Hi all,
We have to understand that the XO is not an office computer and to compare it with an EEE PC is comparing chalk and cheese. The XO is a learning tool for very young children, and a teaching tool for their teachers. The mesh networking, with almost every activity on the laptops designed to collaborate, alone is something that puts it quite apart from the EEE PC. However, I believe the OLPC is not about merely the XO but is about a highly scale-able approach to applying ICT to improve basic education - about starting as many children off on a good start to a life of learning. The activities (and even the sharing function) might at some stage be portable to another device like the EEE PC (but it would be a very poor performer). OLPC wouldn't mind, as long as it works. That's not the point. In ten years if we are all still here, we will see this differently - a low-cost specially designed ICT learning tool for all children will be just something we take for granted. It would be absurd to imagine giving windows (or standard Linux distros with office software) laptops to 100 eight-year olds and their teachers, as we did in PNG in June, and then coming back after 5 months and finding the results that I did a couple of weeks ago (copied below). I found teachers actively using the laptops , the children obviously highly motivated and engaged with learning both in and out of class. Some pictures at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Oceania (see the PNG page, and also the Solomon Islands page which has some Youtube videos including of a teacher using the laptop in a grade 1 lesson). I believe it was a mistake to believe that you could have got any value from an unguided introduction to the OLPC for the Tuvalu teachers, indeed it seems to have been a misguided approach as the principles of OLPC and the mode of operation were clearly not understood. I am the one who will be implementing OLPC trials in Tuvalu early next year but I am confident I can steer this in the right direction. I have also been conducting Wikieducator L4C workshops in the Pacific and it seems to me that the OLPC principles are highly in tune with the world of open educational resources, and the need to create new ways to empower Pacific educators to pool together regionally relevant content and methods. The below is some feedback copied from a report - yet to be posted on the OLPC Oceania wiki. Sorry if this makes it quite a long posting. If anyone wishes, I am happy to provide some more information, for instance on how we see the educational impacts, challenges and potential for Wikieducator linkage (in fact, we have already been using the IMS content export facility to download HTML content for the school servers that are also installed in the host schools). We have started OLPC projects in several countries, including Solomon Islands where I am based. But the below refers to PNG as I have just returned from there. FEEDBACK FROM THE TRIALS PROJECTS IN PNG This feedback is in no way a substitute for a proper evaluation. SPC has plans for these, wishing to work with appropriate agencies and institutions. Part of the strategy for the trials is to work with Departments of Education to develop objective frameworks which can be measured. In PNG, trials were started in June at Gaire and Dreikikir. Only grade 3 was involved in each school owing to availability of laptops at that time. However, both sites have been assessed and arrangements made to complete both schools so that all teachers and students will receive laptops, by the end of the year. The implementation will involve full training for teachers and introduction of support and monitoring arrangements. However, there are some observations that can be made following the five months since the trials were started in June 2008. The SPC advisor David Leeming visited both schools in November 2008 accompanied by representatives from the Department. Teachers were asked to give feedback (reported below more or less in their own words). FEEDBACK ON DREIKIKIR (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Papua_New_Guinea and http://www.olpc.org.pg) Feedback from teachers . Enormous enthusiasm. They really see the value of the programme and the head teacher is requesting the additional XOs immediately. . Motivation of grade 3s has soared, teachers too. Demand for transfers in to Dreikikir are increasing, and two teachers who have been promoted and have to transfer out were almost in tears as the prospect of leaving . They have been amazed by the self learning capacity, with learning continuing out of class, and obvious skills and knowledge of the grade 3s. The kids gave a demo and they were bursting with confidence, quite unlike their shy former selves during training in June. . They have been using the XOs in lessons on a regular basis. Both guided and unguided. Examples, regular use of Record in science to investigate natural objects, calculate, write, speak. . The teachers say that they totally accept and endorse the "agent of change" characteristic of OLPC, in terms of teaching practices. It is extremely timely as the same intended changes (active learning etc) are part of the current reform process. The XOs fit with that perfectly. . The teachers report that the grade 3s are noticeably improved in terms of engagement in learning and motivated in and out of class. All children are now more included with fewer children being left out. . Head Teacher Peter Kantipil did a test with his grade 3 class, giving them a grade 4 task. When evaluated they came out better than the grade 4s. They think this is directly due to their improved learning since June. (Note, a DWU researcher is interested in doing a 2-year study on IQ of students using XOs) . On the other hand, the other grades are demoralised by not having XOs. This is a real negative impact, and adds urgency to saturate the full school. . The teachers used the laptops to take photos to add to their attainment certificates in colour (each child has one end of year) . Community also very positive. During the demo, the kids showed me how they have filmed music DVDs so they can play them on their XOs at home, also one showed me an official letter that his Dad had written using the XO, so its useful at home. But the self learning is well noted by the parents . Hardware: only 1 laptop u/s (but they will try to reflash it). One has no audio. Others all look pretty well looked after. . The main issue - power - is solved. They have a robust work around solution, and we can make a more elegant one later. FEEDBACK FROM GAIRE . The children love the laptops, and have become experts in the eyes of the teachers . The teachers are extremely positive and don't feel any way imposed upon . The main observation is the power of the laptops in helping the children to learn and discover things, beyond the school. They have become experts . One example, they have already discovered creating games with "Memorise" . The children have become very busy in the classroom - i.e. very engaged in what they are doing . They are very impressed with the creativity of some of the students, for instance the standard of drawings using Paint is quite out of the league of the adults! . The G3 teachers use the laptops quite a lot in class, both guided and unguided. They can allow the students quite a lot of freedom to use activities