Technology Based Education For Poor Children

Please give a detailed outline of your proposed solution or idea. Include any potential partners in implementation as well as potential timeline and budget for implementation.

Use Technology to provide education to children : We can give quality education by using the technology and by connecting to the globe, and where ever possible reuse the existing information.Use a common place for school, like temple,church in absence of school.

1. EDU-VAN for education:Mobile van will contain equipment like Computer,Mobiles,Mobile gadgets like memory card,Mobile/Radio charge outlet which will be used by the teacher and students. The mobile van can reach to the remote place and can be used to teach the students. The recorded media like pdf can be saved in the mobiles so this will serve as a text book for children. Th children can take the mobiles to their home and can learn. The usage of recorder media such as videos from youtube, how stuff works will help the children to learn at faster/own phase. Probably some rights are needed as these materials are been used by an organization. We need not invest a huge amount in mobiles there are many organizations that recycle the mobiles, with advancement in technology probably we can get the recycled mobiles at a cheaper rates, and can have the recorded materials in it. Moreover we need just a device to play media files and have pdf so that will not cost much.
2. Google Hangout based education: We can ask students from other countr ies, to provide a online class sessions to the refugee camp students. If we can design a Time-Zone based Time Table, and by having collaboration with schools and colleges we can execute this idea. As a part of social service activity, points credit should be given to the students and teachers of various school, where they will be spending 2 to 3 hrs a week in teaching the children on their favorite subject. At the end of the session the google hangout video will be available which can be used as recorded material and can be reused for clarifying doubts and refreshing the subject.
3. Radio Based Education : Still there are places which may not have enough electricity, so we can use radio in those places. 3 or 4 dedicated channel for education, where the subjects can be broad casted repeatedly and weekly once.Children can attend the school (common place like temple/ Van) and can get their doubts clarified. If that is not possible an interactive radio session can be conducted/Email based question answer session can be conducted where the children can post their question to the staff/teacher they will send a mail to other teachers and will provide an answer.
4. Bring Innovation in Teaching : In today's world innovation cannot be ignored,so even the teachers should keep learning, and should introduce new approaches in learning, there are many online free courses on creativity and Design labs. Which will be useful for teachers and students. So the teachers/students can enroll in those courses and can share their experiences. One such course is by Novo Education, Creativity course by Tina Selig https://novoed.com/creativity, where you get a chance to interact with professionals from various background. "Nothing can replace Experience, and when some shares it please absorb it!"
5. Knowledge Sharing Session : Let the students learn through the recorded media, and let them be one day teacher. Where the student takes class for other students, the idea is to improve their confidence and soft skills which are required for their future. In advanced version of knowledge sharing the refugee students can take class to the foreign students so they can overcome their fear.
6. Online Volunteer for ART based fund raise Idea: The students can help in designing website, hosting the website, creating the contents for social site such as posters,video, music, etc to promote the idea. This will help them in enhancing their skill and profile. When they interact with outside world they can over come their fear and can r ealize their potentials.https://educategirls.unhcrideas.org/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3387 
7. Advanced Skill Learning: We can use some mobiles to have advanced skill set learning, which contains recorded materials on various subjects like "Languages, Photography, Journalism " etc let the student learn these skills through the recorded media. Then UNHCR can conduct a workshop on that subject based on the enr olled students strength. The accelerated workshops and apprenticeship helps them to achieve the job.

How does your idea sustainably solve the challenge question?

1. Security Issue :One of the main reasons, girls avoid school is the security reasons. If we can deliver the materials through recorded media through mobiles, we don't need even the internet, they can play the recorded materials and pdf at their own phase. They can clarify their doubt once or twice in a week when the Edu-Van reaches their place. "Its better to learn, than being taught." More over most of the girls dropout during the secondary education and by using the animations we can teach them easily as the "picture is worth more than a thousand words"! 
2. Divide and Conquer Education with informal discussion : Let the girls interact with each other, their neighbor/ friend let them learn one subject properly and share the learning with other girls in their locality. 
3. Time Management : When a girl becomes pregnant, or she has household responsibilities she cannot spend enough time in school, with the help of recorded media she can learn the things at faster pace, and by giving 3-4 hours on important subject she can achieve a good education. After a certain age " We can learn by our -self, but we need to invest ample time and confidence to achieve it.
4. Advanced Skill Learning: We can use some mobiles to have advanced skillset learning, which contains recorded materials on various subjects like "Languages, Photography, Journalism " etc let the student learn these skills through the recorded media. Then UNHCR can conduct a workshop on that subject based on the enrolled students strength. The acceler ated workshops and apprenticeship helps them to achieve the job.

