Frederick Noronha
Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:36:53 -0700
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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 3 Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 10:49:06 -0700 From: Sanjeev Singh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Computer Lab For Athmashree School Hello, I am working as a ASIC engineer in San Jose CA. In my spare time I am helping a non profit charitable institute "Home Of Hope" (http://www.hohinc.org) which helps poor children in India. Currently we are evaluating a proposal to build a computer lab for a school in Bangalore. This school provides excellent education for children from the poor and needy children. The school contact details are ATHMA SHREE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 7th MAIN ROAD THAYAGARAGANAGAR BANGALORE 560028 INDIA PHONE: 90-080 - 6771481 CONTACT PERSON: S. R. SATHYA NARAYAN The proposal we have from them is 22 computers with Windows software. The annual budget currently proposed is Rs13 lakhs per year (includes teachers from 'Future School'). I will be getting details about the syllabus soon but I am sure it is like learning MS Office.. I personally feel that this is unfair for the children to go thru Windows and just learn applications...seems very superficial..but I dont see any other choice? Would anyone/or your association suggest an alternate plan using Linux ? Can we do it as a pilot project and create a syllabus that teaches something deeper then just superficial certificates. Is anyone interested or suggest a company that would install, maintain these linux computers? thanks sanjeev ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 4 Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 08:59:53 +0530 From: Biju Chacko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Computer Lab For Athmashree School On Thu, 10 Oct 2002 10:49:06 -0700, Sanjeev Singh wrote: [..] > Currently we are evaluating a proposal to build a computer lab for a > school in Bangalore. This school provides excellent education for > children from the poor and needy children. [..] > The proposal we have from them is 22 computers with Windows software. > The annual budget currently proposed is Rs13 lakhs per year (includes > teachers from 'Future School'). I will be getting details about the > syllabus soon but I am sure it is like learning MS Office.. I > personally feel that this is unfair for the children to go thru > Windows and just learn applications...seems very superficial..but I > dont see any other choice? Any kind of 'Basic computer skills' course that *isn't* based around Windows and MS Office would probably be a waste of time. Also, most educational and children's software seems to be written for Windows. You must realise that for most people, computing skills are required to succeed in some other career. For them, to "to go thru Windows and just learn applications" is probably the best route. OTOH, any kind of 'Fundamental Programming skills' course that isn't based on Linux and OSS would be a waste of resources, not to mention, IMO less useful from the educational point of view. Obviously, then the syllabus needs to seek a balance between both needs. > Would anyone/or your association suggest an alternate plan using Linux > ? Can we do it as a pilot project and create a syllabus that teaches > something deeper then just superficial certificates. Is anyone > interested or suggest a company that would install, maintain these > linux computers? I do think that this is something wherein the BLUG can make a difference. I would be willing to help out in any kind of effort in this direction. -- b -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Biju 'botsie' Chacko biju_chacko at vsnl dot net http://www.symonds.net/~botsie ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 5 Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 10:55:07 +0530 (IST) From: Pallav Nawani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Computer Lab For Athmashree School On Thu, 10 Oct 2002, Sanjeev Singh wrote: > The proposal we have from them is 22 computers with Windows software. The > annual budget currently proposed is Rs13 lakhs per year (includes teachers > from 'Future School'). I will be getting details about the syllabus soon but > I am sure it is like learning MS Office.. I personally feel that this is > unfair for the children to go thru Windows and just learn > applications...seems very superficial..but I dont see any other choice? You could get them to use Linux. I think that linux/Openoffice is just as learnable as windows/MsOffice. Only problem is that most of the jobs that require low level skills require use of MS Software. Ideally, what students should be taught is how to learn by themselves, how to find information by themselves, how to solve problems. Of course, this is unrelated to the topic at hand, but I just wanted to point out that choice of teacher iss *very* critical. Use of computers is not merely resricted to learning MS Office etc! We can teach them artistic skills using software such as tux paint, teach them about the universe using stellarium and so on. Put the kids on a computer, teach them how to use the software, and then watch them go. And later, when they're curious about how such stuff is made, teach them programming :-) Also, public software archives such as simtel.net have a *huge* amount of educational software available for free, but unfortunately most of it is on Windows. just my 2 paise. -- regards, Pallav. _______________________________________________________________________ There's nothing like a girl with a plunging neckline to keep a man on his toes. _________________________________________________________________ | | |Pallav Nawani | |Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd. | |Domlur, Bangalore. | |_______________________________________________________________|