Ask Slashdot: Teaching Typing With Limited Electricity, Computers? 325
An anonymous reader writes "I am tasked with developing a service project to teach students in a Bangladeshi village how to type. The school has about 500 students, 12 computers donated to them in 2006, and a limited electricity supply. The students will be given job placement opportunities at a local firm in the city once they reach a certain proficiency. Therefore, we are trying to teach as many of them typing skills as possible. The problem: limited electricity, limited computers, many kids. I have some additional funding collected through donations. Instead of buying more computers, I am looking for a cost effective way that does not need a steady flow of electricity. I realize that to teach typing, I do not need a computer. I could achieve the same using a keyboard connected to a display. A solar powered calculator is a perfect example of a cheap device which has a numpad for input and an LCD for display. But so far I have not come across a device that has a qwerty keyboard and an LCD to display what's typed. I know there are some gaming keyboards that have LCDs built in but they are quite expensive. I am aiming to build a device that cost below USD 50. I considered using typewriters but they are in limited supply on the market. I also considered OLPC but it is double my anticipated budget. Do you have other suggestions?" Considering that (at least in China) sub-$50 Android tablets with capacitive screens are already here, I wish the Alphasmart line was cheaper, but apparently it currently starts at $169.
Re:Here's an idea (Score:5, Interesting)
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-04-26/news/30072856_1_typewriters-manufacturers-machines [businessinsider.com]
You could probably look around for enough of them, eventually, but the effort probably isn't worth it.
Raspberry Pi Centered Idea (Score:5, Interesting)
So to start at the core of it, I would personally select a $25 non-ethernet (Type A?) Raspberry Pi, an $8 USB keyboard [monoprice.com] and $5 flash card [amazon.com]. From there those little devices have the RCA Video (analog) out and also an HDMI out. So if one of your computers goes bad, you can always rig it up to one of these little guys. However, I also understand that you need more displays. Now this is where you have the option to become a rockstar superman. If you are not afraid of code and working GPIO pins [elinux.org] I would suggest purchasing some of these little guys [parallax.com] first getting it to simply display and read across what they are typing and secondly maybe use one row to take in a file that progresses in typing difficult and displays that on the first line while it waits for input and validates on the second line (might even have room to use LEDs or something else on the RPi for score keeper/carrot/stick. If you document all this, it might turn out that the villagers get wise on how to ripe a seven segment display out of anything and hook it up to these GPIO pins?
So how to power this? Well the easy way would be to use what you have already available for power but get some of these guys [monoprice.com] and daisy chain these guys [chinabuye.com] from one of your existing computers until they don't produce enough power. I would suggest researching that screen and the Pi and figuring out what their power draw is. Maybe get some cheap fuses to protect your hardware. A lot of broken appliances still have good electric motors in them and electric motors often produce energy as turbines if you spin them. Now, the big problem is how do you clean the power if people are cranking these turbines with their hands or connected to a bike's gear set? That's something I'm not much of an expert in. I do know the Pis run off of two rechargeable AA batteries just great but you also have to take care if they're planning to try to charge those batteries with a hand cranked appliance motor. From my understanding it's pretty tough to not screw stuff up if you're dealing with human generated power. Had to keep that steady and to find existing ways to clean it down to what tiny sensitive devices need.
The upswing of all this would be that the RPis are versatile, any of those students could really do a whole bunch of things with these. And if you make this a part of the Raspberry Pi wiki, you might get people helping you with those screens -- might. At least others will be able to use your work.
Well... (Score:4, Interesting)
New alphasmarts are hilariously overpriced; but used ones can easily be a factor of ten cheaper, so that isn't a bad route to go down. You'll need to fleabay or otherwise scrounge; but you can get them at pleasingly low prices.
Another option, if the locals have some TVs, might be 'famiclones' or their slightly more modern ilk. The ones that just have controllers are no good; but there is a genre of 'c64' styled keyboard-based ones. RF and/or composite out to a TV, keyboard, usually some sort of BASIC or other typing environment of some degree of not-entirely-useless. Nasty; but cheap, cheap, cheap at the right dodgy flea market.
Re:Typewriter (Score:2, Interesting)
Another anecdote from 20+ years ago: I grew up using the hunt-and-peck method, and then I took a typing class my first semester in high school. The class used powered, mechanical typewriters with the correction ribbon removed so we wouldn't be tempted to backspace; our exercises were timed, and we had to start with a fresh piece of paper to fix any mistakes.
I was doing very poorly in the class, so one afternoon I took the bold step of covering my hands with a piece of blank paper. This forced me to visualize the locations of the keys, and by the next day I was able to touch-type without every looking away from the sample text. My exercise grades literally went from C's to A's overnight.
p.s. Yes, it probably helped that I had spent weeks staring at a gigantic chalkboard-sized poster of the keyboard in class, but the process of going from hunt-and-peck to touch-typing happened at home without any physical visual aids.
Re:Typewriter (Score:2, Interesting)
What about an old fashioned typewriter?
The summary says: " I considered using typewriters but they are in limited supply on the market."
So...exactly how did that get modded 'insightful'?
Because of this from the OP:
I realize that to teach typing, I do not need a computer. I could achieve the same using a keyboard connected to a display.
Typewriters are in limited supply, but this mythical "keyboard connected to a display" that's not a computer is an option?
How about this: If you're in the land of limited electricity, no computers, and no typewriters, why are wasting time teaching people to type?
The answer to the original question is manual, non-electric typewriters.
If you disagree, what is your alternative that is not in limited supply?