12 ms·

Teacher in Ghana has no computers so he draws Microsoft Word on the blackboard

335 points by happy-go-lucky 9y ago

jay-anderson 9y ago
My first thought was that most of my computer science classes in college were in classrooms without computers. I think that was a very good thing. It's interesting that this is instead teaching an understand of basic UI concepts and specific applications.
- booleandilemma 9y ago
  I took my Java exams on these guys: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_book_exam https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_book_exam
  - saagarjha 9y ago
    The AP Computer Science exam is still done with pencil and paper. Not because it has any inherent value, but because the CollegeBoard is too lazy to update their test format.
    - smelendez 9y ago
      I suspect it's more about maintaining a lowest common denominator. AP CS, last time I saw the data, is already mostly limited to wealthy schools, even compared to other AP exams. When there were two levels, the upper level was even more skewed. Giving the exam electronically would mean schools would have to provide some kind of minimal computing environment to run the software. I'm sure there are some schools offering the course or at least letting motivated kids take the exam (I went to a better than decent high school, and Physics C was essentially an extracurricular with a standardized test at the end) who only have ancient Dell machines full of malware.
      - saagarjha 9y ago
        I went to a high school that could have easily offered an exam on computers (in fact, that’s where we took our state exams), so obviously my viewpoint is biased. Keeping that in mind, I think the skew towards wealthier schools will not worsen by requiring it to be taken on a computer. I’ve talked to people whose schools did not even offer the exam to students, because since they did not have the resources to provide a proper class, too few people expressed interest for it to be administered.
        smelendez 9y ago
        Yeah, there are plenty of schools that don't even try, which is really a shame. But as far as I know most high schools don't really provide IT setups for particular exams. So I think there would almost certainly be schools where a random math teacher cobbled together machines for the course but just doesn't have the time or training to set them up for AP's testing requirements. It's also not trivial to build testing software to run on machines used for other purposes. AP/The College Board is pretty serious about cheating. So what happens if the test software freezes and the student instinctively hits alt-tab and his IDE is open with his classwork?
- eeZah7Ux 9y ago
  I've done computer science courses in my university on pen and paper. Same for every course around mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering in general. Not because people couldn't afford computers but because the don't help you a bit in understanding theory.
quickthrower2 9y ago
I imagine this would create a lot of excitement to "use the real thing", and inspire people to go further with this. Whereas if you are used to ipads since 2 years old, MS Word probably doesn't seem so exciting.
- smelendez 9y ago
  Probably! When I was a kid I learned elementary Basic from Russ Walter's Secret Guide to Computers about a year before I ever put my hands on an actual computer. I think it was helpful to know computers were nothing mysterious, they just followed instructions. Although I remember being really confused about whether "print" statements printed to paper or just showed things on the screen (which I had never thought of as printing).
hawktheslayer 9y ago
I really enjoyed the pithy responses like "They are lacking more than just equipment." I wonder if his newfound fame will find him some donors.
- ethbro 9y ago
  Microsoft Africa supposedly said something about donating a system. But I think the broader problem is as he says: why would he not teach this way? In rural areas, it's normal. This is what OLPC was supposed to be about. Solving a systemic lack of access, not simply donating to one person because it hit social media and we feel bad.
- MrLeap 9y ago
  Loved that too. Forced me to remember some classic laconic phrases. The wikipedia page is a goldmine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase
- mmphosis 9y ago
  From the photo, I wonder whether that classroom has electricity, or not?
nan0 9y ago
Is there any way to donate a computer to this gentleman and his class?
- trhway 9y ago
  Computer and a solar panel. A 2 sq. ft. one should do.
- jakespracher 9y ago
  Seriously, has anyone organized a donation drive for this school yet? Would gladly participate.
deleted 9y ago
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wjn0 9y ago
I wonder if rural areas like these have libraries, how close they are, and how funded they are, if at all. Rather than donate to a school, a program that funds libraries in areas like these, which in this day and age aren't only for books, but for digital media too, could go a long way in providing access not only for students, but for adults as well.
- mlevental 9y ago
  in rural areas like this the literacy rate is a tiny fraction of the population. the largest stores of books are at schools and they are mostly donated textbooks. source: lived in rural africa for two years and taught high school math.
  - wjn0 9y ago
    Interesting. For a while now, I've thought about the idea that large "scientific" businesses (from software engineering, even to business) could somehow directly profit from educating people in these areas. Similar to how large companies in the US pay for people to get their graduate degrees. Unfortunately I'm sure it would be taken advantage of by bad actors.
    - mlevental 9y ago
      https://andela.com/ https://andela.com/
contingencies 9y ago
I live in Shenzhen. Hardware is cheap here. Why not spec out a cheap system and we can send them a few together from HN? Taobao parts... Screen @ 248RMB (USD$40) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.42.21a554932jUzG5&id=44346917719&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.42.21a554932... Raspberry Pi 3B + case + heatsink + power supply @ 250RMB (USD$40) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.79304af9sPoQl2&id=557245599234&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.79304af9s... (set 3) Keyboard/mouse @ 20RMB (USD$3) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.26.7d7477a0qM6bpt&id=563622933468&ns=1&abbucket=2 https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.26.7d7477a0q... 32GB USB Key @ 25RMB (USD$4) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.36.61444a0ejM0d2E&id=563913968836&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.36.61444a0ej... That should just about do it right. Total cost USD$90/machine. Add a few bucks for postage (supplier to trans-shipment point) and a few bucks for final international shipping, USD$100/machine delivered.
- mlevental 9y ago
  how will they power it? the biggest problem is not cheap hardware but cheap/consistent power (both of which are problems - power is very expensive and very sparse and very unreliable).
  - contingencies 9y ago
    I seriously doubt getting power is an issue. Usually when power is an issue in developing countries you borrow a generator and fuel it, which is not expensive at all, since people are getting around on motorbikes anyway. Power draw from this category of hardware is almost nothing, so a tiny generator will suffice. We could even send one, cheaper end is about RMB250 (USD$40). I would actually be more worried about corrupt customs officials stealing the hardware. Someone who has a Facebook account (I don't) could ask the guy about shipping and customs issues in Ghana and for an address, then we just need to buy and ship. I am happy to proxy that. Email me (address in profile) if you want to donate a machine. I will photograph everything shipped for transparency and publish the waybill number. Usually it's cheapest to ship with China Post surface but it takes up to three months to arrive. We could look at pricier options or maybe someone here can pull strings with Fedex or UPS for a free delivery.
