[Olpc-open] NOW: OLPC Contributors Program Mtg (#olpc-meeting, 2PM Boston Time, Friday)

Holt holt at laptop.org
Fri Oct 8 14:00:05 EDT 2010


Even though OLPC's Contributors Program has a bit of a temporary inventory
shortage this month, please all join us voting for the latest OLPC/Sugar
community projects over IRC Live Chat, even if I apologize certain
shipments may be somewhat delayed!  Please join us live now, to make the
best project allocations & mentoring relationships, starting right here:

http://forum.laptop.org/chat

Then type at bottom:
/join #olpc-meeting


AGENDA:

* Fast Review of the 10 latest (greatest!) HW/Project Proposals -- please
  join us advocating for, and/or reviewing shortcomings of these proposals:

  1. Children's resource and gaming centre - Kampala, Uganda
  2. Improving performance in science subjects and raising HIV/AIDS 
awareness - Uganda/Kenya/USA
  3. Moneague College - Jamaica
  4. XOpup / Puppy Linux XO-1.5 - Southport, Australia
  5. "Preventing Malaria" - Mexico/Edinburg, Texas
  6. SemanticXO - Amsterdam, Netherlands
  7. Developing education resources - Australia/Timor
  8. Zimbabwe Youth Development Foundation trust: Project Rabuda/Sunrise
  9. XOs from Fargo to Sudan: after school to building a school - North 
Dakota State University
  10. Upper Canada College / Ntugi Kenya

* Which projects might you enjoy Mentoring below?!
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects
http://rt.laptop.org/Search/Results.html?Query=Queue=%27contributors%27

* New projects & libraries -- teaching them Community Outreach:
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Laptop_Lending_Libraries


1. Children's resource and gaming centre - Kampala, Uganda
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67018
    http://www.kyowgp.blogspot.com
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 10 XOs over 12 months

    Project Background/Objectives:
    - enhancing the current children learning activties through the
      development of a creative learning environment with the 
availability of
      laptops for recreation.
    - provide entertainment and a learning experience for the children in
      nansana.
    - develop a children's gaming station as part of the current resource
      centre where after reading,children can engage in some 
recreational and
      educational entertainment.
    - introduction of OLPC/Sugar community in one community in the country.


2. Improving performance in science subjects and raising HIV/AIDS 
awareness - Uganda/Kenya/USA
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67167
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 9 XOs over 2-3 months

    Project Objectives:

    1. To equip teachers and pupils with basic computer skills using the XO
       laptop.

    2. To improve understanding and performance of science 
subjectsincluding
       maths using the xo activities

    3. Actively engaging children in their learning process.

    4. Increase school attendance rate in rural schools and ctively 
engaging
       children in their learning process.

    5. Increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and thus helping leaners live a HIV
       free life.


3. Moneague College - Jamaica
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67265
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 10 XOs over 24 months

    Project Objectives:
    The objectives of this pilot project shall be to:

    * Expose teacher educators and student teachers (the next cohort of
      class teachers) to the XO laptops and software for use in the 
teaching and
      learning process
    * Provide the tools for the practical completion of the Technology in
      Education course objectives for the target group of student teachers
    * Demonstrate that the XO software can be used across content areas
    * Provide an incentive and equipment for student teachers to propose 
and
      execute technology/computer centred final year teaching practice 
projects
    * Contribute to the bank of Sugar lesson plans and videos in
      conjunction with UWI pilots
    * Assist the OLPC Jamaica Team with teacher training for their
      projects at Providence Basic and August Town Primary schools.
    * Assist the Ministry of Education and Youth and Education
      Transformation Team with achieving 100% literacy by 2015,
      by using/integrating the XOs into daily teachings for the
      same set of children over the life of the project


4. XOpup / Puppy Linux XO-1.5 - Southport, Australia
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67326
    http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=47337
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 1 XO-1.5 over 18 months

    Project Background/Objectives:
    To port Puppy linux with it's unique blend of speed and usability to 
the XO.


5. "Preventing Malaria" - Mexico / Edinburg, Texas
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67327
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 3 XO-1s over 12 months

    Project Objectives:
    - Develop a memory game for 1 or 2 players with malaria-related topics,
      so 5-12-year-old kids can help to prevent this disease in their
      communities.

    The computer will show a list of images related to malaria, such as 
causes,
    transmission, symptoms, treatment, prevention and complications. Each
    image will appear from 4 to 10 seconds (depending on the chosen 
difficulty:
    difficult, normal and easy). The game will show something like this:

    - Habitat (4-10 seconds)...
    - Bamboo Pole (4-10 seconds)...
    - Rainwater (4-10 seconds) ...
    - (more words)

    Then, the computer will ask the player to choose from a set of 
images and
    put them in the same order they appeared previously. In our example, the
    kid has to choose the Habitat picture first, then the Bamboo Pole 
picture,
    and so on.

    At the end, the computer will show the score (for example, “you 
memorized
    the order of 4/6 words) and a sentence related to the pictures. This
    sentence will say something like: "Cover bamboo pole holders after use.
    Rainwater can potentially accumulate in these bamboo pole holders if 
they
    are uncovered and create a habitat..." Then, the player can choose 
to play
    again or to exit the game.

    When 2 kids are playing, player 1 will play first and the score will be
    shown, then player 2 will play and his score will be shown. At the 
end, the
    computer will congratulate the winner.

    - Learn more about Python, PyGTK, Glade and other related 
technologies in
      order to build this and other international projects for XO in the
      future.

    - Publish a paper in a recognized software engineering conference with
      the results of applying Scrum (an iterative, incremental framework for
      project management and agile software development) on an
      international free software project. These paper will encourage more
      engineers to work on OLPC projects.

    - Use the memorization game to internalize malaria-related concepts.

    - Create an OLPC research group at the School of Engineering and
      Technology in Montemorelos University, Mexico (www.um.edu.mx).


6. SemanticXO - Amsterdam, Netherlands
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67749
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 5 XOs over 12 months

    Project Objectives:
    Semantic technologies are becoming more and more used to
    improve the efficiency of information sharing on Internet.
    The goal of this project is to investigate the application of
    the same technologies on a mesh network, without access to Web
    services such as DNS.
    With the ability to exchange structured and unambiguous
    information, we expect to improve communication in the context of
    medical, culturage heritage or marketing applications.
    Although not having expertise related to the typical usage
    context of the XOs, the KRR group already has some expertise in using
    semantic technologies for improving access to
    culturage heritage and modeling medical processes.


7. Developing education resources - Australia/Timor
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67839
    http://tonyforster.blogspot.com/
    http://seaton-olpc-ug.org/?q=node/54
    http://tinyurl.com/25ho638
    http://wiki.sugarlabs.org
    http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Tonyforster
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 1 XO over indefinite months

    Project Background/Objectives:
    Software testing and developing educational materials


8. Zimbabwe Youth Development Foundation trust: Project Rabuda/Sunrise
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=67914
    http://zuvarabuda1.wordpress.com
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 100 XOs over 12 months

    Project Objectives:
    * To produce the world’s most comprehensive and powerful knowledge
      resource-pushing the boundaries of online community and technology 
as a tool for
      social empowerment
    * To instigate significant evolution in the present concepts of school
      education by increasing global connection, meaningful use of 
ICTs(Information
      and Communication Technologies) and inspiring student engagement
    * To enable learning through the effective use of technology to promote
      knowledge and skills which will ensure thriving communities in 
Zimbabwe
    * To demonstrate innovation, excellence, creativity , and 
professionalism in
      the management of a new style of an organization that is 
entrepreneurial,
      technology enhanced and youth driven
    * To create a contributive environment for meaningful participation 
in the
      broader economy by disadvantaged individuals and youth 
groups(mainstreaming)
    * To cooperate and build alliances and partnerships with 
organizations with
      similar or related objectives


9. XOs from Fargo to Sudan: after school to building a school - North 
Dakota State University
    http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=68356
    http://fargoxo.wordpress.com
    [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

    Requests 15 XOs over 9/indefinite months

    Project Objectives:
    The primary objective of this proposal is to transform the Madison 
Elementary
    after school program, as well as support Rev Gadi's after school 
program, also
    housed at Madison Elementary. The Madison program typically enrolls 
40-50
    students, many reluctant, many English Language Learners. The mere 
presence
    of 12 XOs will create interest among the students--the medium is the 
message--
    but we will also work with this unique population to try and develop 
English
    language learning e-books and activities unique to Sugar that will 
then be
    available and useful to XO deployments in Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, and 
other
    countries where the refugee students and families now living in Fargo
    originate from. We will work with Rev. Gadi's students to prepare the
    laptops for deployment in Sudan, loading them with projects developed in
    Fargo, loading them with books so that the dream of a library built 
by 15
    laptops becomes feasible.

    The secondary objective is to train a team from within this group to 
deliver
    these 15 laptops to the school in southern Sudan. Team members who 
do not go
    on this trip with Rev. Gadi may have a chance to go later as Kevin 
Brooks is
    President of a non-profit called "African Soul, American Heart" and 
he too is
    looking to learn the ins and outs of the XO and Sugar so that he 
will be able
    to support a deployment to Duk Payuel, southern Sudan, in the next 
3-5 years.


10. Upper Canada College / Ntugi Kenya
     http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=68363
     http://ntugiSchool.com
     [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

     Requests 4 XO-1.5s over 12 months

     Project Background/Objectives:
     Currently there are 50 XO 1.0, and 4 XO 1.5 laptops deployed in the 
Ntugi
     Day School. Due to ongoing changes to the XO kernel's from version 
to version,
     certain functions are only available on certain machines. We would 
like to
     have the same activities and functions available on all XO's 
deployed to
     alleviate complicated re-imaging deployment issues, along with having a
     more equal experience for all XO users.

     We currently have provided Ntugi with three distinct images, one at 711
     for XO-1 use with the Vernier equipment, on at 802 for XO-1 user for
     standard activities and the added features and activities of 802 over
     711, and one at 306 for use with the 1.5's to enable USB microscope use
     and Gnome features.

     Our goal is to standardize on the 852 build for all XO 1.0's, and 1.5's
     and have the core functions and activities identical. This will 
also aid
     in the saturation process as there will be less haves and have-not 
issues.
     We have developed an install script which local-installs all the 
required
     RPM's to minimize data plan expenses, and are hoping to simultaneously
     deploy temp/swap/program SD cards so that the XO 1.0's can have 
sufficient
     processing power to run the more intensive applications.
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