Realities of putting computers in Escuelas in CR

• Dave found that 7 of the 12 PCs and 10 of the 11 Macs we gratefully received in August from Oklahoma are usable. Others need parts or other repair and we are awaiting funds to make them serviceable.
• All equipment that has been received has needed evaluation, cleaning and repair, including reinstallation of the operating system and the installation of educational software.
• Costa Rican schools are not Mac knowledgeable or oriented like the US educational system. Because of this we had to purchase and install a program called “Virtual PC” on all of the Macs in order for them to “feel” like PC’s and run PC programs.
• The Ministry of Education has been promising schools computer labs complete with teachers for years. In order for them to continue to be eligible for these new computers from MEP (Minister of Education) and to honestly say that they don’t own them, we decided that it would be best to make each school sign a loan agreement for the computers.
• It has become evident that most schools here do not have themselves prepared for computers. Because of that we had to demand that before a school could receive computers they had to have the proper security, electricity and grounding in place not to mention appropriate workspace. Additionally, teachers must find a way to interject computers into the English course curriculum while still meeting requirements of the Ministry of Education. We also stipulated that the computers MUST be used weekly in English classes. After that condition is met they may use them for other subjects and for administration.
• The reality of getting the equipment here involved significant expense. A generous company “rounded up” the computer equipment at a school in Tulsa, OK and packed them for shipment. Through the donation of an individual the computers were shipped to Anaheim, CA. Through the donation of yet another company they were shipped in a container to Costa Rica and delivered to our home in San Ramon. Another generous company put up the $600 required to process the equipment through customs. There have been other costs borne by us personally for parts and supplies required to make the equipment ready to be placed in the schools. All-in-all, the “free” computers incurred a significant expense to get here, begging the question “is putting computers in the schools here worth the expense?”
• The realities of placing computers in the escuelas have been rather stark and unforeseen by us. In order to place computers in schools (those with computers in place and planned) they have had to make significant investments. They have had to place bars in all windows, secure locks on all doors, improve the electrical wiring and, in some cases, provide the materials for suitable desks. All that for “well used” computers. From the school’s perspective it has been worth the expense but we can’t help but wonder if the money could be better spent elsewhere in either the infrastructure of the schools or in materials or equipment.
• So, the question remains, “is it worth it to have donated computers sent to Costa Rica to be placed in escuelas?” In our estimation the answer is, despite the cost, “yes.”
1. It advances the teaching of English, giving teachers and native English speaking volunteers another “tool” in their curriculum.
2. It exposes computers to children at the elementary school level, preparing them for high school.
3. It allows teachers to have in in-school resource for the creation of lesson plans and other administrative tasks.
4. It will, in schools that have internet access, allow students in Costa Rica to communicate with students in Tulsa, OK and elsewhere, as well as will have access to the world wide web in the classroom.