> Hai Ti!: SchoolNet says it's time to listen up and go FOSS! > > WINDHOEK. SchoolNet Namibia <http://www.schoolnet.na> is taking a bold new > step to entice teachers and students into the wonderful world of Free and > Open Source Software (FOSS). SchoolNet has teamed up with Direq > International <http://www.direq.org>, Strika Entertainment > <http://strika.com> and The Namibian Youth Paper > <http://www.namibian.com.na> to produce and distribute Hai Ti!, a comic > strip that spreads the word about the ways that computers, FOSS and the > internet can transform learners' and teachers' lives. > > > > It's a new and highly innovative approach to a universal problem. "Our > numerous letters, manuals and trainers have not been very effective in > bringing teachers into the computer lab. So we decided to build a > character-based drama around the SchoolNet team and teachers and > learners at > a remote rural school in Namibia," says executive director Joris Komen. > "There has also been a lot of controversy > <http://www.schoolnet.na/news/stories/msft20021111.html> about the > compatibility of Free and Open Source office applications and programmes > with similar (and usually very expensive!) proprietary software more > commonly used in the private sector. We expect Hai Ti! to finally put such > controversy to rest. The skills acquired by teachers and learners to cut, > copy and paste, and use office tools such as word processors and > spreadsheets, as well as the Internet, must be completely platform > neutral, > without affecting their career and learning opportunities." > > > > In order to demystify the computers that have proven so alluring to > learners > but not so much to teachers, SchoolNet collaborated closely with > Strika and > Direq to conceptualize, illustrate and produce a full-colour comic. > Desiged > to address educators' fears, SchoolNet staff - young, technically savvy > Namibians - drew from their own experiences to craft the narrative. > > > > The first 20-page comic interweaves the stories of a learner who uses the > internet to prepare for a debate; of a football fan who learns that the > Internet can be a better source for sports than the "cuca shop" (Shebeen); > and of a young teacher learning computer basics with the help of SchoolNet > trainers. The comic, liberally sprinkled with helpful definitions and > basic > tips, doubles as an easy reference manual afterwards. Each edition will > also be published online at Schoolnet's website, > http://www.schoolnet.na/haiti. The insert will be distributed in The > Namibian Youth Paper on a regular basis for the next few years, with > bumper > Christmas annuals, and loads of local competitions as added bonuses. > > > > Hai Ti! is also unique in being the first publication of its kind to be > published under international Creative Commons > <http://www.creativecommons.org> rules in Namibia. Creative Commons > copyright ensure that any person who receives a copy or derived version of > this publication work can use, modify and also redistribute the work and > derived versions of the work, with appropriate acknowledgement to the > original authors and artists. The first edition of Hai Ti! -- which means > "listen up ! " in the Oshiwambo language group, has been included in the > April 26th edition of the Namibian Youth Paper. Look out for more to come! > > > > Prepared by Ceiran Bishop and Joris Komen > > 25 April 2005
http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/10205 is where I wrote something up on it. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Panama City, Panama [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
