ClassActs

The here and now

What is happening right now or very recently in room 1101, Sorensen Language & Communication Center, Gallaudet University. See http://lwf.etherpad.com/4?

Teachers' Mini-Deployment Guide (Washington DC)

Sept 6 Sunday: Whiteboard TOC; Dinner to meet fellow writers     Sept 7 Monday: Labor Day (no holiday for us!) ... Sept 11 Friday: National Day of Service (no holiday for us!)

Come and join our Community Book Sprint!

The OLPC/Sugar community will be creating a Mini-Deployment Guide for technically-strong teachers, with more vivid photographs and illustrations than anything our community has yet produced.This idea arose from our Support Gang volunteers wanting to pull together our community's greatest work over the last 2 years, to give classrooms and after-school programs _the_ very best creative tools out there.

The guide will be short and professional, possibly only 30 pages long -- drawing on innovations from successful rollouts around the world -- with separately downloadable chapters. It will enable entrepreneurial teachers in small schools to begin formulating real-world plans jumpstarting 21st century learning using XO Laptops. We'll be working extremely hard (business hours) for 5 days straight (Monday thru Friday) then socializing most every evening, exploring the Washington DC area with groups like:

• OLPC Learning Club
• hacDC.org
• Sugar Labs DC at the Arlington Career Center
• tux.org luglist including NoVALUG.com meeting early Saturday AM
• others...

For some sense of how a book sprint works, see the Book Sprints manual on the FLOSS Manuals web site, as well as Anne Gentle hot-off-the-press book Conversation and Community: The Social Web of Documentation, prominently featuring August 2008's pioneering OLPC/Sugar Austin book sprint.

Join a Historic Book Sprint

Evening events open to all, and they WILL be memorable, guaranteed. If you also want to dedicate yourself to our work sessions, please email holt @ laptop.org or grassroots @ lists.laptop.org explaining your skills in shaping a Quality Product -- along with a bit about how and why you want to make a difference :)

Possible Book Titles

(Very Tentative)

20 Cool Class Acts With XO Laptops: Real Success Stories from Real Schools Using Real XO Computers

Written By: The Real People Who Are Using them
Compiled And Edited By: The OLPC Support Gang

alt Practical Classy Constructionism with OLPC XOs Across the World

alt++ Pragmatic Design and Implementation Patterns for Little XOs Hands Across The World

Needs

• Ready to contribute to a chapter ? sign up here, please
• ALL Related Manuals you can find -- whose ideas we should crib
• READ: "how to conduct an effective book sprint"
• Graphics Designers (inkscape, gimp, whatever)
  • Robust & Accessible "Community Media Archive"
  • Graphics Librarian to help organize key photos/illustrations from: http://flickr.com/olpc/sets
• Experienced:
  • Tech Writers
    • Tech to "Grannie" translators!
  • Copy Editors
  • Photographs, Illustrations & Screenshots!!
• Finalize evening events: VA dinner likely Sunday, http://hacDC.org likely for Tue night, help suggest other outings!
• Blog to Invite DC and World: Sarah Burns's Community Invitation, OLPC News Story (add your link here!)
• Stunning Posters (heroic, by Mike Lee!)
• MONGO HAPPY NOW shirts for OLPC/Sugar proselytizers crafting miracles the world doesn't yet see (rethemed & completed by Miri Lee & All)
• Memorable URL
• Post-production (lulu.com sales, chapters that stand alone as PDF case studies, e-book for XO and beyond?)

Materials

Think like a Librarian?! Please help sort/aggregate our growing archive of Fantastic Resources in preparation.

Table of Contents

Moved to this page.

Likely Attendees (identify topic you want to help with!)

