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Lights out [2014-11-01]

We’re sitting here on a Saturday morning at the school in Musoma, waiting and hoping for the return of electricity so we can tidy up a few last things before leaving.  Yesterday marked the official completion of the Reneal IEO 2014 projects, as we conducted teacher orientation trainings for the teachers at Paroma.  Tomorrow we will return to Arusha.  It’s hard to believe it was only a week ago today that we began our trip here to Musoma– what a myriad of experiences we’ve had, both work and fun.

Progress on all fronts [2014-10-23]

It’s been a lively week for Reneal IEO here in Arusha.  We returned to Ilkiding’a Secondary School on Monday for two sessions of teacher orientation training.  A question posed by one of the teachers led Neal to some late-night software sessions to develop an exciting new capability for the system.  We had a meeting Tuesday with representatives from the Arusha District Council, Arusha Node Marie, Habari Node Ltd, and Reneal to discuss a possible partnership to expand our collective ability to equip schools with computer hardware and software.   We have begun scouting in earnest for candidate schools for 2015 projects.  And tomorrow we leave for Musoma, for the final installation for the 2014 projects.

Rube Goldberg fun [2014-10-19]

Saturday we participated in a teachers’ workshop sponsored by Arusha Node Marie (http://www.arushanodemarie.or.tz/).  The workshop was for teachers to learn more about IT and the internet, and the coordinators invited Neal and me to give a two-hour demonstration of the Reneal IEO system.  Neal spent Friday evening tinkering here in our room, and ended up with a improvised (but very clever) system to replicate a Reneal IEO computer lab for the workshop.

Onward to Ilkiding'a [2014-10-15]

Monday we returned to Mwandet Secondary School for the teacher orientation training on the Reneal IEO system.  It was a lot of fun!  Today we began our second computer lab installation, this at Ilkiding’a Secondary School.  Just like at Mwandet, we’re installing a server along with 16 donated laptops connected to the server for student and teacher use.

Updates from 2013 schools [2014-10-12]

While last week’s main focus was the computer lab installation at Mwandet Secondary School, we also had a chance to visit two of our 2013 installations: Mukulat Secondary School and Mlangarini Secondary School.  One of the highlights was participating in the awarding of certificates for the top-performing teachers and students in computer use at Mukulat (some photos are posted on the Reneal IEO Facebook page).  At both schools we gained valuable information about what is (and isn’t) working, from which we can learn for future installations. 

Out in the field [2014-10-09]

It’s Thursday night, and we’re here at Mwandet Secondary School doing our first 2014 Tanzania installation.  Since it is a rather long, rocky, dusty drive from Arusha, we are staying here at the school from Wednesday through Friday.  As is usual, we have been astonished and humbled by the generosity and assistance we’ve received.  We are excited to report that we are nearly finished already with the installation here, with full-up system testing planned for tomorrow.

First light [2014-10-04]

Neal and I recently read a great book about the building of the Palomar 200” reflecting telescope.  We loved how they grappled with each of the many engineering challenges to eventually achieve “first light” – the time when starlight is first observed with a new telescope.  We had our own (very minor) version of “first light” just a few minutes ago here in Tanzania, as Neal fired up the server for Mwandet Secondary School for the first time.  It was very exciting to see the Reneal IEO startup screen filling the monitor!

What it’s all about [2014-09-27]

It’s been a blizzard of box-packing this last week.  Ten more boxes of donated computer equipment departed for the Philippines on Tuesday, joining 10 others shipped in the previous few weeks.  We have just about completing our prepositioning for the 2015 projects in Cebu!  And now eight more boxes are neatly stacked for Monday’s departure for Tanzania, along with a growing pile of personal gear (not so neatly stacked…) that will be packed tomorrow.  Yes, at last we are on the brink of beginning the long-planned 2014 Tanzania projects! 

A nice problem to have [2014-09-20]

Stacks of desktops to test and prepare for shipping…  A big line of monitors sitting nearby for packing…  Numerous empty boxes addressed and waiting for contents…  Yes, lots of work ahead but what a thrill to know that the Reneal IEO 2015 project plan for the Philippines is now fully resourced!  The trip to Ft. Collins this week resulted in 40 used desktop computers and 20 used flat panel monitors receiving new life helping students in high schools in the Philippines.

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