userbinator 9y ago
The old version of Word with a real menu bar, not that ribbon abomination... I wonder how confused his students will be when they see the newer versions. This also reminds me of how much harder it is to help or tell someone how to do something using a GUI over a CLI, especially over a "lo-fi" channel like a voice call --- requests to manipulate certain UI elements need to be qualified with descriptions of them, followed by the person on the other side describing in great detail what he/she sees or has changed. With a CLI, all you'd need to do is essentially send keypress events, and have the other side read back text. It's not unlike the difference in bandwidth usage of telnet or SSH vs X or RDP, and the "other side" of that classic saying "a picture is worth a thousand words."
- kw71 9y ago
  Keyboard shortcuts help when attempting to explain what actions to perform. I try and keep my hand off the mouse as much as possible anyway. I wish the underlines weren't turned off by default now. There are more and more people who don't know about them now, and they're usually positively impressed when they discover them through me.
- colejohnson66 9y ago
  > not that ribbon abomination... I like it. It was confusing at first as UI changes tend to be, but after a short period of time, it was so much easier to use.
teej 9y ago
So I’ve been to Kumasi before. Take this with a grain of salt - this was over 10 years ago and I was there on a two week voluntourism trip. Here are some of the reasons it’s hard to use real computers as a part of the ciriculum there. * Electricity. Blackouts and brownouts are a part of life in Ghana, especially Kumasi. On top of that, the quality of the electricity is low. This poses major challenges for computers in the classroom. The school I visited only had electricity in the main office but not in the classrooms. * Air quality. It is so very dusty. The medical clinic I was volunteering at had a computer and was constantly on the fritz in part due to dust when dry and humidity when raining. Many of the places I visited were open to the outside air like that clinic. * Literacy. It’s gotten way better since I’ve been there but you still need basic literacy to get any use out of a computer. * Poverty. Ghana’s GDP per capita is $4,500 USD. Many people in this community live on an income of dollars a day. * Internet. The only access to Internet is a nearby town with an Internet cafe. And you needed the power to be on to use it. And it was very expensive - a couple dollars an hour to use. * Typing skills. Due to lack of exposure to computers, even the people with a job at the clinic who were supposed to use the computer had at best 5 was typing ability. * Simple computer skills. The ladies at the clinic wanted to listen to a single song on windows media player. I tried to show them the loop button but they did not want it. They were happy to just restart it every 3 minutes for the entire 6 hour work day. And lots of other reasons. I don’t really have any answers but I do wish to see it improve.
- fyfy18 9y ago
  Regarding the first few points, I’ve heard of remote villages in the Himalayas having schools with Raspberry Pis and 12V monitors. The whole system was powered by solar. They then have an offline dump of Wikipedia for students to use for research.
  - pbhjpbhj 9y ago
    There was a segment on the BBC Click TV programme on such a project recently. They also featured installation of Solar grids in small mountain villages.
  - aero-002 9y ago
_emacsomancer_ 9y ago
I understand the reason why Microsoft Word would be one of the things which would be taught, but somehow that makes this story that much more depressing.
sandGorgon 9y ago
The specific requirements of dust protection, power capabilities and licensing means that this is a use case for an Android/Linux tablet + keyboard instead of a desktop running Windows+office. There's a ycombinator startup that builds battery/mobile phone recharging stations in Africa - http://disrupt-africa.com/2017/10/senegalese-solar-startup-oolu-raises-3-2m-funding/ http://disrupt-africa.com/2017/10/senegalese-solar-startup-o... Combine a sealed tablet with solar recharging and an OTG keyboard, you should have a much better system than a laptop/desktop. You can also protect the tablet using a shockproof case. A 10 inch octacore tablet with 4gb ram and LTE capability costs 80$ shipped on aliexpress to anywhere in the world. Interestingly there's an app that replicates a desktop-y wordprocessor on an Android tablet and has specific compatibility for keyboards https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=softmaker.applications.textmaker.hd.basic https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=softmaker.appl...
- Teichopsia 9y ago
  Saw your post after writing my comment. Seems pretty much what I was asking.
- JoshMnem 9y ago
  It seems like GNU/Linux would probably be much better than Android. With GNU/Linux there is full access to the OS/device and they could fully tinker with it. No Internet connection required for LibreOffice. Raspberry Pi is relatively inexpensive.
  - sandGorgon 9y ago
    A rooted Android gives just as much power. With the added advantage of having the biggest developer base in the world (in case you dont want to muck about /proc or low level). In addition, buying few 10 inch android tablets using MTK chipsets is just a click away and less than 100$ shipped - with working 4g, wifi, camera, etc etc. Getting the same to work with GNU/Linux is going to be a pain. I would rather do Android and combine it with Accessory DK (https://developer.android.com/adk/index.html https://developer.android.com/adk/index.html) and Things DK (https://developer.android.com/things/index.html https://developer.android.com/things/index.html).... all the way upto Tensorflow Lite (https://www.tensorflow.org/mobile/tflite/ https://www.tensorflow.org/mobile/tflite/) Remember all of this is still open source
Teichopsia 9y ago
I don't have the means nor the knowledge to solve their problem but I'm quite sure if we redirect the conversation towards how it could be solved - in the very least it would prove to be an interesting thought exercise. He already mentioned that foreigners have shown interest in wanting to help but nothing has come out of it. We also have to keep in mind that it seems they don't have electricity. What can be done? Also, they are not the only ones with the same problem. How could we replicate it to other areas. Whether it be a kind of pay it forward system. I don't know. I'm just throwing ideas out there.
sova 9y ago
He could be teaching them philosophy or maths or literature or ethics. He's drawing a UI on a chalkboard by hand! What a world.
- mirimir 9y ago
  Aren't computer skills a prerequisite for office work everywhere now? So maybe that familiarity with computer UI will help students later.
  - sova 9y ago
    He is drawing a UI on a chalkboard by hand.
    - TomMarius 9y ago
      How does that change anything that GP said?
      - sova 9y ago
        There are numberless other topics that could be covered; growing food, learning how to travel on a budget, logical reasoning, inference, and yet he is wasting valuable class time by redrawing an interface that is drawn by a computer on a screen in less than a second. To me this is a paramount example of how education can be used for time wasting by professors to simply give the guise of knowledge. He could be explaining what bold is without redrawing the whole interface, he could explain what a justified alignment is without redrawing scrollbars, it's utterly unnecessary and not only points to the hysterical inequality of nations but also wastes valuable time that students could be using to critically analyze a profound quote or even a mathematical symbol. The fact that computers are so commonplace elsewhere does not make this forgivable or acceptable, this teacher is wasting time teaching nothing, doing something that a screen can do in a fraction of a second, and is somehow receiving international praise and acclaim when clearly any single organization that covered this story could have donated solar panels and computers to this classroom. Horrendous and deplorable.
