Cheap computers from TVs and old videogame consoles

UC San Diego-based Playpower Project Receives $180K MacArthur
Digital Media and Learning Grant. Details here

The Power of Study Abroad: An Interview with Wangari Maathai

If anyone's into Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace prize winner "tree lady" from Africa, i just did a little side gig for WorldLearning editing and putting up a good interview their president got last time she was here in Brattleboro. She's a great talker, I didn't even need any edits (at least not on their budget) except the beginning and end!
Interview on channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldlearning
Video source, with YouTube's new "call to action" lower third popup 10 seconds in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOnYVeaETps

- Caleb Clark
~ Wk: http://gradcenter.marlboro.edu/academics/mat/faculty
~ Hm: http://www.plocktau.com

randomised evaluation of dumping computers (+training) on schools in Columbia: no effect

Barrera-Osorio, F. & Linden, L. (2009), 'The use and misuse of computers in education : evidence from a randomized experiment in Colombia', World Bank Policy Research Working Paper (WPS4836)

This paper presents the evaluation of the program Computers for Education. The program aims to integrate computers, donated by the private sector, into the teaching of language in public schools. The authors conduct a two-year randomized evaluation of the program using a sample of 97 schools and 5,201 children. Overall, the program seems to have had little effect on students' test scores and other outcomes. These results are consistent across grade levels, subjects, and gender. The main reason for these results seems to be the failure to incorporate the computers into the educational process. Although the program increased the number of computers in the treatment schools and provided training to the teachers on how to use the computers in their classrooms, surveys of both teachers and students suggest that teachers did not incorporate the computers into their curriculum.

- thanks Yishay for this info

Computer-Based Learning a Reality in Rural Senegal

Manassas, VA (USA), April 2009 – EarthWalk Communications in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development, is extending opportunities for learning with computers in rural Senegal through the use of innovative solar-panel technologies. EcoSolar2 power solution is enabling schools to seamlessly integrate technology into their classrooms and communities regardless of the availability of electricity. more

Global Library Services Network

https://glsn.com/

an Application Infrastructure Provider (AIP) supporting remote communities with access to digital libraries for offline use.

School gardening links

Royal Horticultural Society Campaign for School Gardening

Plant Scientists Investigate: lessons and activities for schools and gardens

IoE links

Institute of Education connections.

Article in IoE Life magazine about International Development unit, Summer 2008.

Microsoft supports women in Kenya

Microsoft has sponsored ICT and entrepreneurship training for 1,093 Kenyan women from six settlements under its Unlimited Potential program. Details here.

Universal Science Bench

Portable teaching tool using solar and wind for powering local experiments. Details here

Stanford-Ericsson mobile learning collaboration

Stockholm (SE), July 2007 - Ericsson announced at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva (05-06 July) that it is collaborating with Stanford University to explore the innovative use of mobile technologies in distance eLearning. Ericsson will work with Stanford University's International Outreach Program to bring distance learning to countries in Africa.

The program offers students on different continents the opportunity to learn from researchers in environmental sciences from several countries and perspectives, as well as contribute to lively discourse and debate through Internet and mobile phone interaction.

Further details here.

See-saw to power African schools

A young inventor is hoping to tap the unbounded energy of children in a playground to power schools in Africa.

story

U.S.$13 Million Grant Boosts Women in Agriculture

Gates Foundation funds jobs for women scientists, details here.

Reflect and ICT Project

This DFID-funded project is exploring potential applications of ICTs for poor and marginalised people, linking to existing Reflect groups in Uganda, Burundi and India.

Open Architecture Challenge

Empower the youth of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, an informal slum settlement of 250,000, to connect with other youth and create positive change in their community by building a technology media lab and library.

Details here.

Teachers Talking Kenya

Teachers Talking Kenya is a project that brings together a group of rural school teachers in the Kangundo district to use the internet and learn on Friday evenings. The initial project was enabled by CAWD (virtual campus CAWDNET) and the Commonwealth of Learning.

For more see the Teachers Talking Blog

Emerging journalism

Journalism training is booming in the developing world. David Okwemba of Kenya's The Nation newspaper also helps train journalists. For community-generated podcasts (esp. in Kambu for the radio station) we have envisioned community members conducting interviews and making stories.

Economist story here.

Culture Radio

In Sierra Leone, devices like TVs or PCs are out of reach for most of the people. However, an old functional radio can be found in almost every home. With “Culture Radio”, Shelter for Africa intends to reach everyone interested in getting a basic school education.

Indian Water Portal

"The India Water Portal is an open, inclusive, web-based platform for sharing water management knowledge amongst practitioners and the general public."

It includes multimedia training clips, video stories, case study, etc... to assist in training and sharing of knowledge about water management.

Making Kenya the ICT Hub of Africa

"Digital Village Enterprises

Digital Villages are ICT facilities established to take ICT to the rural areas for economic and social development. They will provide a suite of e-services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers fax machines and other communication infrastructure. There will be three types of Digital Village facilities:

Digital Schools – educational ICT facility with minimum of 5 to 10 PCs established and managed by primary and secondary schools with support from KTCIP, constituency development funds (CDF), and other public and private sector organizations. Minimum – one in each location.


Digital Kiosks – commercial ICT facility with minimum 1 to 5 PCs established and managed by entrepreneurs either individually or groups with support from KTCIP, youth and women development funds, microfinance institutions, and other investors. Minimum – one in each constituency.


Digital Centres – development ICT facility with minimum 10 to 20 PCs established and managed by community based organizations (CBOs), faith based organizations (FBOs), co-operatives, public and private sector organizations with support from KTCIP and development partners. Minimum – one in each district."

For more...

Gamos

"Gamos is a small but influential company working with the social factors surrounding development interventions, organisational development, technology use and transfer."

See reports on:
- mobile phone use
- water
- energy
- ICT use
- agriculture