<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Walter et al, Let me tell you ONE of the many stories about computers and how they have been used by politicians in my country.  This can give you a clue about what can happen with these XOs: Year: 1983 to 1986 (I was an active participant in the computer market).  The top official of the Peruvian government was invited to inaugurate the first "computer monitor factory" located in Peru. All the media (TV and Newspapers) cover the big new.  The officials pass once and again in the middle of rows and rows of "monitors".  One day big news.  Sad to say that the top officials were busted by middle level government people because they were in a "TV" assembly factory (that were broken in the next year) and not in an "monitor assembly factory". Based on this "we assembly computers in Peru" the peruvian government did agreement with Russian government to "re-export" peruvian computers to Russia (well... it was a "re-export" of  Taiwanese computer parts to Russia... that was forbidden by american laws in those years, and 3 people from our maritime institute fall down to the sea and die when they went to check the amount of fish that the Russian ships were allowed to take from peruvian sea. All, including the "no checking allowed" was part of a global agreement: the russians return some papers about the peruvian national debt... those were bought by some key people that was near to the government.  All related because the russian team to negotiate all these happenings was the same: they negotiate as a whole). I can tell you very bad happenings related with computers in Peru.  This is not the first time that I see computers that come to be the "magical" solution to this or that poverty problem. But this is the FIRST TIME that I see that they will come in such a high number: 240,000 in total.  This is a big opportunity that I don't want to see destroyed by the "lesse faire lesse passe" (let them do, let them pass? bad translation... sorry) that is normal in my country. Our politicians are not like american politicians.  Very rare that they are punished or inspected or their facts analyzed (this is the first time in many years that we have put in jail one of our past presidents and the military that were under his service are in jail too.  Some of this guys got for its own pocket around one thousand million dollars (1,000 millions... oh.. ok... a billion!) and they took "American Airlines" airplane with 40 bags for a 3 days trip (they didn't allow the Xrays inspect their 40 bags... they argued diplomatic status...). I have around 20 to 30 other stories similar to this, all related to computers in Peru.  Politic people comes and goes every 5 years, but we, the people that have develop computer business and internet operations in Peru, from the very beginning... we know very well what we can expect. No big news for us.  They change every 5 years and we stay here for more than 30 years. So... there is huge difference between American and Peruvian laws, the same for the cultural things, the same for the political things.  Only time will say if I am right. But, let me tell you that I don't have 0.0001% of doubt about what I am saying.  It would be a miracle if things work in a different way.  Miracles exists, for sure, but they don't happen every day. I thank my politicians (my congressmen) for approving the budget for buying these XOs. And I thank the government people that has work on the issue.  I think that they do what they can do.  The problem is that their best is perfect for political benefits but too low for reaching the goals that you and many others have in mind.  So we must help them to get a higher standard for their results. What you, Walter, have done until today is terrific.  I don't have nothing to complain about your work.  You are dealing with Peruvian reality and that is not easy for any person, local or foreigner. Now the ball is the hands of us: Peruvians.  I can, from a technical point of view, develop the next: a) Alternative energy source. b) "Sneaker net" for internet access. c) Content for our children. The problem is that I don't have time.  So I am speaking with some universities that can help me (help us) with these issues.  I know what I will get: negative support from some people that think that these OLPC/XO project must be develop by just one university.  That is normal behavior.  And I will find a way to deal with it. Best regards, Javier Rodriguez Lima, Peru Walter Bender wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:fd535e260805140115m66c9493and8d5f6286d79e44f@mail.gmail.com" type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Javier, </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">I doubt that the Ministry of Education (or anyone) will evaluate the impact of the current deployment. Not in a technical way. Why? Because I think they will be more than happy to say to the media that "240,000 laptops" have been bought by the goverment for the poor children in Peru. Photos, newspapers, and that will be all. Develop a study to measure the impact cost money, and can bring some "not so good news".. it is a possibility. I don't think that is the job of a "normal politician". </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> Maybe being an outsider I have been mislead as well, but I found the people that I have been working with at the ministry of education in Peru and the teachers I have met and worked with to be anything but political hacks. They are dedicated to improving the lives of the children of Peru and are putting in an extraordinary effort. The fact that I am bombarded with questions about how to do things better suggests that they are interested in more than just phot opportunities. The fact that they are first targetting the most needy children is a sign that they are willing to take risks to help those most in need. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">And.. just to start to speak in a right way: you need to establish a "BASE LINE".. before you do any deployment, before you do any training, before you develop any pilot, before you move one pencil or speak one word in front of the general audience. No base line? Then you can do anything and say that it was a success. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> I don't know the details of the baseline, but surely there are some statistics about the current state of learning in Peru--indeed, you yourself cite one statistic: the current ill state of preparation of teachers in the country. One of the reasons for chosing a Constructionist approach is exactly to move the undertrained, underprepared teacher into a new role where he/she can be of more utility to the children. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Here we can see that some people has think that this XO + Construccionism + Open Source + Sugar + Linux +... (many other ingredients) is the good formula to help the poorest children. Knowing poverty from first hand, and seeing how my own different groups of people (north, south, center people) is not the same, don't behave the same, don't think the same, don't need the same... then I wonder how the method to introduce this "SOLUTION" is just one. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> I am not sure that the forumla you cite is so proscriptive as you suggest. In fact, the whole point is that it is not proscriptive--it is a methodology of adapting to the authentic needs of the learner. So in this case it is a wise choice, a rational compromise. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">I think there was a lack of accurate map. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> Accurate to what measure? There is certainly knowledge as to where every school is--and you yourself tel us that every village is known. </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Don't take me wrong: those XOs will be useful. Oh yes! But the intended goals (of the OLPC) has been "wounded" because we have put "the wagon in front of the mules". </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> I don't suggest that things cannot be done better; this is new and Peru is taking some risks. But they know they will learn and iterate on the process to improve it. And remember, the riskiest path is the status quo that we know if failing children. The fact that we can even have this discuss about Peru is a testament to Oscar and his team. -walter </pre> </blockquote> </body> </html>