There's no contradiction between activities that are fun, or with complex ideas behind them, and those that teach the most basic health and survival skills to children.<br><br>There are three health-related games being proposed and worked on at the moment that are good examples; all of which could use further specific input. Food Force is closest to having something playable... pehaps Muriel and Deepank can say a bit more about its recent status.<br>
<br><a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Water_Wonders">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Water_Wonders</a><br><a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Malnutrition">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Malnutrition</a><br><a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Food_Force">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Food_Force</a><br>
<br>SJ<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 1:03 PM, Bryan Berry <<a href="mailto:bryan.berry@gmail.com">bryan.berry@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
> From: "Ixo X oxI" <<a href="mailto:ixo@myna.ws">ixo@myna.ws</a>><br>
> Subject: [Grassroots-l] Health Jam 2008 (article and pictures)<br>
> To: "OLPC Grassroots" <<a href="mailto:grassroots@lists.laptop.org">grassroots@lists.laptop.org</a>><br>
> Message-ID:<br>
> <<a href="mailto:52bb973e0804281232s5ab06460t598406b19b1e72d8@mail.gmail.com">52bb973e0804281232s5ab06460t598406b19b1e72d8@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br>
><br>
> For those people interested in some pictures and write-up from the Health<br>
> Jam 2008 (Seattle, WA)<br>
> ( <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Health_Jam" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Health_Jam</a> )<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://thedaily.washington.edu/2008/4/23/nonprofit-group-visits-campus-hopes-give-one-lapto/" target="_blank">http://thedaily.washington.edu/2008/4/23/nonprofit-group-visits-campus-hopes-give-one-lapto/</a><br>
><br>
><br>
> And for a more detailed picture.<br>
> <a href="http://thedaily.washington.edu/photo/2008/04/23/3101/" target="_blank">http://thedaily.washington.edu/photo/2008/04/23/3101/</a><br>
><br>
> Bonus for IRC and wiki people, can you guess which one is Seth<br>
> (isforinsects) and Iain (iXo).<br>
><br>
> :)<br>
> -iXo<br>
<br>
Guys, sounds like an interesting event. I am wary that OLPC Health is<br>
focusing on complex systems when most of the kids (and adults) in<br>
deployments really need basic health information. They don't need a<br>
healthcare administration system like WorldVistA or MUMPS running on the<br>
XO, at least not in the short term.<br>
<br>
Kids need basic information about health and interactive learning<br>
activities those help them really understand those ideas.<br>
<br>
My experience working w/ university students is that they tend to start<br>
projects that are fun for research but not related to practical<br>
outcomes. For example, I meet many university kids that want to work on<br>
new physics engines or porting their favorite linux app to Sugar, but<br>
very few that want to work on Sugar's performance. They need to be<br>
guided to the problems that need the most attention.<br>
<br>
If OLPC Health's goal is to do new cool things w/ the XO that are<br>
somehow related to health, the current approach is fine. But if you guys<br>
want to create something that is really relevant to kids at deployments,<br>
I recommend focusing on the basic stuff.<br>
<br>
This reminds me of an earlier discussion about porting Matlab to the XO.<br>
Most Nepali kids who could use Matlab today or w/in a few months already<br>
own computers and go to private schools. The kids that OLPC is trying to<br>
reach need the basics of mathematics first. They need better activities<br>
to teach division, multiplication, algebra, etc.<br>
<br>
That's my two cents.<br>
<br>
I was really hope OLPC Health can make some progress towards<br>
activity(ies) that would teach kids about the causes of disease,<br>
sanitary habits, basic first aid, etc. That is what we could really use<br>
at our pilot schools in Nepal. I imagine the same is true for India,<br>
Peru, Mexico, etc.<br>
<br>
Bryan<br>
OLE Nepal<br>
Kathmandu<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br>