How will you meaningfully engage parents, families and communities in the design and implementation of your program?

1. Parents and Families : Parents should encourage their children to attend the technology based school, as the schooling is delivered to their home. So the security issue is been addressed. At the max their children has to visit the EDU-VAN or Church based school weekly once or twice. This is a chain reaction when one family follows it, others will start doing it.
2. Communities: The communities can help in setting up the school in the church or other common places, and they have to spread the message that "By educating a girl they are educating their society" during the public gathering they need to spread the message of Technology based schooling and their advantages, such as their children has a good scope to get a job, quality education and stipend/ration- food when they work for art based schooling https://educategirls.unhcrideas.org/Page/ViewIdea?ideaid=3387. So this encourages the parent to send them to school.

The idea is much similar to distance education, in some countries the final examination counts, with some clauses, but it seems some practicals needs to be done through the school. In India some schools do this but they need to provide some proper proof.

http://www.gbshse.gov.in/pvtcandidate.htm

Cambridge also has a similar program, http://www.cie.org.uk/cambridge-for/learners-and-parents/exams-and-certificates/private-candidates/

I feel recorded media would be better if the security and time are the major constraints, for girl's drop-out.

If the poverty are the main reason, then probably i would suggest Google Hangout Approach, where we can keep the girls in school by offering them ration based nutrition-food, with the help of few online volunteers as part of Social Service Credit this can be achieved. But to achieve this GOVT/UNHCR/UNICEF/UN-GEFI needs to work with some school and colleges to consider this activity as part of social service credit points. With such ideas we can provide quality education as well. 

Its all about connecting the distributed places through technology, In some countries, drop-out occurs because of poor education standard. So we can address this issue globally!

Details on private candidate:
1. http://www.aqa.org.uk/student-support/private-candidates/finding-a-school-or-college
2. http://main.rims.ac.in/mainrims/private-candidates.php
3. http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/find-a-centre/pages/where-can-i-take-edexcel-exams.aspx

Skype based learning are important, but based on environment, they have to be used, in fact skype based teaching can be used in edu-van for clarifying the doubts of the students. probably we can integrate few things with edu-van, so whenever these girls gets some leisure time, they can use it.

Probably we can integrate a basic version of design thinking in teaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjyutgqoBLo this will be useful for teachers and students, using design thinking https://novoed.com/designthinking we can list out, what all the house hold activities that needs to be completed, and how it can be achieved with innovation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FzFk3E5nxM and group discussion, this reduces the work load on the students, if we achieve an idea, it increases retention.

There is Magic Bus at some places http://www.magicbus.org/about-us, but the main aim of magic bus is to r aise sports, EDU-VAN should be similar to Magic bus (you can check with UNICEF they are one of the sponsor).EDU-VAN can be used in two versions as a classroom (advanced) and as a supplement for school(basic) based on the attendance details as below:

1. Supplement School:At places where the attendance is less or where school are faraway for children, we need to implement this idea. One of the major issue gir ls faces is security and performing house hold activities, if we provide them tablet/mobiles with pdf and media. they can do self learning for 4 days at their own pace and on 5th day, they can clarify their doubts from the teacher/volunteer in the van based on their convenient time, attendance is a must. If the volunteer couldn't clarify the doubt,he can connect to the next level person through skype and get the doubt clarified. Apart from that the Bus can serve as an internet cafe, where the gir ls can come and surf whenever they get time. Ideally teacher/volunteer will be attending the bus once or twice a week.Probably some one within the locality will be handling the bus, probably inside the church/temple.
2. Classroom: The advanced version of Bus can be used as classroom, where the only change is 4 or 5 bus are required to conduct class in the locality. But i doubt, if this would succeed as of now. As there are many restriction for girls, so the parents may not send them to school through out the week. This idea should be implemented only if required, after analyzing the attendance.

PDF'S on mobile device : This is up to Govt/UNICEF?UNHCR, if we can provide tablets to all children well and good. If we can't do that, probably we can ask some mobile company for help, they may be recycling their mobiles, they can contribute it more devices for this program, probably a joint venture recycle program can be done so we can gather more no of devices, so people will also contribute for the good cause!
Nokia Recycle Project: http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/about-us/people-and-planet/sustainabledevices/recycling/recycling/. What basically required is a device that plays media files and has ability to read pdf. So this ensures cost cutting.