• Mel Chua - community-capacity-building and creating opportunities for legitimate peripheral participation, so that deployment folks go beyond being users and join the open source contributor community - for students, teachers, and both local and non-local supporters
• Kevin Cole (how to bridge open-source culture for teachers; Gallaudet Univ facilities)
• Paul Commons
• Sarah Elkins, OLPC Learning Club DC, maybe Monday
• Luke Faraone (labor day + setup; finding whiteboard or posterboard to facilitate Sunday Sept 6 freezing of TOC)
• Jeff Elkner Sugar Labs DC hosting Sunday night's planning session at the Arlington Career Center.
• David Farning (invited)
• Cathy Ginther, AARP Managing Editor (Friday only. NOTE: Cathy's participation is made possible courtesy of AARP's Create the Good program and the 9/11 National Day of Service.)
• Adam Holt (event logistics & community coordination, professional speakerphone w/ Kevin Cole?)
• George Hunt, Tech Educator from NYC (repair & troubleshooting, explaining community repair center entrepreneur Ian Daniher's OLPCinci success story)
• SJ Klein (evening event at http://hacDC.org w/ MLee; follow-on books?
• Mike Lee (Attending Sunday, Monday, Tuesday night and Friday for sure; live blogging and photographing of events; large Poster. NOTE: My Friday is a paid day off to participate in the book sprint courtesy of AARP's Create the Good program and the 9/11 National Day of Service.)
• Phoebe Bennett from OLPC Learning Club (can come by during the weekdays to help. martialing Arlington PTA families for future sales?)
• Kim Toufectis from OLPC Learning Club (can come by Monday or Friday to help with writing)
• Pat Paul of the OLPC Learning Club (can come by Monday and one other day to help with proofing, researching, focus on "grannie-friendly" content.)
• Yamandu Ploskonka (involving NEW teachers in the developing world, with no prior computer experience; what would current deployers have liked to know IN ADVANCE)
• Sameer Verma (pending flight)
• Seth Woodworth (invited)
• DancesWithCars (disability /accessibility/ readability testing, to learn & how to help, etc)
• Bobby Powers (can come nights & sunday, has a 3x4 foot whiteboard, help where needed)
• Hanalei & Wayan Mon & Tues for sure
• Ian Daniher (invited, working with George Hunt)
• Bernie Innocenti (accelerating culturally-sensitive deployments with Sicilian Love)

Totals: ~20 but not all at the same time. How to synch?

Remote Attendees (identify topic you want to help with!)

• Caryl Bigenho, Los Angeles/Montana (human interest stories, constructionsim, geekspeak-to-English "geekolater" / translator, arrange possible remote conferencing options with Kevin Cole)
• Albert Chen, China
• Sandy Culver, Massachusetts
• Christoph Derndorfer, Austria/Nepal (will most likely contribute writing about Nepal deployment)
• Daniel Drake, UK/Nepal
• Sebastian Dziallas, Germany
• Pablo Flores?, Uruguay/Asia
• Rita Freudenberg, Germany (will provide Etoys article, probably how it is used in Peru or Uruguay)
• Billy Grissom, OLPCorps UCBerkeley Uganda
• David Leeming, South Pacific (will provide OLPC Oceania materials)
• Christine Mary, New York/Albany/RIT? (communications/outreach themes?)
• Nancie Severs, New Hampshire (editing? photography, deployment best practices? Vietnam?)
• Bryan Stuart, Indiana
• Sandra Thaxter, Massachusetts (final editing, logistics/import/NGO relations?)
• DancesWithCars/UncleCrazy Mount Vernon, Virginia (will see, maybe some proofing?, some remote, as VA requires a passport to cross the river to the wilds of Virginia ;-/)
• Edward Mokurai Cherlin, Earth Treasury, California. Discovery
• James Goldsmith, Melbourne, Australia (Graphics & Communication Design, Publications, Typography,.. all things design)
• Peter Robinson, helping St Cuthbers and St Matthias School, UK
• Katelyn Foley, Cambridge Friends School
• Mitch Seaton, on microdeployment in Thailand and Philippines
• Samy Boutayeb on Nosy Komba, Madagascar blogged here thanks to OLPC France
• Mike Dawson (Afghanistan) - Experience in Afghanistan, More about finding / organizing local content for smaller deployments... [1] (Will be in midflight most likely between Afghanistan and Europe for some of this time...)
• Iman Fears, Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (MN) (will work with Caryl ... remote collaboration!)
• Victoria Tso, Hong Kong (will share about SiChuan, China deployment)
• Jacky Tsoi, Hong Kong (will share about SiChuan, China deployment)
• Charles Low, Hong Kong (will share about SiChuan, China deployment)
• Manu Gupta, New Delhi, India (share Khairat school experiences, compile user manual for SocialCalc with Edward Cherlin)

Schedule

Sat Sept 5
10-8.30PM Unofficial plug for NEM-ElectronicaFest.com near BWI Airport between Baltimore and Washington, for those packed and revving to go early

/back to more official OLPC/ ClassActs business danceswithcars 12:49, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

SUBJECT TO CHANGE -- CHECK BACK LATER!