klokoman 9y ago
I wonder if he teaches word because it's mandatory or if it's a choice. Because if this people live in a village without electricity and computers, maybe there are better skills they can learn before microsoft word.
deleted 9y ago
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axiom92 9y ago
That's how I was taught MS word in a classroom in Delhi circa 2004. The worst part of it was that the exam had questions like "Define title bar" and "Explain the File menu".
- on_and_off 9y ago
  did it help in any way ?
  - axiom92 9y ago
    I guess it was better than living not knowing that there is such a thing as MS Word.
    - sannee 9y ago
      On the other hand, they paid the opportunity cost of not spending their time learning something that could be actually used to improve their living situation (electrical/mechanical engineering comes to mind).
      - eeZah7Ux 9y ago
        Indeed. Society needs the basics of carpentry, plumbing and sanitation, medicine, personal finance, cookery before any basic office automation. Our grand-grandparents lived just fine without a software word processor but relied on safe water and healthy living conditions.
vertis 9y ago
A few years ago there was a program[1] on ABC (Australia) about South Africa detailing some of the mismanagement of public funds. Mid way through the story they introduced a young woman from Tembisa who had finished school and had the marks to go to university, but not the money. A group of about 10-12 of us contacted ABC and asked how we could help. The journalist connected us together and we self organized to fund her university and accommodation. The university was very helpful, setting up a bursary for us to pay into and helping to get her settled into her residence and course (Teaching). I had to buy her a computer, and that was a frustrating process. I couldn't ship one from here mainly due to shipping batteries being problematic. I ended up enlisting the help of a computer shop and having them verify that I wasn't using a stolen credit card. That was 4 years ago. She's very close to graduating, she struggled with English subjects early on, but now it's just practicals and she can go out into the workforce. Moral of the story, you can help, and you can make a difference if you put your mind to it, even when no easy path exists. [1]: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/cry-freedom-promo/4881242 http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/cry-freedom-promo/4881242 (The relevant section is 28:43 into the episode) Edit: Grammar Edit 2: Link to program
- hordeallergy 9y ago
  Why was buying a computer problematic? SA has computer shops, has had for decades. I bought a zx81 there. Am I missing something?
  - girvo 9y ago
    Buying a computer in SA to SA from Australia is difficult, yeah.
    - xiphias 9y ago
      Takealot, which is the biggest online store in SA accepts Bitcoin since summer of 2014, so nowdays it shouldn't be that hard to buy a computer
    - hordeallergy 9y ago
      I'm afraid this just isn't reality, voting down won't change that. SA is backward but it's not that backward. It has e-commerce, you can buy things online. It's had the web since the mid 90s. Eg first search attempt, incredible.co.za . It just isn't difficult. SA has poverty, as extreme as poverty can be, it's horrible, it's heartbreaking, but it's not all like that. This is a bugbear, ABC, BBC, crap media outlet of choice more interested in creating a story than accurate representation. I wouldn't trust them with my coffee.
hal9000xp 9y ago
I born in Uzbekistan. My dad bought me russian clone of ZX Spectrum [1] (8-bit, 3.5 MHz CPU, 48K RAM) in 1994. Which I actively used till 2000! The funny thing is that I didn't look at my lovely ZX Spectrum as sad outdated piece of hardware. Quite opposite, I actually lived in 1980s, it was exciting time with my ZX Spectrum. Back to education. In 1994, I was kinda troubled 10 years old kid, who completely hated school. Along with ZX Spectrum, my dad bought me a few books for kids about programming on Sinclair BASIC [2]. In a few years, I learned Sinclair BASIC myself without any external help. Around 1998, I discovered fast world of Assembly language. Cool thing is that I had only book about Assembly language but I didn't have Assembly Translator, so I had to use machine code directly [3]. So by 2000, I knew very well my ZX Spectrum. I knew all these secret ROM subroutines, I knew all these optimization tricks like if you put performance critical code in lower addresses, then it run faster. And if you put this code to video memory, it works even faster. So I learned myself how computer works and basics of computer science myself. My dad wasn't engineer. My school was useless in every single aspect of education. In 2000, when I switched to Windows 98 SE on Pentium 166. In just a few days, I learned myself Windows 98 interface and how to use all basic programs there. It's because I was already exposed to some simple Window-based applications on my ZX Spectrum. However, I couldn't grasp how to program on Windows 98. I had Delphi. But it looked so bloated and complicated. Unlike ZX Spectrum, I couldn't see full picture. As a sad result, after few failed attempts to program, I abandoned programming for next 7 years. In 2007, when I finally switched to Knoppix Linux (and then Mandriva Linux), I finally start writing programs in C language. Linux as environment and C as a language were welcoming and friendly to programming! Conclusion for me: If I were exposed to MS Windows from day one, I most probably wouldn't self-learn programming. ZX Spectrum was very simple and very clear in order to understand basics of computers and programming. ZX Spectrum was a perfect companion in the world of programming and computers for completely uneducated kid without any external guidance. On contrary, MS Windows and these bloated object-oriented programming language with fat IDE are unwelcoming. I highly doubt that average 10 years old uneducated kid without any guidance could grasp full complexity between you and machine. I even doubt kid would even find a way to start programming in the first place! ZX Spectrum had a prompt to programming on very start! Even to load game, you have to run BASIC command [4] (I had only tape recorder, so no TR-DOS [5] till 1999!). After you master ZX Spectrum, it takes just a week to self-learn how to use MS Windows (at least Windows 98). Talking about computer education for kids in Ghana: I honestly believe they don't need expensive computers to run bloated, expensive and programmer unfriendly MS Windows. They do need modern microcomputers similar to ZX Spectrum. And the country can afford microcomputers. In 1990s, Uzbekistan suffered hyperinflation, average salary was about $5-$10 per month. It's not the end of the world if you clever about using limited resources. Actually going further, I would say that even in the first world, kids should start using microcomputers in order to self-educate themselves about programming. Bottom line: CS education could be extremely cheap. Most probably, 99% of world population can afford microcomputers and a couple of old programming books (by the way, I didn't even used original books, it was xerox-copied pages, or sometimes, text was reprinted in matrix-printer!). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_BASIC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_BASIC [3] http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXBasicManual/zxmanchap26.html http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXBasicManual/zxmanchap26.htm... [4] http://www.retroisle.com/sinclair/zxspectrum/howtouse.php http://www.retroisle.com/sinclair/zxspectrum/howtouse.php [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-DOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-DOS [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer
jaakl 9y ago
