<div dir="ltr"><div>That we have to think of all the states in the country. We have to systematically plan it out.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Regards,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ananya S Guha.<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 11:28 PM, Sameer Verma <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sverma@sfsu.edu">sverma@sfsu.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div class="Ih2E3d">On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 12:25 PM, Ananya Guha <<a href="mailto:nnyguha48@gmail.com">nnyguha48@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> I think Marc's basic question has not been answered.<br>><br>> Regards,<br>
><br>> A.S.Guha.<br><br><br></div>And what is that basic question?<br><font color="#888888"><br>Sameer<br></font>
<div>
<div></div>
<div class="Wj3C7c"><br>> On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 9:19 PM, Sameer Verma <<a href="mailto:sverma@sfsu.edu">sverma@sfsu.edu</a>> wrote:<br>>><br>>> On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 10:08 AM, Marc Valentin<br>>> <<a href="mailto:mvalentin@oeuvredespains.org">mvalentin@oeuvredespains.org</a>> wrote:<br>
>> > On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 4:31 PM, Sameer Verma <<a href="mailto:sverma@sfsu.edu">sverma@sfsu.edu</a>> wrote:<br>>> >> On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 3:43 PM, Satish Jha <<a href="mailto:sjha@vsnl.com">sjha@vsnl.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> >>> I am overwhelmed by the kind of support this project is receiving from<br>>> >>> everyone.. from individuals to institutions and corporations and<br>>> >>> governments.. they have all been trying to do their best..<br>
>> >>><br>>> >>> My corporate relations adviser informs me that an airline has agreed<br>>> >>> to give<br>>> >>> a number of free tickets for the staff, a business house is willing to<br>
>> >>> offer<br>>> >>> office space and support for all the schools it runs and the children<br>>> >>> they<br>>> >>> have run up in six figures and so on..<br>>> >>><br>
>> >>> However, our goal is to reach out to those who cannot help<br>>> >>> themselves.. And<br>>> >>> our efforts are focused primarily in that direction.<br>>> >>><br>
>> >>> While individual initiatives greatly contribute to the cause,<br>>> >>> aggregating<br>>> >>> them in an organized way may get a lot more out of them.<br>>> >>><br>
>> >>> We should also keep in mind that our production batch size is 50,000<br>>> >>> at one<br>>> >>> time and unless we can scale up, the program will have different kind<br>
>> >>> of<br>>> >>> management challenges.<br>>> >>><br>>> >>> In this listserv, if we can focus on how to aggregate to large<br>>> >>> numbers, it<br>
>> >>> will be a great help indeed.<br>>> >><br>>> >> Maybe what we need is a simple list or table of people who what small<br>>> >> batches of XOs in their school, village, neighborhood etc., organized<br>
>> >> by location, etc. That way we can combine small batches into a larger<br>>> >> order. If 50 schools of 1000 children each speak up, we get 50K. It<br>>> >> could very well be a simple form that people fill out with all these<br>
>> >> details and contact info, potential donors (whether they have any or<br>>> >> are seeking, etc).<br>>> >><br>>> >> This could even scale worldwide...<br>>> >><br>
>> >> Thoughts?<br>>> ><br>>> > I think it must be very exciting to see all the children of a school<br>>> > roaming around with XO laptops but I don't see the educative aspect in<br>
>> > it. First, you need capable and motivated teachers, very difficult to<br>>> > find.<br>>><br>>> I disagree. First, you need capable and motivated *children* and<br>>> that's easier to do than to retrofit a thirty-something teacher with<br>
>> new thinking.<br>>><br>>> > Second, children can easily share the laptops during the day,<br>>> > they are not going to spend the whole day using the laptops, isn't it<br>>> > ? It depends on the quantity of divisions in the school but with one<br>
>> > division, 50 laptops are certainly enough so during a class using XO,<br>>> > each child can have his own laptop. (That was the source of the<br>>> > misunderstanding in a previous message : we have 35 laptops and 50<br>
