UncleCrazy

UncleCrazy

Describing a disabled adult trying to show his two little relatives (nephew is 10 years old, niece is 5 years old) the XO during a summer DC Lending Library loan period...

Writing up notes on the XO and kids first 2 day experience..

Backdrop:

I'm just an uncle, I'm not trained for: 1) creating play dates, 2) some discipline

++Plus++) And disabled, so not fully adult myself (i.e. job, kids myself, house, car, etc)

I say disabled is like retirement,
but everyone thinks you should work,
but can't...

I have some time [when not chasing benefits, will to live, support groups, volunteer efforts, etc] but not money

I was around before for baby sitting but long commutes, and no car made it difficult.

Then when old enough parents got them back, and grandmother says 'they are not your kids', so family politics with in laws, interpersonal history (my sports car totalled [low speed, high damage] accident, I did not go to wedding), etc

But like a grand parent, I get to spoil them, and give them back.

And tattle on their parent(s): 'when they were young, they did...'

On a recent group family birthday the 10 yo boy says: his "sister is special", I retort: "yeah, all sisters are special" looking at my sister, their mother grinning, trying to keep a straight face...

XO DAY 1 (Thursday afternoon, May 28, 2009):

Backdrop: had given a call about going out of country, catch before going, not sure what day...

first time, drop by unannounced though communicated recently, (had 19 lending library machines to deliver updated system software and a hole in my day before delivering in evening, [since had picked up early to get before 5 pm in a local school schedule)

• • Lucky to catch them**

show how to use [i.e. preflight checkout]

open machine (antennae up, then lift lid)
power on (push button on bottom right of screen, near green light)

On startup: dots 'like a clock' wait until all the way around...

Wait for circle/ activity menu...

and don't forget latter to

close machine

I showed some activities from before with my XO

I use mine as a commuting machine / laptop replacement
with accessories of an adult size flexible keyboard and
micro / MiniMouse - my touchpad is bad, goes into hyperspace after a while

Don't just close XO lid, as that sleeps, want to shutdown [ need to make that easier to shutdown Big Power button, and / or last not next to last near register]

You need to close each activity (~3 limit and just bounce around fernetically) drill and practice - show and repeat, over and over

after looking at icons playing around some

what's this?...
try that...

Favorite Activities

They really liked the following Activities"

tam tam mini (drum icon)

We had some good experience with before...

other ones
showed the band play
cultural diffierence
volume slider difficult [i'll do it]

Maze

But I hadn't tried?!?!

But showed arrow keys [wonder if game keys work? YES!) It AutoMagically moved to a decision - so didn't have to keep typing keys

Speak

10 year old: 'yo sup'

Eventually got to loud, must turn down or will take it away...

DAY 1 POST PROCESS:

The first day got lots of great video

as had time they were fascinated with the machines
so gave me something to do

video of first trying the machine trying to dl the photos with CF card reader BUT LOST IT

photo serial numbers didn't match? 2 same camera models

earlier serial numbers

had to format the CF card to have memory to store second day

End First Day: Uncle's Feelings

Rather tired but excited at the reaction

had mine for years and they hadn't had any real time with it
e.g. go to a restaurant and celebrating something else
like Mother's Day
taking over a restaurant floor to show robot after months without seeing

Thinking on OLPC reporting requirements, try to get a project going...

Maybe something to give back as taking away the other loaner machines to deliver,

saying these are for 'poor children' (cringed as I said it)
and adults, but knowing they are going on a shelf
for others to check out and likely have more resources
than their disabled and hence poor uncle
who spent about a weeks time olpc-update 802
learning sharing spreadsheet
and arguing about them
policy
procedures
access
etc
but learning with machines some things I hadn't tried...

going to a conference

and could have taken

Other Conferences

Though other channels, heard of another conference USENIX LISA coming to Baltimore, MD,

sys admins national conference

BUT MISSING THE DEADLINE FOR A WORKSHOP WHILE DOING BELOW...

Development Machines

So develop something and if good enough, maybe go out all over the world

the kids get to decide preferably something together

like a science fair (10 yo may know, but 5 yo wouldn't) feels like cheating to give ideas but needs some structure? confused, we can't just play? you start learning, but will have to turn something in...

So I threw out many [of my] ideas

USB to WowWee TriBot DON'T HAVE YET special order $20+ universal, but Windows only?
 I might want to build something, create an interface...