I’d take it with a bit sense of humour. If there are not computers, electricity and internet, then how he could know what to draw in detail and how post to Facebook. I bet he used a projector to draw the image in the first place. Which does not mean that they are not in great need of many essentials. My own first Basic programs were written in a paper, from a TV school program back in 1985 or so. It took 5+ years until I got hand on a real computer for the first time. It was USSR, Africa of the times.
dvfjsdhgfv 9y ago
For me the key point is here: >I've read in news reports that you've received an outpouring of help from foreigners who want to donate computers to your school. Is that actually happening? > No, they are showing interest but nothing has been brought to the school. We are praying that they are able to organize themselves and present us with computers. That's how things are today. The so-called "internet community" is extremely good at bad things, such as shaming people, but when it comes to the positive, such as organizing a donation of a single computer to a school in Africa (which definitely has its challenges), nothing gets done.
- ferbivore 9y ago
  Every community is good at easy things and bad at hard ones. Shaming is an easy and obviously efficient trade: a minute of your time in exchange for the primal feeling of satisfaction you get when enforcing your community's social norms. Donations involve an investment in time, money and mental energy for no personal benefit, which makes them hard to justify on an individual level and nearly impossible to coordinate on a wider scale.
- t3soro 9y ago
  These guys don't need computers, what the hell is anyone going to do with Microsoft Word experience in a place with no electricity or computers, besides LEAVE? They would be just as well off using typewriters. They need an entire economy.
- mrhappyunhappy 9y ago
  Is there any mention of his contact info?
mtgx 9y ago
How many people will be able to even afford Microsoft Word in Ghana? He probably knows most people he's teaching there will end-up pirating it once they can even afford a cheap computer. He would do a better job teaching them to use LibreOffice or even Google Docs, at least that doesn't have to be pirated.
- crypt1d 9y ago
  In the developed world piracy seems like this big naughty thing you shouldn't do. In places like Ghana, and many other undeveloped areas, its considered normal and expected. Provided you can even afford a computer.
golemiprague 9y ago
All the people who suggest donations, just leave them alone. Either donate some good colonial type white people to go there and sort out the mess or let the locals deal with their own problems in their own way and develop their own countries and culture of doing things. Donating things doesn't help anyone.
stunpix 9y ago
I'm a bit skeptic about this guy. I looked at his fb: he has a car, nice watches, clothes, smartphone, internet access, fb account, nice house, but... he can't afford a cheap laptop? Not sure the situation is so dramatic.
- wrycoder 9y ago
  He is economical.
macspoofing 9y ago
Rich nations tend to overthink primary education (it's a little different post-secondary). Unmet education goals are blamed on quality of the building, local funding, teachers, school-boards, politicians, standardized tests, etc. Reality is you don't need iPads, you don't need graphical calculators, or slick modern buildings and pristine books. You just need parents that care. If a kid graduates from primary or secondary school and is functionally illiterate, it was the parents that failed them, not teachers, not the school, not the country.
- hi41 9y ago
  I agree with you but I think teachers are very important. Good teachers inspire students and help them learn things that they did not know they could.
  - macspoofing 9y ago
    For sure. This is a pro-teacher statement because teachers always carry the brunt of criticism when kids fail. It's not reasonable to expect teachers to raise kids. Obviously there are bad actors, but by and large teachers in America are good.
evolveyourmind 9y ago
Has no computers but has a smartphone and uses it only to take a selfie and a pic of his drawings to show the web how good he is at drawing details and gets more attention by saying he does that for the kids
tiuPapa 9y ago
To be honest, a computer is not that important. I would be graduating out of high school this year and my school still don't have any computers, doubt they will anytime soon. By no means, my education has suffered due to that reason. Computers are easy to pick up, most people have had fiddled with a phone at least and from there, computers are no big deal. I received my first computer just last April and I have already learned to code(more or less, still needs years of polishing). I am not trying to belittle the work of this teacher and he is awesome, but I think instead of trying to send them computers, initiatives should be taken to build a proper infrastructure first. Without proper infrastructure, no matter how many computers you send, very few will benefit from it.
bra-ket 9y ago
they should do a donorschoose campaign to get donations, it will go viral
erAck 9y ago
He should teach LibreOffice Writer instead so when actually some laptops arrive at the school they wouldn't have to waste money on MS product licenses.
- atonse 9y ago
  Or they can just ask MS to donate licenses. Better to teach these kids practical skills instead if software nobody uses.
  - erAck 9y ago
    So you prefer to throw them into the MS mono culture pit.
    - atonse 9y ago
      Yes. This isn’t about open source idealism. You are teaching them job skills. MS Word is a useful job skill.
      - erAck 9y ago
        Understanding how to use any word processor is a job skill. LibreOffice supports Akan, an official language spoken in Ghana. Projects could translate the UI to Akan so even more people would be able to use it.
  - Sylos 9y ago
    If you cannot transfer skills that you've learned in LO Writer to MS Word, then I don't think you've successfully learnt anything. And really, they live in a place where nobody uses either software.
- k3a 9y ago
  This is exactly what I wanted to write. But some people can't be helped... Our school also forced us MS Office and I had to learn LibreOffice myself. I have been using OO/LibreOffice since I finished school and I am not looking back. It's sad that some people don't know about alternatives and are paying for Office360 regularly, they are like drug addicts.
oxymoran 9y ago
The most disappointing thing about this, is that the article didn’t include any link or info how one could, ya know, maybe donate a computer to the school. How hard would that have been? Ffs.
M_Bakhtiari 9y ago
Is there really any value at all to rote memorization of an outdated GUI they're probably never going to use? Also, >ma students >wat will make them understand Wat am teaching Some teacher he is. If he paid a little more attention to English literacy the kids will be able to RTFM for any software package they want to use regardless of version. Frankly computers in schools do more harm than good. Moving a mouse and clicking things on the screen is quick and easy to pick up once they find themselves needing to use a computer, whereas good reading, writing, mathematics and critical thinking skills are as hard as ever to learn, and will be even after the next big paradigm shift to come after computers. What this teacher is doing is even a bigger waste of time than dicking around on the computer, dicking around on an slow, inaccurate and unusable hand emulation of a computer.
trisimix 9y ago
They can have one of my computers
antoaravinth 9y ago
In Chennai, India where I live many government school doesn't have a computer. For these students computer is a dream. I remember how students from these schools visited our office and touched a computer for their first time. Its really sad to see this at my hometown.
outside1234 9y ago
Not to be first worldly but wouldn’t it be better to spend this time teaching them more math etc.?
mrhappyunhappy 9y ago
Can we crowdfund these people some laptops? I’ll pitch in.

