<<November 12, 1998>>
Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
alexandr@ibrati.com.br
and
Maurizia Muccini, Ms.C.
alex_mau@buriti.com.br
Osmar Siena
osmar@unir.br
Maria Rocha de Carvalho
mrocha@canal-1.com.br
Miguel Neneve
neneve@unir.br
Ma. da Graça Martins
paulorj@ronet.com.br
Cesar Augusto dos Santos Melo
ccaapvh@canal-1.com.br
Jorge Elarrat
elarrat@embratel.com.br
Thomas Higbey
thigbey@schoolsonline.org
Ira Kaufman
ira@legacyintl.org
(1) Maria, Miguel, Graca, Cesar, Jorge and others in Porto Velho:
Albeit belated, Hisae and I express our sincere thanks for your generous
hospitality given to us while our stay in your town last month.
It was very productive trip and we enjoyed meeting with your very
friendly people. I greatly appreciated your arrangement with EMBRATEL
for my seminars. I was particularly delighted to hear of EMBRATEL's
willingness to help our projects in your town.
I also appreciated meeting with Rector Osmar Siena and Vice Rector Neide
Miyakawa, and other new rectors.
Miguel, Graca, Cesar;
Many thanks for your excellent translation/interpretation during my
seminars and meetings. Cesar: hello to your brother!
Graca;
Many thanks for your sight-seeing tour of museums and a very impressive
water fall. Pls convey our thanks to the lady who was in charge of
financial support of our stay and who drove us to the museums.
(2) Everybody in Manaus and Porto Velho:
During my stay, I mentioned to you the kind offer of WebTV units to your
elementary schools by Schools Online. You can see their outstanding
activities in their web, which I showed during my seminars in Manaus and
Porto Velho.
You may find more info about the WebTV at <www.webtv.net>.
Attached below are the copies of my correspondences with Thomas Higbey
of the Schools Online.
(a) ATTACHMENT I from Thomas Higbey to T. Utsumi (10/15/98),
This is the one I showed to you during my stay in Manaus and
Porto Velho.
(b) ATTACHMENT II from T. Utsumi to Thomas Higbey (10/30/98),
(c) ATTACHMENT III from Thomas Higbey to T. Utsumi (11/02/98),
(d) ATTACHMENT IV from T. Utsumi to Thomas Higbey (11/02/98),
(e) ATTACHMENT V from Thomas Higbey to T. Utsumi (11/04/98).
(3) Alex:
As mentioned to you, I wish that your FGV would be in charge of this
project, as to be the gateway in Brazil for Schools Online.
Maria and Miguel:
Pls cooperate with Alex on this project.
Alex:
Pls contact following persons for distributing the WebTV units in
Florianopolis;
Prof. Raul Sidnei Wazlawick, SBIE=B495
EDUGRAF - INE - CTC - UFSC
Caixa Postal 476
88040-900 Florianopolis, SC - BRAZIL
Phone: +55 (48) 231-9739 ramal 223
Fax: +55 (48) 231-9770
raul@inf.ufsc.br
Ie@inf.ufsc.br
Www.inf.ufsc.br/sbc-ie/revista.htm
and/or;
Prof Rolf Erdmann
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Post-Graduation in Business Administration
Campus Universitario - Trindade
88040-900 Florian polis
BRAZIL
Tel +55-48-331 7082
E-Mail: HYPERLINK mailto:erdmann@cse.ufsc.br
erdmann@cse.ufsc.br
Maria and Miguel:
Pls convey our best personal regards to Raul when he visits your
town this month.
(4) Alex:
As you see in ATTACHMENT V, Tom Higbey wants to have some information
about your FGV.
I know you have not set up your web site yet. You may then send him
hard copies of your FGV materials (which are something like those given
to me by Lincoln Campos, Superintendent of your organization, at his
office), as soon as you come back from Chili on 11/25th.
One of the materials has English descriptions which I read with
great interest.
Maria and Miguel:
I tried your web site at <www.unir.br> or <www.unir.edu.br>, but
in vain.
Pls feel free to request him any teaching materials in Portuguese, since
he wishes to have a continuing relationship with your FGV, if you accept
his offer. Reciprocity is a good foundation of long lasting relations.
