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  1. #1
    Council Member IntelTrooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by alexandermunoz View Post
    Considering the high illiteracy rate of the population, something I'm pushing for in our part of that world is exploring the use of radio for education.
    Hi Alexander,

    Are you military, NGO, American, Canadian...? What part of "that world" do you own?
    "The status quo is not sustainable. All of DoD needs to be placed in a large bag and thoroughly shaken. Bureaucracy and micromanagement kill."
    -- Ken White


    "With a plan this complex, nothing can go wrong." -- Schmedlap

    "We are unlikely to usefully replicate the insights those unencumbered by a military staff college education might actually have." -- William F. Owen

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    Trooper:

    Agree. (hard)

    Trying to figure out an easier way to do it. Canned books, or like Alex's idea--radio.

    Not much of a believer in requiring school buildings. A good teacher can teach under a tree, but a few easy readers, or simple illustrated religious stories goes a long way.

    UN says there is a ticking time bomb of Afghan high school students graduating with no jobs. Where is the Afghan solution????

    Steve

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    PS_

    Waiting for word on the eight civs killed in Khost today. No doubt, this will impact activities, too.

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    Council Member Surferbeetle's Avatar
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    Default Lead by example library...

    Quote Originally Posted by IntelTrooper View Post
    Wishlist
    Books are heavy, instead consider going digital:

    MIT OpenCourseWare: Mathematics, Robotics (fun & hardcore), Languages, and for some-nirvana (difficult but, with the gift of military discipline, do-able)

    Calculus references

    Google Calculator

    Save some space in your ruck for a graphing calculator. If you like RPN and a tough/quality product try a HP if you like a easier to use calculator try a TI

    How about the Australian School of the Air as a case study?
    Last edited by Surferbeetle; 12-31-2009 at 03:13 AM.
    Sapere Aude

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    IntelTrooper: I'm with the American Army.

    And, of course, another benefit of using radios for educational purposes is that it's a less obvious target than a school that the Taliban can just come in and destroy. Since the community managed to limp along for years without one, they might not even feel that much of a loss when it's ruined.

    Coalition Forces are already using FM radios for information operation purposes, so working with some NGOs to create some Pashto Language educational materials shouldn't be too much of an additional burden.
    http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.4c909a7.html
    For bases not equipped with Radio In A Box, military FM radios could fill the gap until they're obtained, allowing radio programming to be broadcast from every base and outpost and parcel of real estate we own (as well as from patrols - it's not like they don't know where we are when we're out there). And if broadcast schedules were synchronized between bases, this would likely amplify the effects of select programming, while leaving local DJs plenty of air-time for more local programming. Decentralized but coordinated, difficult to target and destroy, and relatively cheap - insurgent thinking applied to radio for education.

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    Council Member IntelTrooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Surferbeetle View Post
    Books are heavy, instead consider going digital:

    MIT OpenCourseWare:

    Calculus references

    Save some space in your ruck for a graphing calculator. If you like RPN and a tough/quality product try a HP if you like a easier to use calculator try a TI
    Sure, make me look like a dinosaur!

    Embarrassingly enough, an acquaintance of mine was the director of the MIT OCW Consortium back in 2007-2008. Thanks for the advice re: graphing calculators. I'm going to try to use my old TI-86 but may have to upgrade.

    How about the Australian School of the Air as a case study?
    I'm with Steve, Alexander and you in this regard. Radio has been totally underutilized as an educational medium in Afghanistan, not to mention for "IO" purposes. I saw a documentary on the School of the Air and while it would take a certain amount of discipline and support from family (e.g., don't have kids digging ditches or let them run wild when the classes are being conducted), the materials could be distributed fairly easily (like the Reader proposed by Steve).
    Last edited by IntelTrooper; 12-31-2009 at 05:38 AM. Reason: I always mess up i.e. and e.g.
    "The status quo is not sustainable. All of DoD needs to be placed in a large bag and thoroughly shaken. Bureaucracy and micromanagement kill."
    -- Ken White


    "With a plan this complex, nothing can go wrong." -- Schmedlap

    "We are unlikely to usefully replicate the insights those unencumbered by a military staff college education might actually have." -- William F. Owen

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    While we're talking about the wishlist...

    I would add, regarding the programming books, that you can skim through the books relatively quickly and then rely on online help sites as you work through problems (meaning you don't need to bring the books with you). Some books are now offered in .pdf or other e-book format at a reduced price if you buy the hard copy book (usually log onto a website and answer some question such as "what is the fifth word on page 255?"). E-books are nice when they're reference books, because you can run a search for key words.

    In working on my site with MS Visual Studio, I have often run into stumbling blocks that I couldn't figure out even with the books. I've found that the easiest way to find the answer is to just input the search terms using the syntax or topic of what you're trying to do, plus the site-specific search in Google (recent example for me: XslCompile Xslt site:forums.asp.net) and you can pretty quickly find a forum where someone else has already asked a question about what you're trying to figure out. In the rare cases when I haven't found an answer, I've posted the question at forums.asp.net and then gone to bed. By the time I woke up, an answer was usually posted. I've hardly cracked the stack of books that I own in months - I just rely on the help forums.

    And, yes, this is on topic for the thread. As I noted several comments earlier, the internet can be a far more powerful tool for learning than a library. My experience certainly confirms this. I've got a stack of about $300 of books on various programming and web development topics, yet I've come to rely on online help forums.

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    Council Member IntelTrooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schmedlap View Post
    While we're talking about the wishlist...

    I would add, regarding the programming books, that you can skim through the books relatively quickly and then rely on online help sites as you work through problems (meaning you don't need to bring the books with you). Some books are now offered in .pdf or other e-book format at a reduced price if you buy the hard copy book (usually log onto a website and answer some question such as "what is the fifth word on page 255?"). E-books are nice when they're reference books, because you can run a search for key words.
    I'm a big fan of the books that come with the reference CDs or links to the full text online. Generally, e-books are harder on my eyes and I like to spread out my workspace a little bit (plus, a lot of books on my bookshelf makes me look smart! or clueless, I'm not sure which...) but the search ability is a huge time and frustration saver.

    In the rare cases when I haven't found an answer, I've posted the question at forums.asp.net and then gone to bed. By the time I woke up, an answer was usually posted. I've hardly cracked the stack of books that I own in months - I just rely on the help forums.
    There is definitely a large and dedicated community of programmers who use and contribute to the forums. For scatter-brained slow types like myself, I need a little more foundation before I can use them without getting more confused.

    And, yes, this is on topic for the thread. As I noted several comments earlier, the internet can be a far more powerful tool for learning than a library. My experience certainly confirms this.
    I agree. While it's a double-edged sword (your young men could be using their ability to read to contribute to their community or to join a jihadi group online) I think the net effect of Internet access is liberalization rather than radicalization.
    "The status quo is not sustainable. All of DoD needs to be placed in a large bag and thoroughly shaken. Bureaucracy and micromanagement kill."
    -- Ken White


    "With a plan this complex, nothing can go wrong." -- Schmedlap

    "We are unlikely to usefully replicate the insights those unencumbered by a military staff college education might actually have." -- William F. Owen

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