Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Belize - Santa Elena Town Library, computer lab project?

NEW SIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR OUR SANTA ELENA TOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY

Was talking to Beatrice the librarian for the Santa Elena Public Library. The National Association of libraries has no money. If you have read the earlier blurb on the Natioal Library Service and the view of the future, and the goal to get an internet connected computer in every house in the nation. You will have a better idea of the obstacles to this happening. The idea is to raise the GDP and enhance development by getting our rural producers on the internet. The information highway, which we have failed to do for the past 20 years.

Anyway, I asked Beatrice how many PRIMARY SCHOOLS were within walking distance of the library? She said THREE such schools and TWO High Schools. Since the government cannot afford to put a computer lab in every primary school in the nation, then to my mind the District Libraries are a partial better choice, as it was ten years ago. But failed due to different things, explained better in the earlier article on here.
I asked Beatrice if I got her 30 computers for the second floor of her library, could she arrange to have the primary schools come to the library three hours per week. They could do it as a FIELD TRIP. Take lessons using a downloaded typing software teacher, per class. Get this next generation of kids to learn to type in six months. After that a further six months on learning to use SEARCH ENGINES and teach themselves subjects. Three field trips per week, per school and an hour long class practicing.
She was estatic and said she could. She said Rene Montero our AREA REPRESENTATIVE had promised her computers from six months ago, but nothing materialized. Typical politics.
I can´t tackle the nation´s problems, but I can at least put in a plug for 30 computers for our local Santa Elena Library to serve as a local school computer lab and teaching platform on the information highway.
Now how do we get computers for a computer lab at the library? I can buy them across the border in Guatemala cheaper than in Belize. Runs around $800 USA each. Or maybe the Taiwanese Ambassador can donate them? Help me people, how do we accomplish this project?
I told her there would be restrictions, or STRINGS attached. First off, the computers had to be FREE. If she charged for their usage, she would lose them, they would be taken away and given to somebody else. The project would be contingent on getting classes to learn typing first of all for school children, from the local primary schools. She would have to organize that with the schools. No organized typing classes in a formal manner, then she would lose them otherwise. This is a development project.
What do you say, a good idea? Now all we have to do is get the computers donated.

No comments: