Impact of Uganda’s Solar Power Technology to Education The solar power technology has made possible for education to go a notch higher. A case in point is the teaching of IT and computer skills in the rural areas of Uganda. Computers need to use electricity and with the power shortages in Uganda and lack of grid supply in rural areas, rural schools are left behind in fostering these skills that are important to the world today. This fact made one man, Eric Morrow, founder of the Maendeleo Foundation based in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, to devise a plan that was meant to ensure that Ugandan students were taught computer skills. In doing his research Morrow found out that most of the Ugandan schools lacked technology savvy teachers and lacked the finances to purchase computers. He thus consulted with a number of other NGOs and they came up with a plan whose goal was to give the teachers and the students in the Ugandan schools a taste of what working with computers was (Nassali, 2010). The fact that only five percent of the Ugandans have access to electricity and only three percent would afford it, made them to consider solar technology. They then put in place a self powered and self contained power source system that was composed of three, 75-watt solar panels on top of a four will drive. This provided power for the computers that the project was using to deliver computer lessons to various students across the country. In the project the coordinators used the Intel-powered Classroom PCs that were able to withstand the extremes in temperatures and the dust in these rural areas. The Intel-powered classroom PCs were also energy efficient running for six hours from solar charged batteries without a problem. So far the Maendeleo Fo... ... middle of paper ... ...ion to the honey that they harvest from the beehives. A factory has been built in this place that uses solar energy which in turn has led to increased employment opportunities for the area. The factory is also a major buyer of honey from the members of the community and this makes it a major source of income to the residents of the area (Karekezi, 1994). Though there is a promising future for the Ugandan economy if all the stakeholders appreciate the potential for solar technology, there are still some challenges towards widespread use of his technology. Some of these challenges include: limited capacity of the private sector to procure PV systems in large quantities so as to benefit from economies of scale, lack of enough information on the benefits of solar PV and low levels of affordability in the rural areas especially due to the high upfront costs associated.
Uganda, formally known as the Republic of Uganda, is a poverty stricken country plagued with economic instabilities. Since the 1980’s, the economy has remained on a fairly steady climb, but many have doubts about the continuation of growth. Uganda will never achieve a stable economy if they do not establish changes to their infrastructure. To implement these modifications and maintain economic progression, Uganda will need 1) better government determination to end corruption, 2) commitment to improve the weak educational reforms, and 3) a decrease in their export vulnerabilities. Fortunately, the country is experiencing a much needed evolution in telecommunication which could be the single most contributing factor for an improved economy.
Poor countries do not always have resources to fit the bill of education services for technology. “For children in poor countries, future connectivity promises new access to educational tools…” (Schmidt 227). “Physical classrooms will remain dilapidated; teachers will continue to take paychecks and not show up for class; and books and supplies will still be scarce” (Schmidt 227). A survey was done in 2012 about Ethiopia give out tablets fully loaded with educational information to poor country; it irresistibly gave poor students a wealth of knowledge where students could write and speak English (Schmidt 227-228). Inversely, the education of poor countries has hit all time low. The countries that do not have the finance to buy or create technology for classes is detrimental to the country growth. Technology must be available for everyone. The world is hindered from becoming a better place without technology being present in education. “Just imagine the implications of these burgeoning mobile or tablet-based learning platforms for a country like Afghanistan,
According to Clarisse, during school they sit and watch ‘ educational’ programs all day, these programs are not like documentaries in this time period, “they just run the answers right by you” (Bradbury 27). The program has no student input in an era where television should have interactive features. In areas like Africa where there is less education opportunities and less books and materials due to them being expensive, it is reasonable to think that technology would be an answer to the education crisis, but electricity is expensive and hard to get in the African savanna. Even the universities in Africa are lacking books because “they are produced in Europe so the end user in Africa has to pay more”(Spinks). People can’t even afford the books needed to get the education they deserve, low-end schools probably use what they can and it ends up that they are just running answers by the student because they don’t have the materials to show the learner visually. Many new battery-efficient and solar powered tablets have been released as educational tools for people in Africa that can supply the learning to students without Wi-Fi. These new”tablets come preloaded with a mix of the Kenyan curriculum and international content”. This gives the students the joy of learning without technology or the distractions that some devices have, such as ipads. The need for extra stuff such as Wi-Fi and
Pollen is another product of bees that is referred to as nature’s most perfect food for it’s high level of vitamin, protein, sugar, etc. It is particularly good for vegetarians. Likewise, bees are important in the economy of a broad segment of world population. For example, beekeepers who sell honey, royal jelly and pollen benefit economically since these products are quite popular and consequently expensive. Moreover, cosmetic industries use honey as important ingredients of many product that are used in cream for skin, hair, etc.
