First Debug the Child . . .

The topic of education is an obsession with me for the simple reason that one cannot address any development related issues without reference to education, however broadly or narrowly one defines education or development. My interest in the use — and misuse — of technology in education is a natural extension of that basic interest in development and growth. The One Laptop Per Child comes in for special scrutiny because the implications of such a program are phenomenal for a poor country like India. I have long argued that there are simpler, more affordable and more urgently needed interventions that is needed than is provided by the OLPC program. Here’s one that I recently became aware of.
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A Posthumous Apology to Alan Turing

On Sept 10th, Alan Turing received an apology from the British government 55 years after his death. Following a petition to 10 Downing St signed by 30,000 people, Gordon Brown formally apologized to the man who was so persecuted for being a homosexual that he committed suicide.
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Sept 11th: Turning Six today

Sept 11th is this blog’s birthday. The blog was born this day six years ago. What I wrote last year, Five years of Opinions and Perspectives, still holds true. Continue reading “Sept 11th: Turning Six today”

Eisenhower on the Military Industrial Complex

In connection with the previous post on the US leading in weapons sales, I thought it would be nice to see a short excerpt from President Eisenhower’s farewell speech of 1961 warning Americans of the dangers of the military-industrial complex.
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The US Leads in Weapons Sale

“U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales” reports Reuters. Sure that is as surprising as being told that Indian politicians are crooked. But the item helpfully reports figures.
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Sabharwal: Education’s Five Fault Lines

Manish Sabharwal, chairman of TeamLease, has an excellent op-ed in today’s Economic Times. Worth pondering over. I have some thoughts that I will put down on the piece in a bit. (Link thanks to Salil.)

Change is Digital, not Analog

“If the old model is broken, what will work in its place?” ask Clay Shirkey in a blog post “Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable.” (March 2009). The full implications of technological change is impossible to foresee even by those who are responsible for the change.
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