(5) BTW, pls consider to include 4 Japanese schools in Manaus in your
distribution -- you may ask the names of their principals to;
Mr. Kenichi Kobayashi
Consulate General
Japanese Consulate
Rua Ferreira Pena, 92-Centro
69010-140 Manaus, Amazona
Caixa Postal 307
BRAZIL
Tel: 092-232-2000
Fax: 092-232-6073
We met him during my stay in Manaus. This may lead to your solicitation
of participation of many Japanese companies to your subsequent projects
with broadband wireless Internet.
(6) When we met Mr. Moyses Benarros Israel, president of the Federacao das
Industrias do Estado do Amazons (FIEAM) [Association of Industries in
Amazonas] just a night before our departure to NYC, he indicated his
willingness to provide you with a matching fund when you extend our
project to Itacoatiara, a town about 100 miles east of Manaus.
Pls follow-up this.
He also raised a question about the importing difficulty of a donated
equipment from outside countries -- see ATTACHMENT II/Item (3)-(d)
below.
Pls see ATTACHMENT III for Tom's reply on this matter.
(7) Pls feel free to contact Tom, and I wish you a very good luck with this
project.
Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT I
From: thigbey@schoolsonline.org (Thomas Higbey)
To: "'utsumi@columbia.edu'" <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Subject: Good Afternoon from Schools Online
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 10:06:06 -0700
Hello Dr. Utsumi,
Ira Kaufman at Legacy International sent me your email information this
morning. I am certainly intrigued by your Manaus project. Having traveled
extensively in the Amazon basin I would only love too much the opportunity to
bring schools online in the region. When you have a moment please take a look
at out web site, our projects, our board members etc..
We are in the process of developing our international program and working
closely with IEARN in its development. I had mentioned to Ira however that my
primary concern is the speed and efficiency in which Schools Online can move
to sending equipment to schools in developing countries.
For this reason he recommended that we speak since it appears you have, Dr.
Utsumi, an extensive network with NGOs and various Ministries of Education.
For the sake of brevity I have included a summary of our program.
I would be delighted to speak more with you after you have had a chance to
review the material about our organization.
Looking forward to you response,
Thomas Higbey
SCHOOLS ONLINE
Who we are and what we do
Schools Online donates simple, cost-effective Internet access equipment,
together with local support and training. Teachers may use the equipment as
they see fit to further their students' instructional goals. By October,
1998, Schools Online will have helped more than 3,600 schools obtain Internet
access.
Enthusiastic and capable partners determine the success and speed of the
Schools Online program in each country.
Expectations and Responsibilities of Our Partners
Schools Online provides countries with the Internet equipment, initial
training about the equipment and international logistical support. Our
partners however, do most of the in-country support and logistics and are
responsible for local training. Partners work to provide the following:
Selection of schools (often with the help of Schools Online)
Training of school contacts for each participating school
Distribution of equipment
Ensure that selected schools have available phone line and an Internet
Service Provider (ISP)
The Five Step Program
Implementation instructions for a National Program are laid out in the Schools
Online 5 Step Program. These instructions are offered as a model only. The 5
Step program is recommended for our partners because it is a proven method for
getting schools quickly and efficiently connected to the Internet.
Program Costs and Human Resources
Schools Online charges no fees. Equipment and support is delivered free of
charge. Partners are responsible for all in-country implementation. Each
partner, works to include the Schools Online project as part of his or her
overall strategy. Schools Online works on an ongoing basis with their partners
to ensure success and to maximize efficiency.
For example, if a country project is to install equipment in 100 schools for
the first year, a partner must be able to accommodate the necessary resources
to carry out the goal. Since logistics and organization are the largest
responsibility of our partners, human resources are usually our partner's most
important contribution.
Content Issues
Schools Online is working towards providing guidelines on content. Currently
we offer a one year free subscription to an online program that provides
teachers with exciting classroom material in a wide variety of subjects.
Additional guidelines are being developed.
Teacher Training
Schools Online instructs partners (National Directors) on everything they need
to know about the equipment and how to train teachers. On line training
manuals will soon be linked to the Schools Online web site so that
participants can access instructions directly as well as from their personal
training sessions from their National Director.
Technology Description
Schools Online is currently developing on its web page a technological
description of all the products involved with both domestic and international
programs.
I hope this answers some of your questions.......
Talk to you soon....