>> > would be just perfect).<br>>><br>>> I am tempted to say that I find your lack of faith disturbing :-)<br>>> (subtle Star Wars humor)<br>>><br>>> I've seen children work with the XO. Yes, you need teachers to keep an<br>
>> eye on things in a classroom, and yes you will need to educate them<br>>> about the project and process, but give the children some credit. I<br>>> don't know how old you are Marc, but I am willing to bet, the kids are<br>
>> a lot younger :-) They learn faster and in much better ways than you<br>>> and I can. I started KinderGarten with chalk and slate. Why should we<br>>> subject the children to chalk and slate if we can bypass it?<br>
>><br>>> So, kids walking around with XOs is educational? I think so. Every<br>>> time they learn that multiplication is addition done several times<br>>> using Pippy, they learn. I didn't learn that until 11th grade (not<br>
>> very sharp, was I?) when I learned to write BASIC programs. Why?<br>>> Because the nuns at my convent school never bothered to teach me. They<br>>> surely did a good job of beating it into me (all the way up to tables<br>
>> of 14), but that's another story. See more at<br>>> <a href="http://sameerverma.org/blog/?postid=164" target="_blank">http://sameerverma.org/blog/?postid=164</a><br>>><br>>> > If you consider the budget aspect only : 1000 laptops means $200,000<br>
>> > only for the hardware. You still have to count the training and the<br>>> > maintenance. It is a very big amount, too big for a 1000 children's<br>>> > school.<br>>><br>>> Yes, that number is true. In fact, if you look at Habib Khan's<br>
>> spreadsheet, you'll see what some of the real costs are.<br>>><br>>> <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:OLPC_Cost_Simulation_Model_for_South_Asian_Countries_by_Habib.xls" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:OLPC_Cost_Simulation_Model_for_South_Asian_Countries_by_Habib.xls</a><br>
>><br>>> We have to be realistic. The idea isn't doing this cheap. The idea is<br>>> to get someone who *can afford it* to pay for it. The XO costs are<br>>> still less than $350 or so for an ASUS EEE PC. All other costs will<br>
>> remain the same, if not increase.<br>>><br>>> > I know donations can come from abroad but local people will<br>>> > feel you mis the point, the main problem in India is the lack of<br>>> > infrastructures<br>
>><br>>> Lack of infrastructure can be bypassed or circumvented by the XOs<br>>> bringing their own infrastructure with them. If we wait to build the<br>>> infrastructure, that might be another ten years gone by.<br>
>><br>>> > and the poor attendance of the teachers and the<br>>> > students.<br>>><br>>> I believe this has improved dramatically once the children have a<br>>> reason to be there. In Bhagmalpur<br>
>> (<a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_India/Bhagmalpur" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_India/Bhagmalpur</a>), the school has a<br>>> near 100% attendance. The real reason? Free mid-day meal from the UP<br>
>> government. Post lunch, the school looks empty and the kids raid the<br>>> village backyards and gardens in search of mischief.<br>>><br>>> I don't intend to discount your opinion in any way. After all, you<br>
>> have a school of 35 XOs. Your input is valuable. We are all on the<br>>> same team here. At least, I hope so. However, some of the thinking<br>>> with this project is incredibly disruptive, and will require us to<br>
>> think in disruptive ways. Otherwise, the XO Speak will dictate "Two<br>>> one za two..." and the children will repeat.<br>>><br>>> Sameer<br>>> --<br>>> Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.<br>
>> Associate Professor of Information Systems<br>>> San Francisco State University<br>>> San Francisco CA 94132 USA<br>>> <a href="http://verma.sfsu.edu/" target="_blank">http://verma.sfsu.edu/</a><br>
>> <a href="http://opensource.sfsu.edu/" target="_blank">http://opensource.sfsu.edu/</a><br>>> _______________________________________________<br>>> India mailing list<br>>> <a href="mailto:India@lists.laptop.org">India@lists.laptop.org</a><br>
>> <a href="http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/india" target="_blank">http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/india</a><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>