, NJN Channel58.4 On May 14, 2008, Tom Allibone, Director of Audits for Teletruth, a resident of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and an FCC DTV Deputy bought a converter box with his coupon to be able to have his free, over-the-air television switch from an analog to digital signal, just like millions of Americans. The box failed to deliver on signals of stations he currently enjoyed, and though he received new channels, such as the Korean station, theses were not programs he would be likely to watch. http://www.teletruth.org/DTVstory.htm After a story came out about his experience in the Hunterdon Democrat with contact information, 29 Hunterdon County residents called or emailed Teletruth, as well as 6 other calls or emails from around the US. Teletruth followed up with interviews as well as on-site visits to examine the transition issues first hand. Findings and Issues Summary: Teletruths Data Contradicts FCCs Proposed Plans for the DTV Transition. Our sample of Hunterdon County over-the-air viewers found: 1. 100% of those tested lost some of their current viewing channels, evenwith a large antenna. 2. 100% of those tested lost ALL New York stations, even though Hunterdon County is part of the New York City MSA. 3. Some customers got higher quality for some channels in Philadelphia, but still lost some of their Philadelphia channels. 4. The antenna and the technical expertise to actually get a signal in rural areas may cost hundreds of dollars, if it can be done at all. 5. Based on our findings and findings from other researchers, whole communities throughout the US could have a very high percentage of households that will lose over-the-air free TV service. 6. The FCC claims that Wilmington had 1% of the customers at risk while their own data shows over 13% called about issues. Implications: 7. FCCs Wilmington Test does not adequately address rural fringe areas. 8. How did the FCC and NTIA spend over $1 billion dollars and counting on the DTV campaign without actually testing the converter box and antenna configurations, especially in rural fringe areas? 9. As of September 2008, over $300 million dollars has been lost in expired coupons and other problems related to this transition. 10. The FCC, NTIA as well as the NAB, NTCA and all of the channels using the data provided by the these organizations including ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Fox, PBS and other outlets are giving a false and misleading impression about the requirements for this transition. 11. Teletruth has filed a separate Data Quality Act Complaint against the FCCs statements on the Wilmington and DTV transition. For more information:
Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Hi Steve You are right, there are transitions and there are different models. What might be appropriate today in Ghana might be different, today in the US. The approach of education planners is to want to eventually find the one global model. Yet with technology, as you suggest, there are many models for learning including different approaches from didactic, sage of stage, to a problem-based-learning model as examples. The difference, today, seems to me to revolve around the ability of the knowledge to come to those that need it when and where they need it. Information packages nicely and doesn't necessarily require paved four lane controlled access roads. It is strange and wonderous to see how knowledge travels in dispersed rural communities where everyone knows everyone's business and problem solving knowledge travels across fields almost by magic. The issue is one of scarcity and control. That we learned, in the west from the Church who had a problem when the Vulgate appeared. Just go to the iTunes store and go to podcasts and search for a subject and see what is available, free. And we are just starting Think about motivated home school students in the US and students eager to learn, around the world but who have to work so the family can eat. How long before we figure out that brick-spaces dedicated only for educational purposes need to be repurposed in order to better meet what they are delivering almost like zombies walking down the street. What virtual larning options do is to point out that the current model is like the consumptive in Poe's short story of Valdemer. A snap of the fingers will break the trance and the system will plunge into chaos. The people who have a vested interest in the status quo and the idea of mapping technology in the schools are the schools of education who have no other model. They are like the brakemen in the caboose or the last flight engineer in the 3 person cockpits of modern airliners. thoughts? tom tom abeles Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:47:55 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: digitaldivide@digitaldivide.net Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC In a message here filled with much good sense Tom Abeles says this: thinking about mapping click space technology into brick space thinking. We might begin by trying to understand why radio, television, film--all the earlier technologies that promised to reform education--have failed to make a difference in what goes on in those brick spaces that Tom talks about. Winston Churchill said this: We shape our buildings, and then our buildings shape us. That is: the school building and its classrooms and lecture halls is not merely a container that can house instruction organized around the computer or radio or television as easily as it can accommodate teacher-led instruction: the building--Tom's brick space--shapes what goes on within in it. Anthony Giddens says spatial arrangements are constitutive. The school building, then, is not a neutral container that can house any kind of instruction, but is a decisive and determining factor in the shaping of teaching and learning. Tom proposes abandoning the present building-centered school. We may need a transitional strategy. One possibility might be a 3-2 system. Children go to the school building three days a week to learn from teachers and each other through conversation, dialog, and the older pedagogies, without technologies, or perhaps with the help of radio and television if the teacher is comfortable with them. The other two days might be spent with computers: at home, if the home has a computer--perhaps using a pen drive, as Paperless suggests--or using a community computer which might be in a telecenter, or a library, or in the school building. The growth of open universities, with all instruction at a distance,suggests that some day Tom's vision of a school without walls may be practical. We might want to go there in stages rather than all at once. Steve Eskow On Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 9:03 AM, tom abeles wrote: We are in a transition period where multiple solutions make sense rather than one size fits all. One of the issue to understand is that cost keeps coming down for digital products. Right now I can have a basic cell phone which will take a micro chip with 4GB. Cells are already available with most of the technology needed to deliver basic internet type services, even to being able to test. The cell is a ubiquitous device even in developing countries. So computers to lap tops to cells is a natural migration both in capabilities, cost and availability both on wireless and wifi delivery. Thin clients such as Sarah suggests, or variance thereof is what happens with google doc's and other server-based software, even in developed countries- safe/secure and not dependent on keeping data stored on portable media except for off-line
