[Olpc-open] A Wikipedia for Children.

Tue Aug 2 17:43:47 EDT 2016

Is this something? http://schools-wikipedia.org/
"
Wikipedia for Schools is a selection taken from the original
English-language Wikipedia by the child sponsorship charity *SOS Children*
<http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/s/Soschildrensvillages.htm>. It was
created as a *checked and child-friendly teaching resource*
<http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/w/Wikipedia_For_Schools.htm> for use in
schools in the developing world and beyond. Sources and authors can be
found at www.wikipedia.org. See also our *Disclaimer*
<http://schools-wikipedia.org/disclaimer.htm>.
"

It is on the XS = schoolserver of the OLPC deployments - often nation wide
- in ... Polinesia with islands like Tahiti, or the "nearby" island nation
of Kosrae - just a 1000 km swim away. Could be a bit more or less, but who
cares? ;) More: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_FSM

Update: I'm now part of the #ErasmusPlusCaribbean team.  We received some
money from the EU Directorate General to go explain the Erasmus+ program in
the EU Overseas Countries and Territories we still have in the Caribbean. 8
of our 28 EU member states have indeed a colonial past.  Seems it starts to
haunt all 28 of us these times in more than 1 way ... .
Maybe the United Nations 2011–2020 Third (!) International Decade for the
Eradication of #Colonialism is an occasion to clear up some things. ;)

More:
https://sites.google.com/site/leadershipinstitutedementorat/colonialism-reparation

Greetings,

skype SvenAERTS - Brussels olpc community
 OLPC Sven AERTS EuErasmusPlusCaribbean OCTA EIB...
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GGhIdn46nqBpOXoU270JEP5x20bjtboBxQ/view?usp=drive_web>

On Sun, Mar 20, 2016 at 12:15 PM, Barry Desborough <
barry.desborough at gmail.com> wrote:

> Just to say where I am with this at the moment.
>
> Vikidia. https://en.vikidia.org/wiki/Main_Page - This looks OK, but there
> are only 15 active users the English version. The site is not as high
> profile as it would be if it was hosted/promoted/supported by Wikipedia or
> OLPC. There is some concern about the ISP that is hosting it. See
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OVH#Controversies
>
> Wikibooks. There appear to be problems with creating Wikibooks. See
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Books Given that this could be
> overcome, there would remain the problem that the search function will
> search all of Wikibooks, including adult-level content, rather than just
> the current book, books for schools or Wikijunior.
>
> I’ll be looking at creating content for Vikidia and promoting it. Perhaps
> if it was “adopted” and promoted by OLPC it would help, but I still think
> that a children’s encyclopaedia wiki under the auspices of OLPC and hosted
> by Gossamer Threads would be the ideal solution, and I hope this can come
> to the attention of someone within the OLPC who could make it happen.
> Please pass this on if you know any such people.
>
> Thanks for your attention.
>
> Barry
>
>
> On 19 Mar 2016, at 10:10, Barry Desborough <Barry.Desborough at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Thanks for your help, guys, and sorry for the delay in responding.
>
> Re. Vikidia, I had looked at that, but the hosting doesn’t look too
> secure, and the profile is low in comparison with Wikipedia.
>
> The idea of using Wikibooks creation looks like the way for me to go (I am
> a lone contributor with no means for recruiting students, but more than
> willing to cooperate with others). The only problem I see is that the
> default search facility takes you out of the book you are in. The ideal
> would be to have an additional or alternative search function to search
> within the book. Does anyone know if this is possible and if so, how?
>
> Barry
>
>
>
> On 17 Mar 2016, at 02:42, Sven AERTS <svenaerts228 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Barry,
> I guess you're aware of the advances in "bots" inside the wikipedia that
> automate things.  Of course, this requires being able to contribute with
> coding.  That may offer a road to a solution.  Maybe you could offer it as
> an idea to ICT students looking for inspiring projects.
>
> Regarding the encyclopedia per age group.  Wouldn't a collaborative
> wikibook in the style of
> "My first Encyclopedia - for 5-6-7 years olds",
> "My first Encyclopedia - for 8-9 years olds",
> "My first Encyclopedia - for 10-11-12 years olds",
> be the way to go?
>
> You just drag and drop from the wikipedia, start deleting/re-writing and
> ... if kids want more and more info... eventually the are linked to maybe
> the "My first Encyclopedia - for the next age group", until eventually they
> land up to the "Simple English" Wikipedia?
>
> Have a nice continuation of yr day :)
>
> On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 10:09 AM, Barry Desborough <
> barry.desborough at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for all your comments guys.
>>
>> Yes, a separate searchable space within Wikipedia would be great.
>> Unfortunately, Simple English Wikipedia is not specifically oriented to
>> young children in the way I have tried to show with my prototype. There is
>> always a temptation to try and put far too much content on a single page
>> rather than spread it over a series of pages like a slide show
>> presentation. And the language is still not simple enough. It should only
>> be as advanced as is required to convey the simplest of basics, any further
>> material being accessible via links. One key requirement should be a search
>> facility that only turns up child-oriented material. There is a schools
>> section within the Simple English Wikipedia, but the search facility on
>> these pages takes one back to the general content. I’ve tried to talk with
>> the Wikipedians about this, but it is hard to get hold of anyone with the
>> authority to discuss these issues - which is why I came to the OLPC with
>> the concept.
>>
>> Barry
>>
>>
>> On 13 Mar 2016, at 11:37, Sven AERTS <svenaerts228 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> OMG that Simple English portal page of the wikipedia has a dedicated page
>> for schools/teachers/kids.  Barry, I think this is what you've been looking
>> for:
>> https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Schools
>>
>> !
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 13, 2016 at 11:26 AM, Sven AERTS <svenaerts228 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Barry, hi Samuel,
>>>
>>> Quiz: On the wikipedia, in the navigation pane on the left, under the
>>> section "Languages" , there is a "language" / category mentioned that is
>>> not a language and intended for a specific public. What is the name of that
>>> "language"?
>>>
>>> "Languages"
>>>
>>>    - Simple English <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/>
>>>
>>>
>>> The *Simple English Wikipedia* is a Wikipedia
>>> <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia> encyclopedia
>>> <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia>, written in basic
>>> English <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English>.[1]
>>> <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#cite_note-1>
>>> Articles in the Simple English Wikipedia use shorter sentences and
>>> simpler words <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Words> and grammar
>>> <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar> than the English Wikipedia
>>> <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia>.
>>> The Simple English Wikipedia is also for people with different needs.
>>> Some examples of people who use Simple English Wikipedia:
>>>
>>>    - Students <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student>
>>>    - Children <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children>
>>>    - Adults <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult> who might find it
>>>    hard to learn or read
>>>    - People who are learning English
>>>    <https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language>
>>>
>>> Other people use the Simple English Wikipedia because the simple
>>> language helps them understand hard ideas or topics they do not know about.
>>> Right now, the Simple English Wikipedia has 117,857 articles. As of
>>> October 2015, it was the 49th largest Wikipedia
>>>
>>> On Sun, Mar 13, 2016 at 3:32 AM, Samuel Klein <sj at laptop.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Barry, this looks like an excellent candidate to merge with
>>>> Vikidia.  Have you worked with them or their community of children and
>>>> teachers?
>>>>
>>>> https://en.vikidia.org/wiki/Main_Page
>>>>
>>>> Warmly, SJ
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Mar 12, 2016 at 11:10 AM, Barry Desborough <
>>>> barry.desborough at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello, I’m Barry Desborough, a retired teacher who taught in English
>>>>> primary and secondary schools.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have been trying, on and off, to get an idea off the ground. It is
>>>>> for a free, online, child-oriented encyclopedia. I have tried approaching
>>>>> Wikipedia itself, the Khan Academy and the California CK-12 initiative, and
>>>>> I have paid for and started to develop a  Wikispaces site "Wikidia dot net"
>>>>> to show how the idea works. Unfortunately, I was not able to rustle up
>>>>> enough contributors to be able to justify continuing to pay for the site,
>>>>> and for various reasons, the other sites are not a good match for the
>>>>> project idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> What’s a child-oriented encyclopedia? It’s an encyclopedia that a
>>>>> child, on their own, may go to and navigate for themselves, to find
>>>>> age-appropriate educational content of interest to them. Pages should be
>>>>> brief, and as simple as possible for conveying the information. The pages
>>>>> should also be suitable for directed learners, and usable as teaching
>>>>> material by educators. Wikipedia content, as is used by the OLPC Digital
>>>>> Library, is not generated with the needs of children in mind. I have an old
>>>>> prototype of the idea still on the net at
>>>>> https://wikids.wikispaces.com/Index+1 which should give the general
>>>>> idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am looking for a new home for this project, and it occurred to me
>>>>> that the OLPC might be able to host it, and encourage other contributions
>>>>> of suitable content, either from educators, or from children themselves,
>>>>> wiki-style. Generating content for it should provide a great motivational
>>>>> incentive for classes of pupils! There’s constructivism for you! All it
>>>>> would need would be a separate searchable wiki on the OLPC website. I would
>>>>> be happy to spend the rest of my retirement generating, curating and
>>>>> moderating content for such a wiki, and I would be willing to contribute a
>>>>> substantial (for me) sum in order to help get the thing started and keep it
>>>>> going.
>>>>>
>>>>> With the cost and producing and distributing textbooks is so high, and
>>>>> in a world where teachers are unavailable or too expensive but cheap
>>>>> internet technology is becoming ever more accessible, I believe far more
>>>>> attention should be paid to providing accessible, high quality,
>>>>> appropriately pitched educational content.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is there anyone on the list with the authority to pick this up, or has
>>>>> contacts with such people?
>>>>>
>>>>> What are your thoughts on the idea?
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards
>>>>>
>>>>> Barry
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Olpc-open mailing list
>>>>> Olpc-open at lists.laptop.org
>>>>> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Samuel Klein          @metasj          w:user:sj          +1 617 529
>>>> 4266
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Olpc-open mailing list
>>>> Olpc-open at lists.laptop.org
>>>> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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