___________________________________
Thomas Higbey
International Project Manager
Schools Online (formerly Projectneat)
1735 N. 1st Street, Suite 101
San Jose, CA 95112 USA
thigbey@schoolsonline.org
http://www.schoolsonline.org
phone (408) 501-0777
fax (408) 501-0771
connecting the world...one school at a time...
_____________________________________
****************************************
ATTACHMENT II
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 20:53:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Tak Utsumi <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
Reply-To: Tak Utsumi <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
To: Thomas Higbey <thigbey@schoolsonline.org>
cc: Ira Kaufman <ira@legacyintl.org>, Utsumi Takeshi <utsumi@columbia.edu>,
Varis Tapio <tapio.varis@helsinki.fi>,
Padulo Louis <padulo@libertynet.org>,
Larry Forgy <Lforgy@worldbank.org>,
David Johnson <djohnutk@spidernet.com.cy>
Subject: Donation of WebTV to schools in Brazil
<<October 28, 1998>>
Thomas Higbey
International Project Manager
Schools Online (formerly Projectneat)
1735 N. 1st Street, Suite 101
San Jose, CA 95112 USA
phone (408) 501-0777
fax (408) 501-0771
thigbey@schoolsonline.org
http://www.schoolsonline.org
Ira Kaufman
Legacy International
Developer of e-teen.net
where youths, values, and communities merge
tel: (540 297- 5982 ( reception)
(540- 297- 8802) (direct, voice mail)
fax: (540-297-1860)
email: ira@legacyintl.org
Dear Thomas:
(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I).
I am now at the Manaus airport -- on my way back to NYC.
NOTE on October 30, 1998:
I am now back, and thanks for your phone msg on 10/21st when I was
conducting our Global Lecture Hall (GLH)" vodeoconference in
Manaus.
I visited your web site with great interest.
(2) Our colleagues in Manaus and Porto Velho enthusiastically welcomed your
kind offer.
I decided to distribute 40 sets of your system to schools in
Manaus, 30 in Porto Velho and 30 in Florianopolis -- total 100 in
a country (Brazil in this case) as Ira told me.
They are Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV)/ISAE in Manaus, the
University of Rondonia in Porto Velho, and the Federal University
of Santa Catarina -- I need to talk with our colleagues in
Florianopolis later. They will select K-12 and secondary schools
to which your system will be distributed.
They will provide me with the lists of schools in Manaus and Porto Velho
soon which I will forward to you. They will also indicated me that they
can obtain the letters of support from the Secretary of Education of
their states.
(3) Questions raised by our colleagues are as follows;
(a) Your system (i.e., WebTV with 27" TV monitor, Set-top unit) is
good as an introductory for web retrieving, especially in
elementary schools.
However, since web retrieving is only for passive information
retrieval, can its user send/receive email with the unit?
(b) Most of those schools in Manaus and Porto Velho already have TV
units and dish antennas to receive educational courses via analog
satellite.
Therefore, it may be wise for you to provide them with PC
(preferably Mac) and a modem rather than 27" TV monitor and set-top
unit -- the PC can be hooked up with their TV monitor with an
inexpensive interface unit (about $200). This approach will give
them with more versatility.
Incidentally, the price of PC is now getting cheaper and
cheaper -- some of them are now even at less than $500 which
is almost same as the 27" TV monitor (e.g., IBM's recent
announcement to market PC at less than $600, etc.).
(c) Your web site says that you can cover shipping cost.
Does this include even import tax?
(d) Manaus has many Japanese companies since it is a free port. They
assemble TV unit, computers, electronics, etc., and ship to North
America and other countries.
Some of our colleagues told me that donation of any products from
other countries would encounter with great difficulty, if those
products are also produced in Brazil.
Can you purchase 27" TV monitor (or PCs) from Brazilian firms and
donate them to our colleagues?
(e) When everything goes well, can you send your technical personnel
to train technical personnel in Manaus and Porto Velho?
How long will the training session be?
Can you cover all of the cost for your technical personnel?
I would also need to be at this training session. Can you cover
my expenses?
Because of my schedules for other overseas trips, I would
appreciate to have this visit to Amazon in next January.
(f) Your web site says that you will provide them with teaching
materials.
Are those in Portuguese?