to tackle various tasks. . One teacher listed some guided uses: o Write o Calculate o Tamtam o Paint o Chat (they found it is quite useful in class) . They did a school survey that involved creating music with the laptops . The deputy head teacher has a G3 child, and he has made a lot of positive observations. He could also speak as a parent. He gave his child a question on science, and the child researched the answer on the Internet! This is a grade 3, 8 year old. . Teachers have been using/borrowing laptops to research material for their lessons, as well as downloading materials and sending emails. . The children line up outside the RICS and use the Internet quite often . This is evidence of the added value of the RICS . As with Dreikikir, the ones without laptops have been a bit demoralised. One teacher very eloquently explained that until the whole school was saturated, judgement on the laptops is unbalanced. . Teachers were very aware and supportive of the need to monitor and evaluate, and to involve the Province in this task . Two laptops of the 53 had problems, one has half the screen distorted (horizontal lines) and one has the dead battery syndrome. We managed to get the battery charging again although it is only very slowly taking up charge. . They could not think of any negative impacts. We have also been seeing how the project can impact on children with disabilities: in a recent post to PICISOC list I wrote this: "I need to explain that, to scale up an OLPC programme in most of the countries in the region, governments will require partnerships with a variety of NGOs and champions. In PNG this is happening. One of the major partners is Divine Word University, and they now have already a trained team to work on training and implementation, and their St. Benedict's campus in Wewak have even introduced an OLPC component, with certification, into their teacher training programme, thanks to the vision of the Dean, Dr Alfred Tivinarlik. When DWU conducted teacher training for 87 teachers from schools in the area at St. Benedicts in October, they invited people from Callan Services, an international NGO that has centres around PNG helping people including children overcome disabilities. Our "man from OLPC", Professor Barry Vercoe has also visited them previously. Some teachers from Callan Services in Wewak attended the DWU training and immediately saw the potential. I have video taken by Alfred, showing them using the laptops to create visual resources for teaching sign language - on the spot! So they are definitely championing that aspect of the wide potential of OLPC. They also have a centre in Kiunga, where I visited schools that Lawrence Stephens of PNG Sustainable Development plans to start OLPC projects in their areas of interest, and we briefed them - possibly they can become part of a hub for Western Province. PNGSDP plans to give them a class of laptops to develop those ideas. We also visited the Mt Hagen area, as they hope to start a project "exhibition school" at Kisap near Banz, and visited Sister Rose at the nearby Shalom Centre (Banz), a centre for people diagnosed with HIV. We discussed how we might link that in some way to the street children Lawrence had pointed out to me at the market. I remembered that in the early days, we were primarily thinking of the children who did not attend school, but the focus has now become centred around schools - probably as it is easier to manage. But those children do not attend school - a visible side of the 50% who are not at school in the 6-17 age group. We discussed ways in which the residents at the centre might somehow use the laptops to share their stories, in some way working to involve children not at school. Not sure how that will develop but it shows the range of possibilities. I am increasingly seeing OLPC as a sort of transformational technology - not a phrase to use lightly - due to it's potential widespread impacts. First Secretary Seri Hegame rightly described the OLPC as a human development programme, not just education". Over the top? Well I have been through a learning process and I as some one who works in these schools and communities to make these things work, I am not keen to promote something that won't. I hoipe I have a healthy sceptisism but I am see some remarkable results in a short time. It needs to be properaly evaluated, of course. David Leeming OLPC Coordinator, SPC and Technical Advisor, People First Network Honiara, Solomon Islands From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Leigh Blackall Sent: Tuesday, 2 December 2008 5:02 p.m. To: [email protected] Subject: [WikiEducator] Re: One Laptop Per Child OLPC Thanks for the pointers Jim. Actually, I never did work it out... nor did 40 others! I'm fending off attacks on my blog... I knew I'd hit a nerve with my post. I can see how many people will dismiss my post as "couldn't get past my own preferences", but that ignores the experience of the 40 others I spoke for, 10 of whom had never used a computer before. I watched a few people look at my Asus and could see their intuition working on it better than on the OLPCs. Leo, you got the text in this email thread right? On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 3:56 AM, valerie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: When I first started looking into OLPCs, there was a one page guide for people who had used other computers. It addressed lots of these issues and explained work arounds or alternatives. It had a list of "fun" activities that would help orient an experienced computer user to XO behaviors. By the time I got an XO, the page was gone - someone decided that this was inappropriate. Apparently there were some mistakes or misunderstandings that were contained in the document. If you had an XO you should stumble around and learn to love it. Too bad. I think the OLPC folks would get more support by helping PC users be successful and understand what trade offs have been made and why as well as translating PC into XO. There are lots of us who would like to be more positive, but the learning curve is just too steep without some assistance. With all our PC baggage, it is hard to get to a starting point to explore the real power and innovations. There are so many great things the little green machine can do. A mouse and a USB memory stick are invaluable for us differently-abled computer users. I had to install Opera to get around the authentication certificate issue to access Moodle on one of the school's servers. I loved the bright, clear screen. It was a huge hit going through security in airports. And it certainly made a fashion statement, especially if there were little kids around. If anyone has a copy of the OLPC guide for PC users, that would be a great place to start. Making that correct and current would help enormously. ..Valerie On Nov 30, 8:59 pm, "Jim Tittsler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 14:22, Leigh Blackall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The next thing I noticed was the browser. At first glance it looks a little > > like Google's Chrome, but less than 3 clicks around you soon realise that ... -- -- Leigh Blackall +64(0)21736539 skype - leigh_blackall SL - Leroy Goalpost http://learnonline.wordpress.com http://www.wikieducator.org/User:Leighblackall --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