Lesson Learned:

Chat activity could use send pictures / video/ sound for youngest in chat who doesn't read nor write yet...

collecting and developing the ideas on an index card

XO Bag Design

I showed someone my XO as it was coming out of a plastic bag and wrapped in a t shirt for padding, so she designed a holder/ sleeve

'do I sew? have a sewing machine?'
'no, but mother does...'
She draw out a design, but didn't want to sign (scan image in)
kids customize it?
make many?
 as a grand parent contribution?
 if figured out, make more to keep?

scarf through holes idea from Sarah

add both?  keep from dropping off knees when in a car/ bus/ on to concrete, etc

DAY 2: May 29, 2009

I bring again two borrowed machines for 2 more weeks or so... loan period that will have to go back...

"I will check next week where you are on them" {later thought show and tell would be a better analogy}

I could not get agreement from the kids in 2 hours on what that would be and seriously considered not leaving the machines with them...

The 10 year old boy went off to watch TV instead, I asked if it was too hard? After being ignored for a while "doesn't want to..." "should I take it back?"

Earlier, the educational challenge of trying to explain constructionist which means build something? as traditionally teachers tell them what to do but this way 'you get to decide'??

Some Parameters/ Guidelines/ Rules

1) No pictures without parents approval 2) No internet, a standing house rule?, mesh together is ok

And showed Chat activity but 5 yo is not reading or writing so Uncle is reading what 10 year old was typing and sending

5 yo types letters that make no sense (brother teases about it) She's just pushing buttons... and maybe getting frustrated?

Sharing Chat process is confusing, both started a program

start one then join on friends/ window (third button from top left)
learning windows - neighborhood, friends, home

trying to get them chatting/ talking
 confusing ears - antennae with  [THAT'S COMPUTER TO COMPUTER]

speaker is mouth?
 leaving mouse in center of speak as nose!

Speak Neat Features

5 Year Old Discovered: that the speak activity does numbers 5 yo knows some numbers speaks out

if 0first Speak will spell out the numbers otherwise includes thousands, etc

learn letters? type is have it said h i

h e l l o

Other languages

Chinese

but two language
- Cantonese Manderain where parent is currently visiting
  would not get it to speak
  not writing the characters
not sure how with an English keyboard to make those

Italian

where a family member is now

Spanish

day care

TouchScreen

Touchscreen (Intel Classmate has it)

noticing 5 year old wanting to point at stuff on the screen

and 5 yo using touchpad more difficult

keys lucked out on the keyboard arrows on the bottom right WORKED

later saw the face

'what's that??'
Sleeping?!!

MAZE FEATURE ADDS

MAZE NEEDS BIGGER TIMES, SETTABLE

to compete or not?
how quick?
but which maze?
clear the first ones, as they get progressively harder mazes
so the next kid on it AND IT starts too hard
OR set a new record

Pippy

Pippy (snake icon learning python programming language by examples)

Pong (Pippy Example Program)

10 yo lost interest for a while, so I showed a game we had growing up AND the game keys worked! but slow to catch it/ paddle moves slow

Cat, Mouse and Adutls Pong??

I suggested a modification project cat and mouse and parents picking up/ pushing back (i.e. paddle)

10 yo got the ball in a infinite loop (diagonal edge to edge) Kid: "will run forever like that" CrazyUncle: "or until the power/battery runs out"

Then the 5 yo got it doing that too like older brother

with some pride and joy!

Turtle Art

She figured out the turtle, got it to move!

finding Activities/apps I've not explored turtle art, She got it doing something

Some activities, the small characters I could not read

quit not on activity stop design (HID violation?)

Cat Icon

cat squeak

IS VERY complicated
and for older

Main Home Screen Favorites

I hid Firefox which I had installed (just in case while connected before) and browse, as not allowed out in this environment... so as not to confuse [local wireless routers locked and they don't know the keys, nor do I for that matter]

Close up

Near end of (my) day visit, having them at night but thinking they would not get sleep

but weekend so a parent decides...

Parental Concerns =

Supervising parent worried about leaving them, "is that a good idea?" would they throw the machines at each other? to 10 yo, 'you break it, you lose your Nintendo, and whatever your parents do to you'

Suggested modification: parent checks them in and out??

plugging in power at kitchen table power cords had to climb under looked risky so next day used another power strip and share the power plug as

didn't fit on the strip

Instructed the youngest, when orange/ plug in to charge green OK, give over power plug.

Second Day After Thoughts:

Unplugged/ untethered would limit the time at night too 2 hours to bed?

but losing it?

DAY 2 POST PROCESS:

Uncle gets tired around kids with energy [can I bottle it?} {they get it from us}

for too long so keep visits short

Crazy Hopes

Uncle hopes to do an informal XOCamp over the next 60 days with them and eventually introduce to other kids with XOs 'in the wild...' at DC Learning Club meeting... Maybe a show and tell, what they learned, but others have had for much longer?

[User:DancesWithCars]