My first thought was that most of my computer science classes in college were in classrooms without computers. I think that was a very good thing. It's interesting that this is instead teaching an understand of basic UI concepts and specific applications.

booleandilemma 9y ago
I took my Java exams on these guys: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_book_exam https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_book_exam
- saagarjha 9y ago
  The AP Computer Science exam is still done with pencil and paper. Not because it has any inherent value, but because the CollegeBoard is too lazy to update their test format.
  - smelendez 9y ago
    I suspect it's more about maintaining a lowest common denominator. AP CS, last time I saw the data, is already mostly limited to wealthy schools, even compared to other AP exams. When there were two levels, the upper level was even more skewed. Giving the exam electronically would mean schools would have to provide some kind of minimal computing environment to run the software. I'm sure there are some schools offering the course or at least letting motivated kids take the exam (I went to a better than decent high school, and Physics C was essentially an extracurricular with a standardized test at the end) who only have ancient Dell machines full of malware.
    - saagarjha 9y ago
      I went to a high school that could have easily offered an exam on computers (in fact, that’s where we took our state exams), so obviously my viewpoint is biased. Keeping that in mind, I think the skew towards wealthier schools will not worsen by requiring it to be taken on a computer. I’ve talked to people whose schools did not even offer the exam to students, because since they did not have the resources to provide a proper class, too few people expressed interest for it to be administered.
      - smelendez 9y ago
        Yeah, there are plenty of schools that don't even try, which is really a shame. But as far as I know most high schools don't really provide IT setups for particular exams. So I think there would almost certainly be schools where a random math teacher cobbled together machines for the course but just doesn't have the time or training to set them up for AP's testing requirements. It's also not trivial to build testing software to run on machines used for other purposes. AP/The College Board is pretty serious about cheating. So what happens if the test software freezes and the student instinctively hits alt-tab and his IDE is open with his classwork?
eeZah7Ux 9y ago
I've done computer science courses in my university on pen and paper. Same for every course around mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering in general. Not because people couldn't afford computers but because the don't help you a bit in understanding theory.

quickthrower2 9y ago

I imagine this would create a lot of excitement to "use the real thing", and inspire people to go further with this. Whereas if you are used to ipads since 2 years old, MS Word probably doesn't seem so exciting.

smelendez 9y ago
Probably! When I was a kid I learned elementary Basic from Russ Walter's Secret Guide to Computers about a year before I ever put my hands on an actual computer. I think it was helpful to know computers were nothing mysterious, they just followed instructions. Although I remember being really confused about whether "print" statements printed to paper or just showed things on the screen (which I had never thought of as printing).

hawktheslayer 9y ago

I really enjoyed the pithy responses like "They are lacking more than just equipment." I wonder if his newfound fame will find him some donors.

ethbro 9y ago
Microsoft Africa supposedly said something about donating a system. But I think the broader problem is as he says: why would he not teach this way? In rural areas, it's normal. This is what OLPC was supposed to be about. Solving a systemic lack of access, not simply donating to one person because it hit social media and we feel bad.
MrLeap 9y ago
Loved that too. Forced me to remember some classic laconic phrases. The wikipedia page is a goldmine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic_phrase
mmphosis 9y ago
From the photo, I wonder whether that classroom has electricity, or not?

nan0 9y ago

Is there any way to donate a computer to this gentleman and his class?

trhway 9y ago
Computer and a solar panel. A 2 sq. ft. one should do.
jakespracher 9y ago
Seriously, has anyone organized a donation drive for this school yet? Would gladly participate.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

wjn0 9y ago

I wonder if rural areas like these have libraries, how close they are, and how funded they are, if at all. Rather than donate to a school, a program that funds libraries in areas like these, which in this day and age aren't only for books, but for digital media too, could go a long way in providing access not only for students, but for adults as well.

mlevental 9y ago
in rural areas like this the literacy rate is a tiny fraction of the population. the largest stores of books are at schools and they are mostly donated textbooks. source: lived in rural africa for two years and taught high school math.
- wjn0 9y ago
  Interesting. For a while now, I've thought about the idea that large "scientific" businesses (from software engineering, even to business) could somehow directly profit from educating people in these areas. Similar to how large companies in the US pay for people to get their graduate degrees. Unfortunately I'm sure it would be taken advantage of by bad actors.
  - mlevental 9y ago
    https://andela.com/ https://andela.com/

contingencies 9y ago

I live in Shenzhen. Hardware is cheap here. Why not spec out a cheap system and we can send them a few together from HN? Taobao parts... Screen @ 248RMB (USD$40) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.42.21a554932jUzG5&id=44346917719&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.42.21a554932... Raspberry Pi 3B + case + heatsink + power supply @ 250RMB (USD$40) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.79304af9sPoQl2&id=557245599234&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.79304af9s... (set 3) Keyboard/mouse @ 20RMB (USD$3) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.26.7d7477a0qM6bpt&id=563622933468&ns=1&abbucket=2 https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.26.7d7477a0q... 32GB USB Key @ 25RMB (USD$4) https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.36.61444a0ejM0d2E&id=563913968836&ns=1&abbucket=2#detail https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.36.61444a0ej... That should just about do it right. Total cost USD$90/machine. Add a few bucks for postage (supplier to trans-shipment point) and a few bucks for final international shipping, USD$100/machine delivered.

mlevental 9y ago
how will they power it? the biggest problem is not cheap hardware but cheap/consistent power (both of which are problems - power is very expensive and very sparse and very unreliable).
- contingencies 9y ago
  I seriously doubt getting power is an issue. Usually when power is an issue in developing countries you borrow a generator and fuel it, which is not expensive at all, since people are getting around on motorbikes anyway. Power draw from this category of hardware is almost nothing, so a tiny generator will suffice. We could even send one, cheaper end is about RMB250 (USD$40). I would actually be more worried about corrupt customs officials stealing the hardware. Someone who has a Facebook account (I don't) could ask the guy about shipping and customs issues in Ghana and for an address, then we just need to buy and ship. I am happy to proxy that. Email me (address in profile) if you want to donate a machine. I will photograph everything shipped for transparency and publish the waybill number. Usually it's cheapest to ship with China Post surface but it takes up to three months to arrive. We could look at pricier options or maybe someone here can pull strings with Fedex or UPS for a free delivery.

