From: Greg Jordan (jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu)
Date: Fri Mar 21 2003 - 08:59:55 MST
I like the idea in general, but I see certain problems. I wish the average
US classroom had enough wits to be able to help a "third world
village". But the village would probably be better off getting some
volunteer suggestions from adult experts to the blog.
Maybe a three-way effort would work - classroom adopts panel of experts as
well as village, then facilitates their communication. The village would
also need an on-site expert to facilitate the mechanics of the Web access
and possibly getting over the language barriers. So it would be a four-way
effort. Last but not least, the effort would probably need political
"protectors" in both countries, to prevent political dangers from daring
to communicate across interests. So that brings it to a six-way
effort. But still not too complicated. Surely somebody has done something
like this before?
gej
resourcesoftheworld.org
jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu
On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, Lee Corbin
wrote:
> Michael writes
>
> > I've done some thinking..., one idea being providing web
> > access (allowing for individual blogs) to some hungry
> > third world village which would then be 'adopted' by a
> > classroom in the U.S. The villagers could blog details
> > of their environment, plus things like mailing soil
> > samples for analysis, etc, and the challenge to the
> > classroom is how much they can improve [sic] villager
> > life via all or mostly information.
>
> That's a great idea! I can't think of anything to teach
> humility to the American students as quickly as that!
>
> > Basically, the individual villagers blog their individual
> > needs and desires into blogs which are aggregated by the class.
>
> Aggregate need! Wonderful. Someone should tell Paul
> Samuelson so that he can incorporate this new concept
> into his worthless books. (sorry for the sarcasm in
> this paragraph)
>
> > I could see even elementary classrooms participating
> > in this, perhaps interacting with the villager kids,
> > or data entry.
>
> What they would learn is one of life's most important
> lessons, to wit, ***Eternal Truth Number One***:
>
> Nothing is Simple
>
> What sounds easier than the students applying their
> Western wisdom to the down-trodden in the poorer areas
> of the world? What sounds simpler? They would, of
> course, discover that it's not so simple, and that
> the "natives" have a vastly better understanding of
> their own situation and what can be done that do the
> ignorant foreign students.
>
> I mean, if helping the poorer countries has escaped the
> best minds in the IMF and World Bank, and their trillions,
> for decade after decade after decade, I hate to break it
> to you, but the students are going to find that there is
> absolutely nothing they can do. It would be a miracle if
> they came to understand the "natives" situation one tenth
> as well as those benighted souls.
>
> > There are significant barriers here, especially language, and
> > probably most conversation would be mediated by automated
> > translation systems. Villagers might be hesitant to discuss
> > personal needs and desires and that would perhaps take
> > significant time and repeated friendly (and non-judgmental)
> > interaction to overcome.
>
> The villagers might also be reluctant to disabuse the American
> children of their fantasies. A non-public remark of one villager
> to another might be, "I understand that we are putting up with
> this silliness because somebody over there might send some
> money, but shouldn't we be honest with the poor kids?"
>
> > The kids would get some benefit of being like consultants,
>
> That's what American kids need these days! More self-esteem!
>
> > outside the politics and social structures of the villagers
> > and thereby build trust to offer objective advice.
>
> This wouldn't be at all dangerous; the wise villagers would
> know exactly what to do with the children's advice.
>
> > Whatever the benefits to the village, the benefits to the class could be
> > enormous. All education would be geared toward solving real-world goals
> > in real-time.
>
> Sorry, but it's really difficult to believe that you
> are being serious here.
>
> > Perhaps some social science subjects would be shifted to
> > lower grades, as they might, for example, research history
> > to prepare summaries for the higher grades who turn these
> > into direct recommendations.
>
> Humor.
>
> > An example might be 'find ways similar tribal conflicts
> > have been resolved before' etc.
>
> Yes! And with the skills the kids develop, they can
> man the hotlines to resolve domestic disturbances,
> intractable corporate mergers, and any number of
> conflicts that periodically arise between groups
> and individuals. (Why isn't there an emoticon for
> sarcasm?)
>
> Why, they could even intercede on the Extropians list
> to soothe troubles arising between groups calling
> each other "trolls" and other names, and troubles
> that arise from certain overly cynical and sarcastic
> persons sticking it occasionally to other posters.
>
> Lee
>
>
>
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