The 'Talking Book' is a low-cost audio device device with recording capabilities -- imagine a rubbery MP3 player about the size of a grapefuit -- rather ingeniously engineered (and re-engineered) to meet specific needs and usage scenarios in very poor communities in Africa. It is designed for use in local languages, using locally produced content, as tool to promote literacy among primary school children (to cite just one goal and target group). One way to think of the device, Cliff said, is as a 'small portable computer without a display'. While the project is still in its pilot stages, it is notable for its express interest in investigating solutions that are low cost and scalable from the beginning, and in rigorously monitoring and evaluating the impact of its interventions.
Teachers Without Borders on 24 May 12DUBAI // A group of Grade 6 pupils in Dubai want to convince schools across the country to convert to solar energy - and save up to Dh1 million a year on their electricity bills. Related ■ Weaving the sun's power into life's fabric ■ Utility bills sent out to show waste If their mission, under the banner "Make A Difference", is successful, the students at Emirates International School Jumeirah estimate that schools can reduce electricity usage by 20 per cent.