userbinator 9y ago

The old version of Word with a real menu bar, not that ribbon abomination... I wonder how confused his students will be when they see the newer versions. This also reminds me of how much harder it is to help or tell someone how to do something using a GUI over a CLI, especially over a "lo-fi" channel like a voice call --- requests to manipulate certain UI elements need to be qualified with descriptions of them, followed by the person on the other side describing in great detail what he/she sees or has changed. With a CLI, all you'd need to do is essentially send keypress events, and have the other side read back text. It's not unlike the difference in bandwidth usage of telnet or SSH vs X or RDP, and the "other side" of that classic saying "a picture is worth a thousand words."

kw71 9y ago
Keyboard shortcuts help when attempting to explain what actions to perform. I try and keep my hand off the mouse as much as possible anyway. I wish the underlines weren't turned off by default now. There are more and more people who don't know about them now, and they're usually positively impressed when they discover them through me.
colejohnson66 9y ago
> not that ribbon abomination... I like it. It was confusing at first as UI changes tend to be, but after a short period of time, it was so much easier to use.

teej 9y ago

So I’ve been to Kumasi before. Take this with a grain of salt - this was over 10 years ago and I was there on a two week voluntourism trip. Here are some of the reasons it’s hard to use real computers as a part of the ciriculum there. * Electricity. Blackouts and brownouts are a part of life in Ghana, especially Kumasi. On top of that, the quality of the electricity is low. This poses major challenges for computers in the classroom. The school I visited only had electricity in the main office but not in the classrooms. * Air quality. It is so very dusty. The medical clinic I was volunteering at had a computer and was constantly on the fritz in part due to dust when dry and humidity when raining. Many of the places I visited were open to the outside air like that clinic. * Literacy. It’s gotten way better since I’ve been there but you still need basic literacy to get any use out of a computer. * Poverty. Ghana’s GDP per capita is $4,500 USD. Many people in this community live on an income of dollars a day. * Internet. The only access to Internet is a nearby town with an Internet cafe. And you needed the power to be on to use it. And it was very expensive - a couple dollars an hour to use. * Typing skills. Due to lack of exposure to computers, even the people with a job at the clinic who were supposed to use the computer had at best 5 was typing ability. * Simple computer skills. The ladies at the clinic wanted to listen to a single song on windows media player. I tried to show them the loop button but they did not want it. They were happy to just restart it every 3 minutes for the entire 6 hour work day. And lots of other reasons. I don’t really have any answers but I do wish to see it improve.

fyfy18 9y ago
Regarding the first few points, I’ve heard of remote villages in the Himalayas having schools with Raspberry Pis and 12V monitors. The whole system was powered by solar. They then have an offline dump of Wikipedia for students to use for research.
- pbhjpbhj 9y ago
  There was a segment on the BBC Click TV programme on such a project recently. They also featured installation of Solar grids in small mountain villages.
- aero-002 9y ago

_emacsomancer_ 9y ago

I understand the reason why Microsoft Word would be one of the things which would be taught, but somehow that makes this story that much more depressing.

sandGorgon 9y ago

The specific requirements of dust protection, power capabilities and licensing means that this is a use case for an Android/Linux tablet + keyboard instead of a desktop running Windows+office. There's a ycombinator startup that builds battery/mobile phone recharging stations in Africa - http://disrupt-africa.com/2017/10/senegalese-solar-startup-oolu-raises-3-2m-funding/ http://disrupt-africa.com/2017/10/senegalese-solar-startup-o... Combine a sealed tablet with solar recharging and an OTG keyboard, you should have a much better system than a laptop/desktop. You can also protect the tablet using a shockproof case. A 10 inch octacore tablet with 4gb ram and LTE capability costs 80$ shipped on aliexpress to anywhere in the world. Interestingly there's an app that replicates a desktop-y wordprocessor on an Android tablet and has specific compatibility for keyboards https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=softmaker.applications.textmaker.hd.basic https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=softmaker.appl...

Teichopsia 9y ago
Saw your post after writing my comment. Seems pretty much what I was asking.
JoshMnem 9y ago
It seems like GNU/Linux would probably be much better than Android. With GNU/Linux there is full access to the OS/device and they could fully tinker with it. No Internet connection required for LibreOffice. Raspberry Pi is relatively inexpensive.
- sandGorgon 9y ago
  A rooted Android gives just as much power. With the added advantage of having the biggest developer base in the world (in case you dont want to muck about /proc or low level). In addition, buying few 10 inch android tablets using MTK chipsets is just a click away and less than 100$ shipped - with working 4g, wifi, camera, etc etc. Getting the same to work with GNU/Linux is going to be a pain. I would rather do Android and combine it with Accessory DK (https://developer.android.com/adk/index.html https://developer.android.com/adk/index.html) and Things DK (https://developer.android.com/things/index.html https://developer.android.com/things/index.html).... all the way upto Tensorflow Lite (https://www.tensorflow.org/mobile/tflite/ https://www.tensorflow.org/mobile/tflite/) Remember all of this is still open source

Teichopsia 9y ago

I don't have the means nor the knowledge to solve their problem but I'm quite sure if we redirect the conversation towards how it could be solved - in the very least it would prove to be an interesting thought exercise. He already mentioned that foreigners have shown interest in wanting to help but nothing has come out of it. We also have to keep in mind that it seems they don't have electricity. What can be done? Also, they are not the only ones with the same problem. How could we replicate it to other areas. Whether it be a kind of pay it forward system. I don't know. I'm just throwing ideas out there.

sova 9y ago

He could be teaching them philosophy or maths or literature or ethics. He's drawing a UI on a chalkboard by hand! What a world.

mirimir 9y ago
Aren't computer skills a prerequisite for office work everywhere now? So maybe that familiarity with computer UI will help students later.
- sova 9y ago
  He is drawing a UI on a chalkboard by hand.
  - TomMarius 9y ago
    How does that change anything that GP said?
    - sova 9y ago
      There are numberless other topics that could be covered; growing food, learning how to travel on a budget, logical reasoning, inference, and yet he is wasting valuable class time by redrawing an interface that is drawn by a computer on a screen in less than a second. To me this is a paramount example of how education can be used for time wasting by professors to simply give the guise of knowledge. He could be explaining what bold is without redrawing the whole interface, he could explain what a justified alignment is without redrawing scrollbars, it's utterly unnecessary and not only points to the hysterical inequality of nations but also wastes valuable time that students could be using to critically analyze a profound quote or even a mathematical symbol. The fact that computers are so commonplace elsewhere does not make this forgivable or acceptable, this teacher is wasting time teaching nothing, doing something that a screen can do in a fraction of a second, and is somehow receiving international praise and acclaim when clearly any single organization that covered this story could have donated solar panels and computers to this classroom. Horrendous and deplorable.

