Hi Jan, Simon, Valerie and Ed. This is not a trivial challenge.
On one hand, I agree with Sagata Mitra that " the most advanced educational technology should go first to the most disadvantaged learners. Any advantage to such a learner would be a benefit." The impact and potential of multi-mode, multimedia learning should not be underestimated.The fact that we now have netbooks which, in many cases cheaper than standard published textbooks is a phenomenal achievement. In one sense -- posting a CDROM is broadband connectivity and a mechanism to provide access to rich media media learning experiences. On the other hand, like Jan, I have spent the majority of my career working in education /ICTs for development. While $75 -- $100 may not seem to be a large sum of money. Putting this in the context of low income countries, the cost equates to the gross per capita income of 3 to 6 months wages -- depending on where you live and what gainful employment (if any) you may have :-(. In Kenya, for example, the cost of sending one child to a government funded secondary school equates to approximately 33% of the average per capita income for the country. I have three children and I would not be able to afford spending 67% of my gross income to pay for my children's education -- no money left for housing or food. It seems to me that we should focus energies on building sustainable OER ecosystems - and I think there are a few "preconditions" that will nurture the growth of these ecosystems. - A commitment to free cultural works licensing (www.freedomdefined.org) -- specifically with regards to free file formats because this will facilitate remix and reconfiguration of Free content for delivery across multiple delivery technologies, i.e. print, low cost netbooks, mobile devices etc. - Granting users the freedom to use technologies in ways that make sense for them -- I've always been fascinated by the innovative social use of technology in Sub-Saharan Africa. I recall a survey I ran in South Africa in the early 1990s with the students registered for a first year university course in education. At the time this was the largest course at Unisa with 12000 registered students! 75% of the respondents did not have electricity at home (taking into account that this was an elite group who had the opportunity to study at tertiary level.) However, the majority had access to radio but surprisingly just over 50% having access to television at home (running of batteries). That was 20 year ago .... but its easy to make wrong assumptions with reference to how technologies may or may not be used. - Radically improving content "interoperability" among OER repositories --- free content doesn't care where it resides. We can fuel real innovation by making the remix easier. - Other "pre-conditions" to nurture the growth of sustainable OER ecosystems? Working together we can achieve far more than working alone. Cheers Wayne On 18 May 2010 06:15, Jan Visser <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, I surely agree, and I think it’s what I said in different words. > While we continue to do the things we all feel we must do, though we realize > they are insufficient (I engage in them myself as much as Ed and Valerie and > probably most others on this list do), my call was indeed to be at the same > time observant, inquiring and critically reflective (i.e. the true meaning > of being skeptical as you rightly observe). Far from damping our enthusiasm, > it should make us more determined and allow us to focus on the right action, > collaboratively working on multiple fronts. > > > > Jan > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of simonfj > Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 2:33 PM > To: WikiEducator > Subject: [WikiEducator] Re: Teachers Without Borders (TWB) > > > > Gee Jan, > > > > I feel a sceptic in our midst, and thank you for it. That said i would > > never like to dampen the enthusiasm Ed shows. (I'd forgive any number > > of words for the passion Valerie and Ed display). > > > > But OK, we know that; > > 1. 'education', in points around the world, requires all sorts of > > compromises. > > 2. One dimension in anything displays a limited perspective. And > > 3. the "western culture of the industrial era" is a fair cop for most > > of us. > > > > We look around our world and would like to think those in less > > favourable gobal points might gain the same advantages. (although the > > talk of 'delivering resources' in education makes my hairs stand up). > > Not being a teacher, all I ever hope for anyone is that they can get > > their questions answered, in full, when they ask; so they can get on > > and improve their personal situation. > > > > A formal education is a pretty hard thing to consider when the > > priorities in lots of places are water, then food, then electricity > > and eventually all the goodies which plug into a network. But your > > comment "the problem is immensely more complex than what is imagined" > > simply fills me with pity. We all know this, which is what inspires > > our passions to do a bit, or not. > > > > The "not", it seems, is what happens so often by "the end" of a > > western education. i.e. talk & talk & talk > > > > Thank goodness for the WE's and TWB's of this world. > > > > > > > > > > On May 17, 10:25 am, "Jan Visser" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Ed, you wrote, in response to the assertion that "Printed material is of > greater value to a participant because she can take it home" the following: > "That is true without one-to-one, 24/7 computing. With it, software is of > greater value to children than textbooks, because it includes multimedia, is > of much