Subject:
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Re: Lego for Africa
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 2 Aug 2001 16:36:46 GMT
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Viewed:
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494 times
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In lugnet.general, Joris Komen writes:
> Hi!
>
> SchoolNet Namibia (www.schoolnet.na) is actively involved in rolling out
> Information and Communication Technologies to disadvantaged schools on a
> national basis, offering various low cost solutions to allow youth empowerment
> through internet. snip
> - while there are probably several
> metric tons of unused lego in every 10 square kilometres of first world urban
> basements and attics, there are virtually NO lego building blocks in ANY
> developing country school!
>
> I strongly believe that building blocks like Lego play a crucial role in helping
> children to think laterally, and allow for greater multi-dimensional thinking snip
> Why am I writing to you? You take lego for granted. Lego blocks, like
> computers, are verrrrry expensive, and are therefore outside the reach of most
> developing country people who, on average per capita, earn less than one US
> Dollar per day! I would dearly like to see the reaction of this readership to
> this letter in activating them to initiate a second-hand lego collection
> programme at schools in first world countries for distribution to developing
> countries. The NGO's who presently ship computers to us, use BUBBLE-PLASTIC to
> pack these boxes - I believe that we can kill two birds with one stone, if they
> start using Lego blocks as packing material instead - we don't need first-world
> bubble-plastic to mess up our local environment anyway. Let's rather use Lego,
Hi,
I think this is a great idea, and I agree that Lego play does help to
develop 3-d thinking, and I am even willing to donate some of my old Lego
Bricks.
I do have one problem with this tho, you mention packing old computers with
Lego as the filler, and that may not be a very good idea. The Motherboard
boxes should survive pretty decently without too much damage, but if you
pack a monitor with Lego Bricks don't expect the monitor to make the trip in
one piece. Lego settles in fairly dense way, and doesn't have much 'give'
en masse. Any box impacts will transfer right through the Lego Bricks and
that will break monitors with ease.
Also, is there a plan to teach at least the basics of Lego play? Don't
forget that we all get instructions with every Lego set, and it seems
obvious to us how Lego works, but to some who may have never seen a Lego
Brick, they may be unfathomable (at least for a little while, and that may
keep many from exploring them further).
just some thoughts. good luck with this!
cheers!
Joel K
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Message has 1 Reply: | | Re: Lego for Africa
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| Hi Joel and others! Thank you for your thoughts and queries - first off - here's the first addresses in the US - Academy for Educational Development AED Headquarters 1825 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20009-5721 Tel. 202-884-8000 Fax (...) (23 years ago, 3-Aug-01, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Lego for Africa
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| Hi! SchoolNet Namibia (www.schoolnet.na) is actively involved in rolling out Information and Communication Technologies to disadvantaged schools on a national basis, offering various low cost solutions to allow youth empowerment through internet. At (...) (23 years ago, 1-Aug-01, to lugnet.general) !!
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