klokoman 9y ago

I wonder if he teaches word because it's mandatory or if it's a choice. Because if this people live in a village without electricity and computers, maybe there are better skills they can learn before microsoft word.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

axiom92 9y ago

That's how I was taught MS word in a classroom in Delhi circa 2004. The worst part of it was that the exam had questions like "Define title bar" and "Explain the File menu".

on_and_off 9y ago
did it help in any way ?
- axiom92 9y ago
  I guess it was better than living not knowing that there is such a thing as MS Word.
  - sannee 9y ago
    On the other hand, they paid the opportunity cost of not spending their time learning something that could be actually used to improve their living situation (electrical/mechanical engineering comes to mind).
    - eeZah7Ux 9y ago
      Indeed. Society needs the basics of carpentry, plumbing and sanitation, medicine, personal finance, cookery before any basic office automation. Our grand-grandparents lived just fine without a software word processor but relied on safe water and healthy living conditions.

vertis 9y ago

A few years ago there was a program[1] on ABC (Australia) about South Africa detailing some of the mismanagement of public funds. Mid way through the story they introduced a young woman from Tembisa who had finished school and had the marks to go to university, but not the money. A group of about 10-12 of us contacted ABC and asked how we could help. The journalist connected us together and we self organized to fund her university and accommodation. The university was very helpful, setting up a bursary for us to pay into and helping to get her settled into her residence and course (Teaching). I had to buy her a computer, and that was a frustrating process. I couldn't ship one from here mainly due to shipping batteries being problematic. I ended up enlisting the help of a computer shop and having them verify that I wasn't using a stolen credit card. That was 4 years ago. She's very close to graduating, she struggled with English subjects early on, but now it's just practicals and she can go out into the workforce. Moral of the story, you can help, and you can make a difference if you put your mind to it, even when no easy path exists. [1]: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/cry-freedom-promo/4881242 http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/cry-freedom-promo/4881242 (The relevant section is 28:43 into the episode) Edit: Grammar Edit 2: Link to program

hordeallergy 9y ago
Why was buying a computer problematic? SA has computer shops, has had for decades. I bought a zx81 there. Am I missing something?
- girvo 9y ago
  Buying a computer in SA to SA from Australia is difficult, yeah.
  - xiphias 9y ago
    Takealot, which is the biggest online store in SA accepts Bitcoin since summer of 2014, so nowdays it shouldn't be that hard to buy a computer
  - hordeallergy 9y ago
    I'm afraid this just isn't reality, voting down won't change that. SA is backward but it's not that backward. It has e-commerce, you can buy things online. It's had the web since the mid 90s. Eg first search attempt, incredible.co.za . It just isn't difficult. SA has poverty, as extreme as poverty can be, it's horrible, it's heartbreaking, but it's not all like that. This is a bugbear, ABC, BBC, crap media outlet of choice more interested in creating a story than accurate representation. I wouldn't trust them with my coffee.

hal9000xp 9y ago

I born in Uzbekistan. My dad bought me russian clone of ZX Spectrum [1] (8-bit, 3.5 MHz CPU, 48K RAM) in 1994. Which I actively used till 2000! The funny thing is that I didn't look at my lovely ZX Spectrum as sad outdated piece of hardware. Quite opposite, I actually lived in 1980s, it was exciting time with my ZX Spectrum. Back to education. In 1994, I was kinda troubled 10 years old kid, who completely hated school. Along with ZX Spectrum, my dad bought me a few books for kids about programming on Sinclair BASIC [2]. In a few years, I learned Sinclair BASIC myself without any external help. Around 1998, I discovered fast world of Assembly language. Cool thing is that I had only book about Assembly language but I didn't have Assembly Translator, so I had to use machine code directly [3]. So by 2000, I knew very well my ZX Spectrum. I knew all these secret ROM subroutines, I knew all these optimization tricks like if you put performance critical code in lower addresses, then it run faster. And if you put this code to video memory, it works even faster. So I learned myself how computer works and basics of computer science myself. My dad wasn't engineer. My school was useless in every single aspect of education. In 2000, when I switched to Windows 98 SE on Pentium 166. In just a few days, I learned myself Windows 98 interface and how to use all basic programs there. It's because I was already exposed to some simple Window-based applications on my ZX Spectrum. However, I couldn't grasp how to program on Windows 98. I had Delphi. But it looked so bloated and complicated. Unlike ZX Spectrum, I couldn't see full picture. As a sad result, after few failed attempts to program, I abandoned programming for next 7 years. In 2007, when I finally switched to Knoppix Linux (and then Mandriva Linux), I finally start writing programs in C language. Linux as environment and C as a language were welcoming and friendly to programming! Conclusion for me: If I were exposed to MS Windows from day one, I most probably wouldn't self-learn programming. ZX Spectrum was very simple and very clear in order to understand basics of computers and programming. ZX Spectrum was a perfect companion in the world of programming and computers for completely uneducated kid without any external guidance. On contrary, MS Windows and these bloated object-oriented programming language with fat IDE are unwelcoming. I highly doubt that average 10 years old uneducated kid without any guidance could grasp full complexity between you and machine. I even doubt kid would even find a way to start programming in the first place! ZX Spectrum had a prompt to programming on very start! Even to load game, you have to run BASIC command [4] (I had only tape recorder, so no TR-DOS [5] till 1999!). After you master ZX Spectrum, it takes just a week to self-learn how to use MS Windows (at least Windows 98). Talking about computer education for kids in Ghana: I honestly believe they don't need expensive computers to run bloated, expensive and programmer unfriendly MS Windows. They do need modern microcomputers similar to ZX Spectrum. And the country can afford microcomputers. In 1990s, Uzbekistan suffered hyperinflation, average salary was about $5-$10 per month. It's not the end of the world if you clever about using limited resources. Actually going further, I would say that even in the first world, kids should start using microcomputers in order to self-educate themselves about programming. Bottom line: CS education could be extremely cheap. Most probably, 99% of world population can afford microcomputers and a couple of old programming books (by the way, I didn't even used original books, it was xerox-copied pages, or sometimes, text was reprinted in matrix-printer!). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_BASIC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_BASIC [3] http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXBasicManual/zxmanchap26.html http://www.worldofspectrum.org/ZXBasicManual/zxmanchap26.htm... [4] http://www.retroisle.com/sinclair/zxspectrum/howtouse.php http://www.retroisle.com/sinclair/zxspectrum/howtouse.php [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-DOS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-DOS [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer

jaakl 9y ago

I’d take it with a bit sense of humour. If there are not computers, electricity and internet, then how he could know what to draw in detail and how post to Facebook. I bet he used a projector to draw the image in the first place. Which does not mean that they are not in great need of many essentials. My own first Basic programs were written in a paper, from a TV school program back in 1985 or so. It took 5+ years until I got hand on a real computer for the first time. It was USSR, Africa of the times.

