Comments on: OLPC — Rest in Peace http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/ Issues & insights Wed, 9 Jul 2008 02:11:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Diablog » Blog Archive » ? ??????????? ??? 100 ????????? - ?????????? ??? ????????? (????? 1?) http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-64733 Diablog » Blog Archive » ? ??????????? ??? 100 ????????? - ?????????? ??? ????????? (????? 1?) Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:34:44 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-64733 [...] OLPC — Rest in Peace (??? ???????) [...] […] OLPC — Rest in Peace (??? ???????) […]

]]> By: Floridian http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-7182 Floridian Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:19:23 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-7182 Dear Realitycheck: A little off the main debate, did you see a documentary called "A Hole in the Wall?" It was about some organization in Delhi that has installed computers in kiosks in poor neighborhoods. Dear Realitycheck:
A little off the main debate, did you see a documentary called “A Hole in the Wall?” It was about some organization in Delhi that has installed computers in kiosks in poor neighborhoods.

]]> By: Dweep’s Weblog » Blog Archive » One Laptop Per Child - Not in India http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6574 Dweep’s Weblog » Blog Archive » One Laptop Per Child - Not in India Thu, 03 Aug 2006 21:58:29 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6574 [...] The Indian Economy Blog says the Indian HRD Ministry explained that according to some American psychologist “any sustained use of computers may lead to a disembodied brain and bring about isolationist tendencies in social behaviour” and that the “pedagogic effectiveness of this initiative is not known.” [...] […] The Indian Economy Blog says the Indian HRD Ministry explained that according to some American psychologist “any sustained use of computers may lead to a disembodied brain and bring about isolationist tendencies in social behaviour” and that the “pedagogic effectiveness of this initiative is not known.” […]

]]> By: realitycheck http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6495 realitycheck Wed, 02 Aug 2006 09:58:40 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6495 Dear Floridian, I can assure you that I have been to primary schools in advanced countries such as the USA and Germany. My point is this , The HRD ministry and its supporters are conveniently trying to use the lack of basic facilities to : 1. neither provide those basic facilities (nor) 2. provide what better off kids consider basic facilities like computers If you think (1) is wrong, I would challenge you to write to the HRD ministry to allocate the 450 crores that would have been given to the OLPC toward the basic facilities. How many generations must pass before we can trash the excuse of basic facilities ? Any computer is better than no computer, even if a kid can barely read he/she can dramatically improve those skills with the help of a computer. I have personally seen a dozen slum kids in India (where I live and work) get addicted to a kaun banega crorepati CD, which I gave them. Dear Floridian,

I can assure you that I have been to primary schools in advanced countries such as the USA and Germany.

My point is this ,

The HRD ministry and its supporters are conveniently trying to use the lack of basic facilities to :

1. neither provide those basic facilities (nor)
2. provide what better off kids consider basic facilities like computers

If you think (1) is wrong, I would challenge you to write to the HRD ministry to allocate the 450 crores that would have been given to the OLPC toward the basic facilities.

How many generations must pass before we can trash the excuse of basic facilities ?

Any computer is better than no computer, even if a kid can barely read he/she can dramatically improve those skills with the help of a computer. I have personally seen a dozen slum kids in India (where I live and work) get addicted to a kaun banega crorepati CD, which I gave them.

]]> By: shrini http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6474 shrini Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:30:54 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6474 To all of you detractors of this initiative. This was pioneered way back in India (as an experiment - Search for "Hole in the wall") http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/thestory.html This shows that there is a plus side to this. True that we are lacking in infrastructure, basic education but consider that there are millions of students who lack access to same amenities enjoyed by their more well todo brethren. These are kids going to public schools, competing with kids from private schools. This will atleast bring them upto par at (elementary or high school level). To all of you detractors of this initiative. This was pioneered way back in India (as an experiment - Search for “Hole in the wall”)
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/thestory.html

This shows that there is a plus side to this. True that we are lacking in infrastructure, basic education but consider that there are millions of students who lack access to same amenities enjoyed by their more well todo brethren. These are kids going to public schools, competing with kids from private schools.

This will atleast bring them upto par at (elementary or high school level).

]]> By: Erwan http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6469 Erwan Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:24:37 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6469 Lee Felsenstein has written on several occasions why the OLPC initiative will fail. Idealism often collides with reality: http://fonly.typepad.com/fonlyblog/2005/11/problems_with_t.html Lee Felsenstein has written on several occasions why the OLPC initiative will fail.
Idealism often collides with reality:
http://fonly.typepad.com/fonlyblog/2005/11/problems_with_t.html

]]> By: hobbes http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6459 hobbes Tue, 01 Aug 2006 05:10:44 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6459 Hi, What do the children of india need? http://kmc.sulekha.com/blogs/blogdisplay.aspx?cid=73078 courtesy: ixedoc Hi,

What do the children of india need?

http://kmc.sulekha.com/blogs/blogdisplay.aspx?cid=73078

courtesy: ixedoc

]]> By: Linking India.com blog » One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is not going to happen in India http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6446 Linking India.com blog » One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is not going to happen in India Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:38:10 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6446 [...] The Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry of the government of India recently decided to just say no to the $100 laptop that Prof Negroponte of MIT Media Lab has been furiously peddling. The reason cited was ..any sustained use of computers may lead to a disembodied brain and bring about isolationist tendencies in social behaviour……Both physical and psychological effects of children’s intensive exposure implicit in OLPC are worrisome. Health problems of our rural children are well known; personalised intensity of computer-use could easily exacerbate some of these problems.. [...] […] The Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry of the government of India recently decided to just say no to the $100 laptop that Prof Negroponte of MIT Media Lab has been furiously peddling. The reason cited was ..any sustained use of computers may lead to a disembodied brain and bring about isolationist tendencies in social behaviour……Both physical and psychological effects of children’s intensive exposure implicit in OLPC are worrisome. Health problems of our rural children are well known; personalised intensity of computer-use could easily exacerbate some of these problems.. […]

]]> By: Floridian http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6441 Floridian Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:08:49 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6441 Dear Realitycheck: Have you bothered to consult teachers on this subject or all this is just techno idealism? No teacher worth his salt would put computers and laptops in the hands of little children who don't even know how to read and write. I suggest you sit in a kindergarten class for a day, and preferably in a so-called advanced country such as the US, and then do a realitycheck of your laptop mission. Nobody is questioning the value of computers here? The debate seems to center on the value of OLPC in a country where basic education for the millions of rural and otherwise poor children is just non-existent. Dear Realitycheck:
Have you bothered to consult teachers on this subject or all this is just techno idealism? No teacher worth his salt would put computers and laptops in the hands of little children who don’t even know how to read and write. I suggest you sit in a kindergarten class for a day, and preferably in a so-called advanced country such as the US, and then do a realitycheck of your laptop mission.

Nobody is questioning the value of computers here? The debate seems to center on the value of OLPC in a country where basic education for the millions of rural and otherwise poor children is just non-existent.

]]> By: realitycheck http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6438 realitycheck Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:23:02 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2006/07/29/olpc-rest-in-peace/#comment-6438 Floridian, Have you been to any public school in Florida ? Is there any school which does not have access to computers or the high speed k12 network ? Arent all schools in Florida networked ? It is futile to even compare the two countries when it comes to primary education. Yes, we need basic stuff first. That cannot be used as an excuse to deprive the neediest of the needy access to computers. We dont even have A,B,C so we cant have X,Y,Z. No action will be taken to either give A,B,C or X,Y,Z, and we will pat ourselves for having stalled another idea whose time has come and gone. Please lets us not talk about funds. We are about to spend 16-20,000 crores on tertiary education, obviously the same excuses, i.e, the lack of toilets, teachers do not apply in other areas. Floridian,

Have you been to any public school in Florida ?

Is there any school which does not have access to computers or the high speed k12 network ? Arent all schools in Florida networked ? It is futile to even compare the two countries when it comes to primary education.

Yes, we need basic stuff first. That cannot be used as an excuse to deprive the neediest of the needy access to computers. We dont even have A,B,C so we cant have X,Y,Z. No action will be taken to either give A,B,C or X,Y,Z, and we will pat ourselves for having stalled another idea whose time has come and gone.

Please lets us not talk about funds. We are about to spend 16-20,000 crores on tertiary education, obviously the same excuses, i.e, the lack of toilets, teachers do not apply in other areas.

]]>