User:KalaamShepherd

3. Objectives Project Objectives: (WEB-PUBLISHED) Concrete proposals with defined, measurable outcomes are much more likely to result in a laptop than "it would be cool to play with these and demo them".

To develop tools to enable nomads and other rural communities the opportunity to read, write, think, learn and collaborate on themes that are interesting to them and vital to their survival, and to enable them even to thrive doing what they love, in the places and lifestyle that they love. To develop activities that enable nomads and other rural communities to contribute to the larger society using their indigenous knowledge base of mountain-forest ecology to both preserve and increase the bounty of nature. To develop strategies to increase the capacity of all nomads and rural communities to learn languages of wider communication, opening doors to life-long learning and access to jobs and resources nationally and internationally.

4. Plan of Action Plan and Procedure for Achieving the Stated Objectives:

• Hire/train a local programer qualified to develop and load activities in the OLPC system • Using our mother tongue literacy materials as a base, develop Word Building and Story Building Activities around themes relevant and desired by local communities • Using shell books and templates, continue building activities that foster creativity while building on indigenous knowledge • Build on indigenous knowledge with relevant material from national and international sources applying discovery science and appropriate technology • Build activities relevant to mainstream education in regional/national languages • Build activities that foster greater proficiency in Urdu/Hindi and other regional languages. • Build activities that help students learn practical English appropriate to grade levels and domains of special interest even up to college level. • Field test all activities in preparation for dissemination to the whole community

5. Needs Why is this project needed? Locally?

• Current education systems are in languages not understood by rural and nomad communities • Current education systems are in topics/themes not relevant to rural and nomad life • Rural and nomad peoples often do not have access to schools or materials • Rural and nomad peoples often live in sparse populations where gathering 25 students for one teacher is difficult • Finding teachers able and willing to teach in remote locations is rare • Nomads in particular live in 2 or more places seasonally and may not have access to schooling during all or some part of the year • Using sound recording, camera photo and video recording, along with text nomad and rural citizens can catalog flora and fauna encountered throughout the Himalayan zone and adjoining plains • They can also provide real time data on degeneration or regeneration of ecosystems where they travel and dwell

In the greater OLPC/Sugar community?

• Some of our materials and activities will be relevant to other languages, especially Hindi/Urdu and English • Some of our implementation strategies may be relevant to other nomad communities even in other countries • Some curriculum, e-book and audio-visual interactive materials may be of interest to other peoples •

Outside the community?

(see above) • Also forest departments • Sheep husbandry department • Wildlife department • Educationists • Agricultural departments • Botanists • Zoologists • Herbalists • Anthropologists • Geologists

Why can't this project be done in emulation using non-XO machines?

We can and are using non-XO machines for the development of some curriculum parts but the XO machine is the only option which is built for the nomadic life, rough and tough and able to be used out-doors and with solar power.

Why are you requesting the number of machines you are asking for? Will you consider (1) salvaged/rebuilt or (2) damaged XO Laptops?

We can only use quality machines as we want to test for implementation in a full-scale deployment to all nomad mobile and rural schools. We have 5 Teacher Trainer Apprentices, at least one of whom has basic computer skills. We will need to hire at least one technician capable of developing in the OLPC Sugar environment.

6. Sharing Deliverables Project URL—where you'll Blog specific ongoing progress: Please web-publish this entire completed proposal, removing any sections affecting your personal privacy. Ask if you want help -- communicating with our OLPC/Sugar global community is core! How will you convey tentative ideas & results back to the OLPC/Sugar community, prior to completion? How will the final fruits of your labor be distributed to children or community members worldwide? Will your work have any possible application or use outside our community? If yes, how will these people be reached? Have you investigated working with nearby XO Lending Libraries or Project Groups?

7. Quality/Mentoring Would your Project benefit from Support, Documentation and/or Testing people?

Yes!!! We do not yet have anyone on the team competent in programming or app development in Sugar or any other platform. We do have people competent in using PC or Mac but not Linux

Teachers' input into Usability?

Yes. We do have access to teachers but would love to have interaction with teachers experienced in using the XO in rural environments of S. Asia

How will you promote your work?

For a start we’ll use my wiki.laptop.org

Can we help you with an experienced mentor from the OLPC/Sugar community? (WEB-PUBLISHED) Yes!! We don’t have anyone experienced in Sugar app development at any level. In the beginning we will need to start with app development for literacy and basic education strategies. We may also need help initially building the multi-language library using materials in regional and national languages including Urdu, Hindi and English. It will be important to be able to switch the operating language to these three languages quickly. Ideally we should also be able to interchange the physical keyboard somehow.

If YES: specify the kind of Ongoing Mentoring that will benefit you most. If NO: specify who will help you share your progress, creations & results.

8. Timeline (Start to Finish) Please include a Proposed timeline for your Project life-cycle: (this can be in the form of Month 1, Month 2, etc rather than specific dates) Include a couple milestones, even if tentative. Specify how you prefer to communicate your ongoing progress and obstacles! [x] I agree to pass on the laptop(s) to a local OLPC group or other interested contributors in case I do not have need for the laptop(s) anymore or in case my project progress stalls.