Sun Sept 6	3PM - 6PM	Table of Contents whiteboarding discussion at Arlington Career Center 816 South Walter Reed Dr (1+ mile West of Pentagon in Arlington VA)
	6PM - 8PM	Opening Night Dinner & Drinks Nearby at Bangkok 54 2919 Columbia Pike (1+ block south of Arlington Career Center)
Mon Sept 7 (Labor Day)	9AM - 7PM	Work session at Gallaudet Univ
Tue Sept 8	9AM - 7PM	Work session at Gallaudet Univ
	7:30PM	XO-1.5 Presentation Event at HacDC (2+ miles directly north of the White House)
Wed Sept 9	9AM - 7PM	Work session at Gallaudet Univ
	1PM - 2PM	Presentation on OLPC/Sugar and Accessibility at Gallaudet University (likely location: Student Academic Center/Student Union Building (SAC/SUB) Room 1011: Multimedia Theater)
Thu Sept 10	9AM - 7PM	Work session at Gallaudet Univ
Fri Sept 11 (National Day of Service)	9AM - 7PM	Work session at Gallaudet Univ

SUBJECT TO CHANGE -- CHECK BACK LATER!

Sat 10A-1-2?PM Unofficial plug for [| NoVALUG.com] Reston Library on RedHat Enterprise /About enough out of me for now danceswithcars 12:49, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

ClassActs/SprintSchedule

Thinking of a more detailed 24x7 +timezone for remotes? grid with day, time, participants signup for how to pack the room(s)?, locations (onsite, offsite social, etc),

Daytime/Workroom Venue

• Gallaudet University (confirmed!) Specifically, the Sorensen Language and Communication Center (SLCC), building 18 on the campus map, in the appropriately binary room 1101. The entrances to the SLCC do not face the main road. Instead they face the "quad" for lack of a better name. See the building floor plan. The nearest entrance to the room is the south entrance, just above the map legend. Once inside, take the first door to the right. The room we will be in is the big blue one marked "1101 VL2 Research Lab".
• Parking: If you're thinking of driving onto campus, see the visitor parking info, as well as Obtaining a permit and the more general page with several sub pages Parking and traffic info.
• It's a 6-to-7-minute walk between Gallaudet and the nearest subway station. Other options for traveling between Gallaudet and elsewhere include the Gallaudet shuttle (visitors passes as soon as we know who's coming and needs one), or Metrobus. See also, general visitors information and my crude Google Map with building markings and shuttle route. Food service on campus is provided by Bon Appetit. (Some broken links there, but I *hope* that's because the school year hasn't started yet, which it will be by the time folks arrive.)

Friendly venues for possible later activities:

• Arlington, VA Career Center
• UMD Digital Libraries / Kids Testing Lab
• Library of Congress

Please Join Our Online Venues Today!

Join us on IRC live chat with a single click: (#olpc-help on irc.freenode.net)

  http://forum.laptop.org/chat
  (WARNING: Firefox works much better than Internet Explorer)

Help shape this deeply inspiring week on our free voice line should be open most of 3-6PM Sunday, and weekdays most of noon-to-2PM, Washington DC time (EDT). Write holt @ laptop . org and/or introduce yourself above on live chat if you don't yet have the number! (Completely free call from anywhere worldwide if you have a SkypeOut account, or toll-free access to Canada/US 800 numbers.)

Please join great mailing lists like:

• support-gang@laptop.org
• iaep@lists.sugarlabs.org
• grassroots@lists.laptop.org

Edit or create a short chapter directly here:

• http://en.flossmanuals.net/bin/view/ClassActs/WebHome

Video/screensharing (may) later be available at certain times. Some hypothetical ideas follow. WOuld be nice to have audio/video participation (using large meeting sharing tool such as Vyew) for remote attendees for:

• Sun Sept 6 (3-6 p.m.) Whiteboarding of TOC
• Tues Sept 8 (Evening) Presentaton and event
• Wed Sept 9 (Noon) Presentation on OLPC/Sugar at Gallaudet Univ.

Small group (2 or more), collaboration remote to remote, onsite to remote using free sharing tool such as Vyew free sharing, Elluminate free vRoom, Google docs, or etherpad. Use throughout the conference as participants want to do it. Need to choose a common tool, sign-up and practice ahead of time.

Event Coverage: Photos, video, press, etc.