[DDN] 6th International Open Access Conference
Dear Colleagues, The Information and Communication Technologies Association of Malawi (ICTAM) in collaboration with The Royal Swedish Institute of Technology (KTH) and The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) will host the 6th International Conference on Open Access at Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe, Malawi from 12th to14th November 2008. This will be preceded by the UbuntuNet Alliance Connect Conference: Driving effective Research and Education Networking in Africa at the same venue on 11th November 2008. YOU ARE INVITED. Please register to share experiences, plans or hypotheses under validation on various themes and sub themes. For more information visit http://www. wideopenaccess.net . Thanks, Boster. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Global information inequalities: Bridging the information gap
Charbonneau, Deborah H. (Ed.). (2008). Global information inequalities: Bridging the information gap. Oxford: Chandos Publishing (Oxford) Limited. The disparity in access to information is a worldwide phenomenon. Global Information Inequalities offers a captivating look into problems of information access across the world today. One of the unique strengths of the book is the use of examples of library initiatives from around the world to illustrate the range of possibilities for equitable access and library service delivery in a global context. It contains numerous examples of a wide variety of information problems and solutions ranging from developing literacy programs in rural communities in Tanzania, building school libraries in China, making government-related information more transparent in Chile, to exploring how digital technologies have the potential to revolutionize the lives of people with sensory-disabilities. The contributions in Global Information Inequalities address a number of core professional issues, including access to information, library services, collection development, global collaboration, intellectual property, and digital information. Additional information is available from the publisher's web site: http://snipurl.com/3tfss Alternatively, the link on Amazon.com is: http://snipurl.com/3r37w Siobhan Champ-Blackwell Community Outreach Liaison National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region Creighton University Health Sciences Library 2500 California Plaza Omaha, NE 68178 402.280.4156/800.338.7657 option#1,#2, then #1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://nnlm.gov/mcr http://nnlm.gov/mcr http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/ http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/ http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/siobhanchamp-blackwell http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/siobhanchamp-blackwell ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Global E-Collaboration Online Panels: A Webinar Series
As everyone on this list knows, online collaboration is transforming the way we work together, motivating researchers to look at emerging practices. The forthcoming IGI publication, a Handbook of Research on Electronic Collaboration and Organizational Synergy, presents a diverse collection of these studies. Join authors from Australia, South Africa, Greece, Finland, Germany, UK and USA for a unique series of (free) online panel discussions at Elluminate Events. Janet Salmons, and Lynn Wilson, editors of the Handbook, will moderate the panels. OCTOBER 29: 3 PM EST ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION WITHIN AND ACROSS ORGANIZATIONS Register at: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/event/description?instance_id=13285 Niki Lambropoulos , London South Bank University, UK ; Panagiotis Kampylis,University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Sofia Papadimitriou, Teacher, Athens Ingo Frost, Pumacy Technologies AG, Germany NOVEMBER 6: 4 PM EST STUDYING ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION: RESEARCH, THEORIES AND METHODS Register at: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/event/description?instance_id=13286 Frances Deepwell and Virginia King, Coventry University, United Kingdom Kenneth Strang, Central Queensland University, Australia Sandra Chrystal, Marshall School of Business University of Southern California, USA NOVEMBER 12: 3 PM EST INTERNATIONAL, CROSS-CULTURAL ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION Register at: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/event/description?instance_id=13288 Andre L. Araujo, College of William Mary, USA Tine Köhler, George Mason University, USA Kathy Lynch, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia; Aleksej Heinze, Salford University, England and Elsje Scott, University of Cape Town, South Africa Contact me off-list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for more information. For more on the Handbook of Research on Electronic Collaboration and Organizational Synergy, coming soon from IGI Global, see: http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?id=8003 . Janet Salmons Ph.D. VISION2LEAD, INC. Site- http://www.vision2lead.com Blog- http://blog.elearn2lead.com Organizational Perspectives Community - http://www.organizationalperspectives.org PO Box 943 Boulder, CO 80306-0943 303-443-3075 ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC
Sarah Blackmun-Eskow wrote: The problem of context has dogged Western-driven development since the 1950s, and brought the demise of many expensive projects. I guess that's why the World Bank finally started hiring anthropologists in the 1980s--to get some folks with the ability to see and understand context. Indeed. Context is king in just about everything - from interface design to implementing solutions in *any* environment. In the context of the digital divide, understanding the person using the computer is not enough - it never has been. Solutions come from a deep understanding of not only how people do things, but why. The 'how' is simple enough, the 'why' is not. Economics, culture and even personal biases (changeable and unchangeable) are key. As a humorous side note, I must wonder who studies the habits of anthropologists. -- Taran Rampersad [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.your2ndplace.com http://www.opendepth.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ Criticize by Creating - Michelangelo The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine. - Nikola Tesla ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
