[3275] in Depressing_Thoughts
USA... sucks! sigh....
marc@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (marc@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Wed Aug 5 21:29:22 1992
[3253] daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Goldstein--Ph +1-202-357-971) Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet 08/05/92 07:40 (59 lines)
Subject: Computing in K12, Costa Rica (was "sorry, but...." )
To: Christopher Penrose <penrose@silvertone.princeton.edu>
Cc: com-priv@psi.com, brad@silvertone.princeton.edu
Cc: "Guy F. de Teramond" <GDETER@ucrvm2.BITNET>
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 04 Aug 92 22:39:15 EDT."
Date: Wed, 05 Aug 92 07:38:58 EDT
From: Steve Goldstein--Ph +1-202-357-9717 <sgoldste@cise.cise.nsf.gov>
Folks,
Rather than break into this fascinating exchange of ideas 'bout
computing and networking in K12 in the U.S. of A., permit me to
offer a short vignette about a meeting we had in Costa Rica
in 1989 to start some balls rolling for Latin American and
Caribbean networking ("we" was NSF, NASA, OAS*, PAHO** and
representatives of several other countries of the Americas).
On the first day, we were asked to enter identification information
onto a green 'n white striped print-out page. Later that day, we
were asked to check the information about ourselves in a printout
and to correct same. As I recall, we also entered information about
our departing flights and room numbers in the hotel. On the second
day, some of us asked if a minivan could be engaged to take us in a
group to the airport (we were supposed to be there very early in the
morning, 5 AM, as I recall, for a 7 AM flight). "No problem," was
the answer, as the young people who had created an attendee data base
took care of all the details, based on the info we had supplied earlier.
So, on departure day, we all got wake-up calls, and the drivers had
passenger manifests ready to check off the riders to the airport.
Was this stunning? Spetacular? In any way a show-stopper, compared,
say to the computer-assisted service readiness of an INTEROP? The
spectacular aspect was what we learned at a reception, when the
science minister told us that all elementary students are taught
basic computer skills, from the cities to the remote mountain
villages. The government issues RFP's, and computer suppliers
bid on them, to outfit large numbers of schools annually. (As I
recall, Big Blue had been the winner that year, but other suppliers
had prevailed in other years.) And, in remote small schools, community
support is built by engaging the parents in preparing the "computer room"
in the school: cleaning, painting, refurbishing, or sometimes constructing.
And, at night, computer literacy classes are offered to the adults.
So, the community buys in. And, then the kids grow up to regard
creating a conference data base as "no problem." Entire cohorts are
empowered with what is surely a modern-day survival skill.
I offer no opinions about the applicability to any other country,
including ours. I suggest, however, that one small, proud Latin
American country has demonstrated what can be achieved by a shared
commitment. And, as a possibly only casually-related sequel, it
is worth noting that this progressive Central American country is
within weeks of transitioning from the BITNET stage to full Internet
connectivity, *and*, this is to include acting as a regional hub for
neighboring countries in Central America. Hats off to our committed
colleagues in Costa Rica!
-SG
* Organization of American States
** Pan American Health Organization
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