greater capacity, and can be provided at no cost and with the > freedom to modify it and share the results. In addition, computers and > software are now essential subjects for schools. Not so-called "Computer > Literacy" but computer mastery." > > > > > > I beg to differ with both positions. Your claim, I think, is assuming too > much for the moment as far as the potential impact of computing technology > is concerned, and I am saying so inspired by the more than 40 years I've > been working (and living for more than half that time) in countries deprived > of even the most basic resources like, in the school context, something that > could function as a blackboard and a piece of chalk, or even a decent piece > of stone or wood to sit on while in class (not necessarily under a roof or > complemented with something that could resemble a desk), let alone materials > with which to engage in collaborative activities with one's fellow learners > for, say, the purpose of exploring and understanding the workings of nature. > Doing one's homework at home may be less dependent on having a computer or a > book than on having the kind of home that minimally resembles the dwellings > you and I live in (not to speak of the homes of the likes of Schwarzenegger, > McChrystal and McCain) and particularly on having economic conditions that > don't put you as a child in charge of all kinds of tasks that must > necessarily be performed to sustain the life of the family and that heavily > interfere with fruitful participation in a regular school environment. > > > > > > Of course, I'm all for the great and important things you and others are > pursuing, but I'm afraid there are no silver bullets. The solutions to > improving the quality of human learning around the world in diverse > circumstances and multiple cultural contexts are complex because learning is > a complex phenomenon. One-to-one computing is possibly part of the solution > to reshaping the learning landscape, enabling all to learn, but so are > books, TWB, WE and a host of other things. None of them will do the job > alone and much will depend on co-evolving contextual factors. One of the > important lessons I’ve learned is that it usually stifles the creativity if > we focus too strongly on just one dimension of the problem. > > > > > > And, while I am at it, let's not forget that there is an enormous wealth > of learning beyond formal schooling whereas most of the efforts, including > our own in WE, continue to be inspired by the predominant school metaphor, > which is strongly rooted in the western culture of the industrial era. We > really need to broaden our thinking beyond the perspectives that follow from > our primary inclinations. > > > > > > I’m sorry to paint a less satisfying picture, but, with due respect to > the efforts of TWB (whose coming into being and growth I have followed since > my first contacts back in the 1990’s with its founder Fred Mednick), and > fully recognizing the valuable intentions of those involved in making > one-to-one computing a reality, as well as with deep appreciation for the > work of those engaging in producing print or screen based text and other > software, I’m afraid we are only scratching the surface of a problem that is > immensely more complex than what is imagined. > > > > > > Jan > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Jan Visser, Ph.D. > > > > > > President & Sr. Researcher, Learning Development Institute > > > > > > E-mail: [email protected] > > > > > > Check out:http://www.learndev.organdhttp://www.facebook.com/learndev > > > > > > Blog:http://jvisser-ldi.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Edward Cherlin > > > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010 11:10 PM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: Re: [WikiEducator] Re: Teachers Without Borders (TWB) > > > > > > On Sat, May 15, 2010 at 12:56, Vtaylor <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Hello Edward > > > > > > > We were not sure exactly what you were asking. If this doesn't answer > > > > your question, let's talk further. > > > > > > Let's, whether in this mailing list or offline. I'm talking about the > > > > > > coming wave of one-to-one computing in schools, now that netbook > > > > > > computers cost less than textbooks. See, for example, the resources > > > > > > listed at > > > > > > http://www.librarianchick.com/The most complete listing > > > > > > http://www.clrn.org/fdti/Math and Science texts for CA > > > > > > http://www.flossmanuals.net/Free Software manuals, and how to use Free > Software > > > > > > I am one of the co-authors of How to Bypass Internet Censorship at > > > > > > FLOSS Manuals. It has become available in Russian, Chinese, Farsi, and > > > > > > other relevant languages. I am currently writing an introduction to > > > > > > the Sugar software for the OLPC XO, now available for most other > > > > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups "WikiEducator" group. > > To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org > > To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected] > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "WikiEducator" group. > To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org > To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > -- Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. Director, International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Board of Directors, OER Foundation. Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org Mobile +64 21 2436 380 User Page: http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg Skype: WGMNZ1 Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
