<div>Thanks Edward, </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I am sending a few attachements on the grant proposal to you off this list. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>rakesh<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 11/3/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Edward Cherlin</b> <<a href="mailto:echerlin@gmail.com">echerlin@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">On Sat, Nov 1, 2008 at 10:51 PM, Rakesh Biswas <<a href="mailto:rakesh7biswas@gmail.com">rakesh7biswas@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Thanks Edward, Saurabh and Subbu for your kind comments and encouragement.<br>><br>> To answer Edward's question first:<br>> The village has electricity supplied for 2 to 4 hours a day, mostly<br>> at night (which the people there reportedly utlize for TV viewing).<br>
<br>We will need to provide deep-cycle storage batteries and possibly<br>renewable power generation so that the computers can run when the<br>power is out.<br><br>> I tried<br>> out the BSNL EVDO data card internet connection on my friend's lap top and<br>
> it failed miserably on that particular day. However I can access the net<br>> through airtel on my pda mobile phone through which I could access google<br>> images during the course of my discussion with one of the teachers who had a<br>
> particular medical problem (to illustrate/show him how the anatomical area<br>> of his disease looked like - just type planter fascitis in google images and<br>> see the anatomical diagrams that can be very useful in helping explain to<br>
> patients).<br><br>If necessary, we can organize a broadband wireless system.<br><br>> I have presently engaged more with the teachers than with the<br>> students and plan to gradually engage more with them once I get their<br>
> collected parent's life stories (and their parents through them). I also<br>> plan to make home visits if necessary in as much non intrusive a manner as<br>> possible. Right now the principal has given this as a Diwali homework and I<br>
> hope to see some preliminary results soon on my weekly visits.<br><br>At some point we can discuss telemedicine systems.<br><br>> Edward it would be great if we could still have a computer or two for the<br>> school.<br>
<br>If we do this at all, Earth Treasury insists on one OLPC XO per child,<br>or two desktop or tower computers. The children must have computer<br>access at school and at home. Students will also get flash drives with<br>
bootable Linux and Sugar preinstalled, so that they can carry their<br>work with them everywhere, and work on any computer they are allowed<br>to use anywhere. We are talking with NGOs that provide computers by<br>the shipping container load.<br>
<br>> Perhaps the internet may work after all through the data card and we<br>> could keep it charged during the time of day electricity appears. More<br>> importantly it will encourage the teachers further.<br>><br>
> I have collaborated on similar conceptual models for health care delivery<br>> with Intel Innovation center KL, Malaysia where I was teaching for the last<br>> two years and presently am collaborating for a grant proposal with NDRC,<br>
> Ireland in designing a similar conceptual model. Do let me know if any of<br>> you are interested in reading about those models(already published).<br><br>Please let us know more about your grant proposal. We may be able to assist.<br>
<br>> In the meantime I felt I needed to try this out on my own in a small manner<br>> even if it may remain paper based and not exactly an electronic health<br>> record at the moment. It would be great to hear from your friends in the GIS<br>
> community if they want to get involved.<br><br>I heartily approve of your paper-based prototype trial. Then we will<br>know what we are trying to put on the computer.<br><br>Some people in the GIS community are excited about this opportunity.<br>
We have to convince the others that it is real. CITRIS has expressed<br>interest in funding such projects.<br><br>> rakesh<br>><br>> On 11/1/08, Edward Cherlin <<a href="mailto:echerlin@gmail.com">echerlin@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>><br>>> On Sat, Nov 1, 2008 at 3:08 AM, Rakesh Biswas <<a href="mailto:rakesh7biswas@gmail.com">rakesh7biswas@gmail.com</a>><br>>> wrote:<br>>> > If we can create threads around specific issues faced by village<br>
>> > schools,<br>>> > school committees and NGOs and how ICT solved them, then we could make<br>>> > some<br>>> > real progress towards building world-class learning environment for<br>
>> > every<br>>> > child.<br>>> > Thanks Subbu for raising this.<br>>> ><br>>> > I am not sure if this is the issue you had in mind but I would just like<br>>> > to<br>
>> > mention how I was inspired by the OLPC idea to try out a rural school<br>>> > experiment.<br>>> ><br>>> > I am a physician teacher presently involved in trying to create a system<br>
>> > of<br>>> > "User driven health care" in rural India by utilizing rural school<br>>> > children<br>>> > to interview their parents and create their basic electronic health<br>
>> > records<br>>> > ( to start with in the form of a story of their parent's lives) as a<br>>> > part of<br>>> > their co curricular activity.<br>>><br>>> Earth Treasury has proposed similar projects for children to gather<br>
>> data on health, weather, environment, and other subjects over wide<br>>> areas that could be brought together for analysis and mapping. We have<br>>> friends in the GIS community (Geographic Information Systems). NASA<br>
>> and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) who would<br>>> like to get involved.<br>>><br>>> <a href="http://www.globe.org.uk/">http://www.globe.org.uk/</a> is doing this for weather around the world.<br>
>><br>>> > At present although the rural school where I visit doesn't have a single<br>>> > computer I feel if we just made a beginning using paper and then follow<br>>> > up<br>>> > these parents/patients utilizing a weekly evaluation of the data the<br>