The future of the United States solar energy industry will be shaped not only by economic growth, but also by the rate of declining oil resources and the global realization of the consequences of human induced climate change. Political responses to this realization in the United States include; new policies, legislature, and tax incentives to both businesses and private households to promote growth and investment in the solar power industry.
Preview: Today I will discuss the potential that solar power has to become this country’s main supply of energy and the latest research that can make solar power more efficient and cost effective. I will also present the environmental benefits that come with using solar power over other and more harmful forms of energy.
Argues that we must do more to ensure that computers are fully integrated into all our schools. Suggestion that there is no limit to the possibilities of computers; Topic of distance learning; Ways that the Internet can make schools more effective; Call for schools to develop innovative budgeting to acquire the funds for te...
When picking an energy resource for the topic of this paper, I bounced around a lot of ideas. Then it occurred to me that I should write about what I will be living with in about a month. My mom just finished designing and building our earthbag, solar, off-grid house, a four-year endeavor. I will soon live in a place powered by one of the most common alternative energy resources, solar energy, so I should learn more about it. At our new house, we have two stand alone pedestals with six 170W panels on each pedestal, making for a 2040W or 2kW solar system.
Rapid educational expansion has taken place in Uganda since its independence in 1962. Following independence, education was regarded as a means through which individuals could advance in society...
Growing up in the late 90’s, I witnessed computers revolutionize India – we had cellphones and personal computers and the internet transforming our lives - and like most other kids, I was fascinated by them. It wasn’t until I took course on QBasic in 8th grade, however, that I really took a liking to computer programming. The idea of computer ‘languages’ seemed almost magical to me. Over the years, that proclivity for programming grew into a passion and led me to take more programming electives in higher grades. I also took the initiative to set up a student-run Computer Club in my high school and host our first annual Computer Symposium. My upbringing in Delhi also made me aware of the gaping inequalities of wealth distribution in our society and as my interest in Computer Science deepened, it only reinforced my belief that lean-technologies can help governments of developing countries in bringing their policies to the altar of execution more efficiently.
A dusty, one-room schoolhouse on the edge of a village. An overworked teacher trying to manage a room full of boisterous children. Students sharing schoolbooks that are in perpetual short supply, crammed in rows of battered desks. Children worn out after long treks to school, stomachs rumbling with hunger. Others who vanish for weeks on end, helping their parents with the year-end harvest. Still others who never come back, lacking the money to pay for school uniforms and school supplies. Such is the daily dilemma faced by many young people in the developing world as they seek to obtain that most precious of all commodities, an education.
I am certain that all have heard of the terms greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, and global warming. Have you ever questioned what will happen if nothing is done about the environmental problems facing the world today? What if I answer you that, we can merely use the power from the sun to power up our entire planet without the use of harmful energy sources, which affect our atmosphere? The power from the sun is what we call solar power. Solar power is the energy that comes from the sun as light and heat energy, and then it is later converted into electrical energy through solar panels (Nelson, 2008).
De Ferranti, D., Gill, I., Guasch, J.L., Maloney, W.F., Perry, G.E., Sanchez-Paramo, C., & Schady, N. (2003). Closing the Gap in Education and Technology. Washington, DC. The World Bank.
As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past. Looking back over the last 20 years, I never would have imagined that computers would come this far and impact our lives so much. Just imagine where they will be 20 years from now.
There is no doubt that technology has changed the world in which we live. The world has been transformed with new advances in technology. This is why it is so important to educate elementary students on technology education. The use of technology in education provides students with technology literacy, information literacy, capacity for life-long learning and other skills necessary for the 21st century workplace. If students are taught how to use laptops to help them in their career now than it can increase productivity in the future. “America is falling from its once prominent position as the world’s leader in technology and science. Technology helps prepare students for a world where they will compete with the best and brightest individuals