Discussions

Learning content vs. learning to think is an on going topic. I propose to talk about our experience with the One Laptop Per Child technology in Kenya.  Small Solutions Big Ideas runs program in schools with large classes, unpaid and undertrained but dedicated and well loved teachers.  The demands of the 'test' and the English system, pose a daunting task. Many children are simply left behind.

Technology is offering part of the answer to this challenge. The teacher can be a guide rather than the authority or content provider.  Learning can happen outside the classroom.

These are the challenges that the Small Solutions Big Ideas education programs are meeting. The most exhilarating view of this opporutnity occurred during the teacher strike this past September.  Real learning  happened during experiential and open learning time as we had during the strike in the new community learning center.  

This discussion is about how to respectfully offer alternatives to schools with the demands of passing tests, discipline and the investment in the current highly structured environment. 

Can we breakout the classroom walls, bring in some fresh air?  Can we use these learning tools to turn classrooms into laboratories rather than lecture halls? Can learning relate to community life rather than be a world apart?

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