Edu-Van's advantage can be used in remote places,where accessibility is less for children. Based on the attendance on internet sur fing we can reuse the bus. Say if the no of girls, using internet are less in these 6 days( leaving 1 day for doubt clarification) , probably the bus can stand in the church for 1.5 days, and for remaining 5.5 days they can go to the nearby villages and teach other children. Just ensur e One EDU-VAN, covers more than one place probably one refugee camp, and nearby village where schools not present just to ensure knowledge gets delivered to everyone with quality.

I am suggesting to use recycled mobile phones for one of the reasons, in some countries people tend to sell the tablets/laptop, which has been offered for education at half rate because of poverty, then this idea doesn't serves the purpose. So if we use an outdated technology like a basic mobile with media and pdf reader. They won't be able to sell it! Just a thought on the protection element, We can use GPS Vehicle tracking if required!, This site provides you the details about it. http://argotrak.com/benefits/
http://www.trackyourtruck.com/software/nettrack-mapping Based on the vehicle activity, it monitors and send you message, so we can inform the security/Police team, if required!

E-ATLAS - Teachers Required by 2030:(There is no guarantee that we can raise quality teachers by this period, with the current fund allocation in each country)
http://tellmaps.com/uis/teachers/ If we need to deliver quality education we need to use technology and enhance self-learning.

when number of quality teachers are less, no school, parents not ready to send children to school every week, we need to use this idea. Some org says they can provide teachers at need basis, on training ! we can't create quality teachers all of a sudden, moreover we need to have teachers with passion and not working for money! most of these areas are not monitored, so some just takes attendance and move off! no evidence!. So we can't say that class teaching will work!
Issues faced by girls:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/mar/11/indian-children-education-opportunities
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/needs-improvement-despite-progress-indias-primary-education-system-has-a-ways-to-go/
moreover we need to keep upgrading our self to technology, otherwise these children will be out of the race. Probably we need to show the importance of education and give a self awareness with an empathy play to highlight the importance of education.

1. Yes we can cross check the questionnaire for this idea.(Here it may give more positive result as teacher are less, parents not willing to send them to school)
2. Use of animation,things gets explained much faster!we can use this for some imp topics prob science.
3.  Just to ensure that they study for 4 days, probably we need to give some questionnaire to check if they are studying at home! which gives them self-control!, if they don't have self-contr ol and will to learn, they won't learn in school as well!
4. We can use the same teacher/ to operate and help the children, we can identify one leader among these children, who will serve as guide instructor, who can help other children as well.
5. We can include Interactive Radio as well.
6. but probably we need to implement one by one, we need to pilot it at two location and see how the students responds, probably as i said before if parents are ready to send gir ls through out the week we can use the radio and skype idea. But if not often to school then we need mobile idea only. So we need to check based on following points.

Radio/Skype

1. Parent's concern
2. Child safety in location
3. Availability of basic skilled teachers (available for whole week?) teacher on demand are of quality ? (one of the reason of drop out is lack of quality)
4. Availability of trainer in the location
5. Availability of school, toilets, water facility, transport, safety etc
6. Internet/computer facility available?
7. if internet fails computer fails what is the alternative?
8. Is the child available for 8 hrs per day ?

Mobile learning

1. Availability of trainer in the location.
2. Is the child comfortable with mobile, after some guidance?
3. Does parent allow child, to edu-van for 1-3 day?

We may need to increase the number of days initially, as these children takes some time to get adjusted to technology!

Future Expansion:

1. We can include old people as online teaching volunteers, they will be happy to teach and people with depression, can be used to create course material/teachers with creative thoughts! creative workshop is one of the treatment for depression http://www.lifeworkscommunity.com/treatment-methods/methods.html Some treatment center may help, in creating the contents(may not be currently applicable, but in global perspective going forward).
2. We can use hybrid solar-powered vehicle, this reduces the maintenance cost. http://inhabitat.com/eco-camper-by-verdier/ (probably a better customized vehicle we can have, based on the budget) If the solar cells with magnifying glasses are used, it increases the efficiency of the set up. http://www.psfk.com/2014/02/solar-panel-magnifying-glass.html
3. We can have solar powered mobile charging center near church or temple/ Solar Chargers, so in absence of electricity students can charge the mobiles.

HomeSchooling Diploma vs GED (Promising solution GED)
We can register edu-van as homeschooling
http://www.ehow.com/how_4473652_register-homeschooling.html
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homeschool-record-keeping/124184-getting-a-record-of-homeschool-completion/
then probably a GED-Test is required, which is equivalent to schooling certificate: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/test-taking-tips/68924-benefits-of-getting-a-ged/

Mind Map to address the challenge: