tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post5573764591740890750..comments2008-01-21T09:22:37.080-05:00Tom Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-23523483268394359412008-01-20T23:25:00.000-05:002008-01-20T23:25:00.000-05:00I apologised to Teemu, on <A HREF="http://flosse.dicole.org/?item=thank-you-olpc-maybe-now-we-may-start-to-talk-about-education-again" REL="nofollow">his blog </A> and <A HREF="http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2008/01/teemu-talks-nonsense-about-olpc.html#c6861860704723598257" REL="nofollow">mine </A>, for the unsubstantiated criticisms I made earlier in this threadBill Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00206808014093631762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-73552669908292435202008-01-18T22:35:00.000-05:002008-01-18T22:35:00.000-05:00I don’t think giving a computer is a right solution to the problem of school lacking paper and pens. My point is that the paper and pens are already everywhere – in the corner shop – go and get them from there.Isähttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02233005062709021734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-46520157583840301752008-01-17T00:31:00.000-05:002008-01-17T00:31:00.000-05:00isä,<BR/><BR/>I actually deleted a paragraph addressing your basic point that countries receiving XO's are not destitute, not on the edge of starvation. But here in the US many schools don't have enough paper to get through the whole year, no musical instruments, limited art supplies, etc. So maybe I'm extrapolating a bit too much from that. <BR/><BR/>But I've got some school survey forms from Mauritania in my filing cabinet here, and they are rather different than what you'd use to describe school facilities here. I don't imagine our paperwork in the US includes a space to indicate whether or not the school has a dirt floor, for example.<BR/><BR/>A certain amount of the discussion becomes a post-colonial tarpit. I can neither say that kids in the developing world need a computer to make music, nor can I say that they do not deserve to have access to one.<BR/><BR/>If their local solutions are sufficient, great! There are plenty of other things I can worry about.Tom Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-62269966310521841222008-01-16T23:42:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:42:00.000-05:00It's not ecological enough for him, it's too disruptive of the organic, humanistic networks<BR/><BR/>deep ecological myth: balance of nature<BR/><BR/>Possibly some anti americanism in there too - how dare an american try to save the world<BR/><BR/>He made up his mind before doing much homework. His point 2 about the alleged discrepancy b/w Engelbart and Papert is very lazy thinking<BR/><BR/>A lot of what claims to be progressive is based on this sort of ecological politics. It's rotten to the core but sounds humanistic in its anti capitalist sentiments<BR/><BR/>(hoping to write a more detailed piece on my blog)Bill Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00206808014093631762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-1846076641426960272008-01-16T23:18:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:18:00.000-05:00“The schools that OLPC seeks to reach generally don't have the resources Teemu recommends, probably with limited supplies of paper and pencils, let alone art supplies and musical instruments. Of course, one can argue that they should have them, but then in practice arguing that it would be more cost effective to distribute a volume of paper, art supplies, musical instruments, blocks, scientific instruments and supplies, books, etc. to schools in the developing world than to give them computers. I don't believe this.” <BR/><BR/>Hmm.. I am afraid your picture of the developing world is some kind of myth build by the aid organizations and media – including OLPC. Poor people in the developing world are not living in the middle of nowhere without anything. There are paper and pens (and also other local solutions for writing and drawing), local tools for arts and grafts, local musical instruments, local hardware tools, local building materials etc. My estimation is that with 200 USD you may provide 100 children with all these instruments, plus you will suppports the local economy.Isähttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02233005062709021734noreply@blogger.com