(g) Manaus and particularly Porto Velho do not have good Internet
service.
Manaus can have 56 Kbps dial-up modem, but the University of
Rondonia in Porto Velho has only 64 Kbps leased line which
server often gets trouble.
This is why we are working with them to provide them with
broadband (2 Mbps or up) wireless Internet -- via terrestrial
microwave and via broadband digital satellite.
See our web site in my electronic signature below,
particularly on Tampere workshop/conference, Global Service
Trust Fund project, and the final program of our GLH from
Manaus -- specially the presentation made by Prof. Kiuchi of
the University of Tokyo on the broadband (45 Mbps) digital
satellite network for telemedicine -- we are now start
working to establish a similar network in Amazon area and
South America for telelearning and telemedicine. Our
Tampere event (which has been financed by the World Bank) is
to discuss how to proceed this.
We hope that, once these will be available, those high schools
would retrieve multimedia (3D, VRML, animation, etc.) web and
conduct NetMeeting videoconferencing via Internet with clear audio
and video -- to initiate electronic distance education.
I have successfully conducted demonstrations of those
delivery systems during our Global Lecture Hall (GLH)"
videoconference from Manaus on 10/21st -- pls see its final
program in my web site.
(4) I look forward to receiving your replies to the above and next step
instructions how we can help you.
Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT III
From: thigbey@schoolsonline.org (Thomas Higbey)
To: "'Tak Utsumi'" <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
Subject: RE: Donation of WebTV to schools in Brazil
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 16:35:59 -0800
Hi Tak,
It was good to hear from you.
It is also assuring to know you have so many intelligent questions.
I would like to clarify a couple of things however before I answer your =
questions. Schools Online is looking for a partner (preferably NGO) in =
Brazil that could assist us on an ongoing basis for the program as a =
whole. We would ideally like to work with a group that is already active =
in education. Our contribution is the equipment and we would like to =
find those individuals and/or organizations who can use Schools Online =
to build off of their already existing program. In this way we have a =
group that can train teachers throughout the year, negotiate a contract =
with a Brazilian dealer to purchase and distribute televisions for =
schools in Brazil, (this answers one of the questions), assist teachers =
involved in the program to install equipment if necessary, perform an =
evaluation to verify the equipment is online in the appropriate school =
and achieving the goal.=20
With these requirements in mind Dr. Utsumi, what do you perceive as the =
best way of locating and developing a relationship with the most able =
NGO for such a program?
I am also interested to hear about the success of your Manaus visit. =20
Hope to hear from you soon.
Warm regards,
Thomas
****************************************
ATTACHMENT IV
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 22:21:26 -0500 (EST)
From: Tak Utsumi <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
To: Thomas Higbey <thigbey@schoolsonline.org>
cc: Ira Kaufman <ira@legacyintl.org>, Utsumi Takeshi <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Subject: NGOs
<<November 2, 1998>>
Dear Tom:
(1) Many thanks for your msg.
(2) My replies/comments are in << >>.
Best, Tak
****************************************
From: thigbey@schoolsonline.org (Thomas Higbey)
To: "'Tak Utsumi'" <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
Subject: RE: Donation of WebTV to schools in Brazil
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 16:35:59 -0800
Hi Tak,
It was good to hear from you.
It is also assuring to know you have so many intelligent questions.
I would like to clarify a couple of things however before I answer your =
questions. Schools Online is looking for a partner (preferably NGO) in =
Brazil that could assist us on an ongoing basis for the program as a =
whole. We would ideally like to work with a group that is already active =
in education. Our contribution is the equipment and we would like to =
find those individuals and/or organizations who can use Schools Online =
to build off of their already existing program. In this way we have a =
group that can train teachers throughout the year, negotiate a contract =
with a Brazilian dealer to purchase and distribute televisions for =
schools in Brazil, (this answers one of the questions), assist teachers =
involved in the program to install equipment if necessary, perform an =
evaluation to verify the equipment is online in the appropriate school =
and achieving the goal.=20
With these requirements in mind Dr. Utsumi, what do you perceive as the =
best way of locating and developing a relationship with the most able =
NGO for such a program?
<<The organizations mentioned in my previous msg are non-profit
educational organizations, -- prominent in their respective towns.