>> > students gather from their parents (again on paper to begin with) we<br>>> > could<br>>> > eventually create a record base that would definitely create patient<br>>> > awareness and improve health care outcomes (particularly as at present<br>
>> > we<br>>> > have very little foreground information on the patients we get to<br>>> > interview<br>>> > only for a few minutes in a busy outpatient department). It would off<br>>> > course<br>
>> > be also useful for health education at a primary school level (where<br>>> > students learn from their parents experiences on health).<br>>> ><br>>> > I have been lucky in finding a rural school principal who has been<br>
>> > giving<br>>> > full support to the idea and we soon hope to see how it develops.<br>>><br>>> How much information do you propose to gather? Would students taking<br>>> turns on one computer be able to handle it all? If so, I'm sure we can<br>
>> get you one. Or more than one, if necessary.<br>>><br>>> Does the school have adequate electricity? Can it get an Internet<br>>> connection?<br>>><br>>> > Hope to hear from others who may be interested to see if it can be<br>
>> > developed<br>>> > in their own schools for which I would be glad to provide details on<br>>> > operational strategies.<br>>> ><br>>> > rakesh<br>>> ><br>>> > Rakesh Biswas MD<br>
>> > Professor,<br>>> > Department of Medicine,<br>>> > People's college of medical sciences,<br>>> > Bhanpur, Bypass road,<br>>> > Bhopal-462010 (M.P.) India<br>>> > Office Tel: +91 - 755 - 4005210<br>
>> > Office Fax: 91 - 755 - 4005112<br>>> > Residence:+91-755-2682502<br>>> > Mob:9755619861<br>>> > <a href="mailto:email%3Arakesh7biswas@gmail.com">email:rakesh7biswas@gmail.com</a><br>
>> ><br>>> ><br>>> > On 11/1/08, K. K. Subramaniam <<a href="mailto:subbukk@gmail.com">subbukk@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>>> >><br>>> >> On Saturday 01 Nov 2008 10:38:34 am Satish Jha wrote:<br>
>> >> > How do banks finance education? It did not exist in the country just<br>>> >> > a<br>>> >> > few<br>>> >> > years ago.. Now the banks finance @$50,000 per year for students who<br>
>> >> > can<br>>> >> > get admission overseas.. How did that happen??<br>>> >> Not a good example because it deals with students who have completed<br>>> >> basic<br>>> >> education. Even assuming they did, this scheme will not scale to<br>
>> >> hundreds<br>>> >> of<br>>> >> millions of children.<br>>> >><br>>> >> > Rs 15,000 can be a huge thing and can be a small thing..<br>>> >> It is way beyond affordability by rural communities. The current<br>
>> >> per-capita<br>>> >> income of land-holding farmers in Karnataka is about INR 10,500 [1].<br>>> >> The<br>>> >> Education Department in Karnataka allocates INR 7,500 per child with<br>
>> >> INR<br>>> >> 450<br>>> >> going towards learning environment.<br>>> >><br>>> >> [1] <a href="http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020154340600.htm">http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020154340600.htm</a><br>
>> >><br>>> >> > I spoke to the IT minister of another country and suggested they<br>>> >> > should<br>>> >> > go<br>>> >> > to IDA and raise funds at low interest rates with a 12 year<br>
>> >> > moratorium.<br>>> >> > They are moving in that direction. Will the Indian education minister<br>>> >> > or<br>>> >> > IT<br>>> >> > minister think along those lines?<br>
>> >> Primary education interventions are best done at state level due to the<br>>> >> large<br>>> >> variations in language, culture and education infrastructure.<br>>> >><br>
>> >> BTW, I would prefer if we can get back to discussing possible<br>>> >> deployment<br>>> >> scenarios rather than broad economics. Because of the huge variations<br>>> >> in<br>
>> >> educational infrastructure, aggregation tends to gloss over show<br>>> >> stoppers<br>>> >> at<br>>> >> community level.<br>>> >><br>>> >> If we can create threads around specific issues faced by village<br>
>> >> schools,<br>>> >> school committees and NGOs and how ICT solved them, then we could make<br>>> >> some<br>>> >> real progress towards building world-class learning environment for<br>
>> >> every<br>>> >> child.<br>>> >><br>>> >> Subbu<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">http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/india</a><br>>> ><br>>> ><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">http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/india</a><br>>> ><br>>> ><br>
>><br>>><br>>><br>>> --<br>>> Don't panic.--HHGTTG, Douglas Adams<br>>> <a href="http://www.obamapedia.org/page/polls">http://www.obamapedia.org/page/polls</a><br>>> In landslide territory!<br>
>> <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a> For the children<br>>><br>>> Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name<br>>> And Children are my nation.<br>
>> The Cosmos is my dwelling place, The Truth my destination.<br>>> <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a><br>>><br>>> <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a><br>
>> Give One, Get One, from Nov. 17<br>>> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/xo">http://www.amazon.com/xo</a><br>>> <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Giving/International">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Giving/International</a><br>
><br>><br><br><br><br>--<br>Don't panic.--HHGTTG, Douglas Adams<br><a href="http://www.obamapedia.org/page/polls">http://www.obamapedia.org/page/polls</a><br>In landslide territory!<br><a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a> For the children<br>
<br>Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name<br>And Children are my nation.<br>The Cosmos is my dwelling place, The Truth my destination.<br><a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a><br>
<br><a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai">http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai</a><br>Give One, Get One, from Nov. 17<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/xo">http://www.amazon.com/xo</a><br><a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Giving/International">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Giving/International</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br>