Mike Lee's phonecam pictures and uploaded photos from the book sprint on Flickr: OLPC Community Book Sprint Flickr Group

Blog entries:

• OLPC Official Blog
• OLPC News
• HacDC
• OLPC Learning Club

Local Transportation and Navigation Aids

• Washington Metro Area Transit Authority a.k.a. "Metro"
  RAIL STATIONS CLOSED Labor Day weekend: National Airport, Crystal City, Pentagon City
• DC Circulator
• Washington National Airport (DCA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), w/ MetroBusses & MARC trains to DC
• Union Station (Amtrak)
• DC Government Visitors Resource Center (such as it is)
• Go DC Go!
• Water Taxi - between Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor
• SmartBikeDC - Bike Shares (yearly membership $40, weeks advanced registration for smart card to check out for 3 hours each time... i.e. plan ahead to join) in North West DC near MetroRail
• ChinaTown Buses, to/from Chinatown/Gallery Place MetroRail, cheaper bus transit options to/from NYC, Philadelphia, PA Richmond, VA and some allow bikes

Parks & Recreation, Evening Tête-a-Têtes

It Takes a Village...

Do suggest Great humble Restaurants & Evening Itineraries!

Parks

• Rock Creek Park DC to Maryland
• Capital Crescent Trail DC to MD
• C & O Canal DC to MD
• National Zoo (Pandas?)
• Mount Vernon Trail Alexandria to Mt Vernon,VA
• US National Arboretum NE DC
• Taste of India restaurant (The owner is a friend of Open Source) NW DC near Zoo
• The Brickskeller Dining House & Down Home Saloon - a 17-page menu, with only one page being food. ;-)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial - as monuments and memorials go, this one is actually worth going to. DC

Transit /Tours

• Bike the Sites - bike rentals and tours, DC & Old Town, Alexandria, VA.
• DC Ducks- tours in original WW II DUKW amphibious vehicles

Maryland:

• Takoma Park Folk Festival (post-sprint: Sunday, September 13)
• Dave & Buster's (White Flint Metro station)
• National Harbor (via water taxi from Old Town Alexandria,VA)

Virginia:

• The Birchmere Arlandria, VA,
• Old Town Alexandria (King Street Metro station) some free DASH buses/ trolley like buses to Torpedo factory and water taxi below

For the clubbers: DC

• The 9:30 Club DC
• The Black Cat DC U Street area
• Georgetown (GWU Foggy Bottom, Circulator)
• [2] [3] Obama & Fenty visited, U Street Cordozo MetroRail

Guides

• The Washington City Paper - Find your own fun.
• <add suggestions here>

Accommodations

Until the White House accepts us, we instead recommend:

• Hostels.com
• Great Affordable Bed & Breakfasts
• holt @ laptop.org may have friends!
• Mel Chua
• Sarah Elkins (local with crash space)

Food Stuff Stores

Have a particular diet, vegan, adventurist, etc?

• Trader Joes
• Whole Foods
• LocalHarvest may have farmers markets,

DC Farmers Market outside Galluadet Eastern Market near Capital Hill

Online Delivery Services (check limited area?)

• Safeway.com chain
• GiantFoods.com chain

Cafes

Meeting places, food, maybe wifi?

• Teaism Tea shop several sites, Penn Qtr, Dupont, etc
• Starbucks coffee chain, some wifi?

Bookstores

Some have cafes & internet

• Politics And Prose NW DC cafe downstairs, book signings, press videos
• Reiters High Tech professional & medical books, Downtown Farragut West MetroRail - GWU/ Georgetown

Computer Stores

Need parts/ supplies/ etc?

• MicroCenter a superstore Vienna MetroRail, Pan Am Shopping Center, Nutley St, Vienna, VA & Rockville, MD

Local Rags & Media

Learning enters a new decade..

Other media for connections, samples, maybe someone does a story on sprint process?

• StreetSense.org homeless & poor community paper, office near MetroCenter & homeless vendors usually near Rail stations, poverty related...
• WashingtonPost.com Big Mega Media
• The Washington City Paper - Find your own fun.
• Public Access
• DCTV (Brookland/Catholic University of America MetroRail, Red LineNE DC)
• NPR (where? was Braddock Road Yellow & Blue Lines, 1 up from King St, Alexandria, VA)
• Newseum $$$ tours, print media, etc new building in downtown Central Business District, Penn Ave NW, DC
• etc

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”— Antoine de Saint Exupery