dvfjsdhgfv 9y ago

For me the key point is here: >I've read in news reports that you've received an outpouring of help from foreigners who want to donate computers to your school. Is that actually happening? > No, they are showing interest but nothing has been brought to the school. We are praying that they are able to organize themselves and present us with computers. That's how things are today. The so-called "internet community" is extremely good at bad things, such as shaming people, but when it comes to the positive, such as organizing a donation of a single computer to a school in Africa (which definitely has its challenges), nothing gets done.

ferbivore 9y ago
Every community is good at easy things and bad at hard ones. Shaming is an easy and obviously efficient trade: a minute of your time in exchange for the primal feeling of satisfaction you get when enforcing your community's social norms. Donations involve an investment in time, money and mental energy for no personal benefit, which makes them hard to justify on an individual level and nearly impossible to coordinate on a wider scale.
t3soro 9y ago
These guys don't need computers, what the hell is anyone going to do with Microsoft Word experience in a place with no electricity or computers, besides LEAVE? They would be just as well off using typewriters. They need an entire economy.
mrhappyunhappy 9y ago
Is there any mention of his contact info?

mtgx 9y ago

How many people will be able to even afford Microsoft Word in Ghana? He probably knows most people he's teaching there will end-up pirating it once they can even afford a cheap computer. He would do a better job teaching them to use LibreOffice or even Google Docs, at least that doesn't have to be pirated.

crypt1d 9y ago
In the developed world piracy seems like this big naughty thing you shouldn't do. In places like Ghana, and many other undeveloped areas, its considered normal and expected. Provided you can even afford a computer.

golemiprague 9y ago

All the people who suggest donations, just leave them alone. Either donate some good colonial type white people to go there and sort out the mess or let the locals deal with their own problems in their own way and develop their own countries and culture of doing things. Donating things doesn't help anyone.

stunpix 9y ago

I'm a bit skeptic about this guy. I looked at his fb: he has a car, nice watches, clothes, smartphone, internet access, fb account, nice house, but... he can't afford a cheap laptop? Not sure the situation is so dramatic.

wrycoder 9y ago
He is economical.

macspoofing 9y ago

Rich nations tend to overthink primary education (it's a little different post-secondary). Unmet education goals are blamed on quality of the building, local funding, teachers, school-boards, politicians, standardized tests, etc. Reality is you don't need iPads, you don't need graphical calculators, or slick modern buildings and pristine books. You just need parents that care. If a kid graduates from primary or secondary school and is functionally illiterate, it was the parents that failed them, not teachers, not the school, not the country.

hi41 9y ago
I agree with you but I think teachers are very important. Good teachers inspire students and help them learn things that they did not know they could.
- macspoofing 9y ago
  For sure. This is a pro-teacher statement because teachers always carry the brunt of criticism when kids fail. It's not reasonable to expect teachers to raise kids. Obviously there are bad actors, but by and large teachers in America are good.

evolveyourmind 9y ago

Has no computers but has a smartphone and uses it only to take a selfie and a pic of his drawings to show the web how good he is at drawing details and gets more attention by saying he does that for the kids

tiuPapa 9y ago

To be honest, a computer is not that important. I would be graduating out of high school this year and my school still don't have any computers, doubt they will anytime soon. By no means, my education has suffered due to that reason. Computers are easy to pick up, most people have had fiddled with a phone at least and from there, computers are no big deal. I received my first computer just last April and I have already learned to code(more or less, still needs years of polishing). I am not trying to belittle the work of this teacher and he is awesome, but I think instead of trying to send them computers, initiatives should be taken to build a proper infrastructure first. Without proper infrastructure, no matter how many computers you send, very few will benefit from it.

bra-ket 9y ago

they should do a donorschoose campaign to get donations, it will go viral

erAck 9y ago

He should teach LibreOffice Writer instead so when actually some laptops arrive at the school they wouldn't have to waste money on MS product licenses.

atonse 9y ago
Or they can just ask MS to donate licenses. Better to teach these kids practical skills instead if software nobody uses.
- erAck 9y ago
  So you prefer to throw them into the MS mono culture pit.
  - atonse 9y ago
    Yes. This isn’t about open source idealism. You are teaching them job skills. MS Word is a useful job skill.
    - erAck 9y ago
      Understanding how to use any word processor is a job skill. LibreOffice supports Akan, an official language spoken in Ghana. Projects could translate the UI to Akan so even more people would be able to use it.
- Sylos 9y ago
  If you cannot transfer skills that you've learned in LO Writer to MS Word, then I don't think you've successfully learnt anything. And really, they live in a place where nobody uses either software.
k3a 9y ago
This is exactly what I wanted to write. But some people can't be helped... Our school also forced us MS Office and I had to learn LibreOffice myself. I have been using OO/LibreOffice since I finished school and I am not looking back. It's sad that some people don't know about alternatives and are paying for Office360 regularly, they are like drug addicts.

oxymoran 9y ago

The most disappointing thing about this, is that the article didn’t include any link or info how one could, ya know, maybe donate a computer to the school. How hard would that have been? Ffs.

M_Bakhtiari 9y ago

Is there really any value at all to rote memorization of an outdated GUI they're probably never going to use? Also, >ma students >wat will make them understand Wat am teaching Some teacher he is. If he paid a little more attention to English literacy the kids will be able to RTFM for any software package they want to use regardless of version. Frankly computers in schools do more harm than good. Moving a mouse and clicking things on the screen is quick and easy to pick up once they find themselves needing to use a computer, whereas good reading, writing, mathematics and critical thinking skills are as hard as ever to learn, and will be even after the next big paradigm shift to come after computers. What this teacher is doing is even a bigger waste of time than dicking around on the computer, dicking around on an slow, inaccurate and unusable hand emulation of a computer.

trisimix 9y ago

They can have one of my computers

antoaravinth 9y ago

In Chennai, India where I live many government school doesn't have a computer. For these students computer is a dream. I remember how students from these schools visited our office and touched a computer for their first time. Its really sad to see this at my hometown.

outside1234 9y ago

Not to be first worldly but wouldn’t it be better to spend this time teaching them more math etc.?

mrhappyunhappy 9y ago

Can we crowdfund these people some laptops? I’ll pitch in.