End of Bura training

[shedrack mutungi]

Hello Ted & Aaron,

Bura primary teachers training has ended today. I have made sure that all the participants are members of kenya olpc listserve and shown them how to post questions, successes and challenges.

Thanks.

Shedrack

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From: Aaron Strick <aaron...@gmail.com>
To: Ted Van Nahl <mass...@gmail.com>
Cc: shedrack mutungi <shedrac...@yahoo.com>; festusbolisio <festus...@gmail.com>; Joanna Hammond <joanna...@verizon.net>; John Carroll <jcar...@umassd.edu>; "Bean, Mark" <mark...@verizon.net>; Thomas McEntee <thomas_...@hotmail.com>; "Rushton, Norma" <nhru...@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2011 10:03 AM
Subject: Re: Bad news and good news

Shedrack,

I also am getting somewhat of a red flag from this rapid data use. Ted and I seemed to get quite a bit more use out of the modems than you described. It is very important to monitor the types of internet usage. Audio, Video, and Picture files use up a lot more of the data than text does. Facebook, for example, can be quite costly, and youtube will surely be outrageously costly!

I want to reiterate Ted's idea for a sign in / sign out system, and even something like an "internet usage log," where users keep track of what sites they visit. This will limit peoples data usage.

That being said, we definitely want teachers to be emailing us questions and updates, and I am thrilled to have received many emails from them.

Keep up the great work!

Aaron

On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 1:19 PM, Ted Van Nahl <mass...@gmail.com> wrote:

HI Shedrack,

One on my friends, Mark Bean, has made an inquiry about lower cost ways to transfer funds to Kenya.  Normally we fund our project by sending money to Mary Kilei.  She is directly involved in the activities which we fund through her.  Since she will not be involved in this activity, I don't think that it is practical to send you funds through her.  One possibility is that the funds are sent to an account managed by a committee associated with Bura Primary.  For my part, I would need to be sure that drafts required multiple signatures, that the fund was used only for mutually agreed upon e-learning expenses, and that no committee member or their relatives (in the Kenya sense) could receive money from this fund.  Seems like a lot of trouble to go through if I could just pay for the data service from here with a credit card.

I wonder if you, Mr. Boli, Aaron or anyone else has any thoughts about this.

 

I believe there are funds in the XO computer account to pay for a years worth of data services for one Safaricom modem.  At this point the only question is ...how do we do this so everyone is comfortable and we get the job done.

 

Your observations about the modems brings up a need that Mark Battley observed at Ntugi.  That is management of the internet connection.  At Ntugi, someone accidently left the modem and cradlepoint on overnight.  The result was 0mb in the morning.  I am not suggesting that this is why the school modem had 0mb on it.  I don't know what we left behind (though I think there was some mb in that modem's account).  I do know that the teachers will need to understand the importance of managing this resource.  At Ntugi, they keep a log type record of who uses the cradlepoint.  Sign in sign out.  That reinforces the idea that the equipment must be turned off when not in use.  But this is really an issue for our teacher partners.  0mb will be their problem.

 

Please discuss this with them.  They can't assume that they will have unlimited data service.  Even if Safaricom is promoting it now, experience tells me that once everyone get use to it, the terms will change.  Let's start out with a good, practical management program.  And, since some of the teachers now have email, we'd like to hear directly from them how they plan to manage their data use.

 

Ted

 

On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 9:44 AM, shedrack mutungi <shedrac...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Ted,
The issue of internet connectivity was also a concern to me from Monday. You left one modem with about 400MB of data. I used 100MB while serving internet and becoming more conversant with working of the laptops. The other modem left to teachers found it with OMB. On Monday and Tuesday all the 300MB of data was used up because the teachers were using internet. Today Wednesday, had no one to ask for money therefore bought safaricom airtime of Ksh 500 which i converted to data bundle for used upto Friday.

I am excited for your grate concern. Fortunately safaricom is offering unlimited internet for Ksh 3000 per month for one safaricom modem ie about USD 33.5 depending on exchange rate. I find this better than buying safaricom airtime which translates to be very expensive. I think having the two modems connected is fine because when one is being used by learners, teachers can also use the other. I will email safaricom company to know if you can pay directly using credit card.

I visited Imani primary school in Kibwezi on 29/7/2011 and met with Eric the computer teacher, Robert and David Norman from US. I spent good time with David Norman (davidwal...@yahoo.com) who helped with the deployment of XOs and Eric discussing about collaboration between Imani and Bura.

I am proud to inform you that given time teachers and  learners from other places in Kenya and beyond will be coming to Bura primary to learn about e-learning and Xo laptops. The teachers are very interested, cooperative and  willing to learn compared to Imani in Kibwezi.

Say hi to our mum Joanna, all family members more so the two grandchildren.

Shedrack

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From: Ted Van Nahl <mass...@gmail.com>
To: festusbolisio <festus...@gmail.com>
Cc: Aaron Strick <aaron...@gmail.com>; Joanna Hammond <joanna...@verizon.net>; shedrack mutungi <shedrac...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 2:21 PM
Subject: Bad news and good news

Hello Boli,

Please tell Phillip how sorry we are about his father.  He felt like a nephew to Joanna and me.  We knew that the cost of caring for his father would be a strain.  When we parted company we did what any family member would do under the circumstances.  I hope that he takes strength from the concern and well wishes of his friends and family.

 

I am delighted to be receiving emails from the teachers.  Extending the computer orientation to Kilulunyi and Mbagha is a great idea.  You are thinking and doing just what I would do!  I've begun to look for additional funds for the project.  One of the costs that your US partners are prepared to pay is the cost of data service at Bura Primary.  Once teachers begin to use the internet, the Safaricom modem will quickly run through the amount we left on it.

 

Access to the internet is an important element in our partnership.  We've (and I do mean all of us!) opened the door to the world and we want to keep it open.   

At this point, we don't know how the teachers will use the internet or how much.  That is something that will be very interesting to people here.

 

Shedrack is able to think about this data use question.  I have talked to Mark Battley of the Ntugi Group.  He also provides a budget to Ntugi Secondary for their data use.  Perhaps we can set up a monthly budget.  I would like to find a way to pay for the Safaricom costs directly rather than send money.  The best way would be if I could simply charge to refill costs to my credit card.  Any ideas?

 

Joanna and I are busy with family.  Our daughter has been here from London for a week.  With two grandchildren in the house, everything is turned upside down.  Still it's great fun to have them around.  Next week they will be off to Vermont to visit other relatives and life will finally begin to get back to normal.

Ted