However, if you apply the strict terminology of NGO with license from
international organizations (e.g., UNESCO, WHO, ITU, etc.), I think they
are not NGO -- if you want to apply such a strict limitation, I would
suggest that you should inquire UNESCO.
They have enough technical and business capabilities to handle your
programs. For example, FGV in Manaus has been working with IBM to train
high school teachers for the past several years. I visited one of their
training centers with many PCs accessing webs -- in a sense, if you
distribute PCs (rather than TV unit), they would appreciate more. The
training center I visited in Manaus is the best I have ever seen in many
locations, including Japan -- they are very much advanced than Japanese.
If you wish to have continuing relationships with them, including
teaching materials in Portuguese, pls send me some of the materials so
that I will forward them for their evaluation.>>
I am also interested to hear about the success of your Manaus visit. =20
<<You will see my report in my list distribution soon.>>
Hope to hear from you soon.
<<Sorry to say that I could not open your attachment.>>
Warm regards,
Thomas
****************************************
ATTACHMENT V
From: thigbey@schoolsonline.org (Thomas Higbey)
To: "'Tak Utsumi'" <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>
Subject: RE: NGOs
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 18:54:00 -0800
Thank you for your quick response Tak.
The organizations do not have to be official NGOs. What is most important is
that they are reliable, dependable and passionate. What about the
organizations in the other two cities?
I was also interested to know about their size i.e. funding, paid and
volunteer staff, their source of funding and their primary activities, how old
they are etc.....
Do any of the three have web sites for example?
I appreciate your thoughtfulness in being able to respond to these
questions....
I was just reading about the defeat of your 18 year term senator.......
Hope New York is alright,
Thomas
****************************************
Distribution List
Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
Professor Adjunto
Univesidade do Amazonas
Departamento de Economia
Rua Em lio Moreira, 611 P a. 14
Manaus - AM
Brasil 69000
Tel.: (092) 234.6591
or,
Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV)/ISAE
Av. Djalma Batista, 712 - Chapada
Manaus - AM
Brasil 69050-901
Tel.: (092) 622.6957
633-1514 Ramal 77
Fax.: (092) 633.1827
(092) 622-6985<<September 24, 1998>>His msg of today prefer this.
alexandr@ibrati.com.br
and
Maurizia Muccini, Ms.C.
alex_mau@buriti.com.br
Osmar Siena
Rector
University of Rondonia
Campus Jose Ribeiro Filho, BR 364 - Km 9.5
Porto Velho, Rondonia
CEP 78900-000
Brazil
Tel: 069-216-8504
Fax: 069-216-8506
osmar@unir.br
Maria Rocha de Carvalho
Administrative assistant
director of the Centre of Data Processing of the University
University of Rondonia
Av. Presidente Detra, 2965, Centro
Porto Velho, Rondonia
Brazil
CEP 78900-000
mrocha@canal-1.com.br
Miguel Neneve
Professor of Literature
University of Rondonia
Porto Velho, Rondonia
Brazil
Tel: 069-227-2862
neneve@unir.br
Ma. da Graça Martins
R. Prudente de Moraes, 2519, Centro
Porto Velho - RO
CEP 78900-000
Brazil
+55-069-981-3916
paulorj@ronet.com.br
Cesar Augusto dos Santos Melo
Rua Alecrim 36
Cohab-Floresta II
CEP 78911-430
Porto Velho - RO
BRAZIL
+55-069-221-1052
ccaapvh@canal-1.com.br
www.ccaa.canal-1.com.br
Jorge Elarrat
Gerente do Escritorio de Servicos
EMBRATEL/Porto Velho
Av. Calama, 3775
78905-230 Porto Velho - RO
BRAZIL
+55-069-216-8210
+55-069-981-9690
Fax: +55-069-216-8236
elarrat@embratel.com.br
Thomas Higbey
International Project Manager
Schools Online (formerly Projectneat)
1735 N. 1st Street, Suite 101
San Jose, CA 95112 USA
408-501-0777
650-787-2569
fax (408) 501-0771
thigbey@schoolsonline.org
http://www.schoolsonline.org
Ira Kaufman
Legacy International
Developer of e-teen.net
where youths, values, and communities merge
tel: (540 297- 5982 ( reception)
(540- 297- 8802) (direct, voice mail)
fax: (540-297-1860)
email: ira@legacyintl.org