Contributors program/September 10, 2010

[ AGENDA ]

* XO-1.5 early production machines now available/shipping:
  http://blog.laptop.org/2010/02/25/xo-1-5-early-production-laptops-free-to-contributors-worldwide/

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

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

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

 #1 Bridges to Swaziland - Radnor, Pennsylvania


[ PROJECT #1 - Bridges to Swaziland - Radnor, Pennsylvania ]

( Spontaneous #olpc-meeting decisionmaking went well, thanks to cjb
  greeting the applicant, then iisidor in the DR and sandrat saving the day :)

* Yellow-Azure-97 has joined #olpc-meeting
<Yellow-Azure-97> My project number is 66939
<Yellow-Azure-97> I hope I am in the right place to be an advocate for
my proposal. I am asking for 127 computers for orphans in Swaziland.
<Yellow-Azure-97> I represent Cabrini College and the missionary sisters
who work with the children in Swaziland.
<Yellow-Azure-97> My proposal is described at
teachersusan.com/computersforchildren.htm
<Yellow-Azure-97> I submitted it on Sunday
* Yellow-Russet-24 has joined #olpc-meeting
<Yellow-Azure-97> I hope I am in the right place
* sj| (~sj@wikipedia/sj) has joined #olpc-meeting
<cjb> Yellow-Azure-97: Hi, you're in the right place but the meeting
hasn't started yet. I'm not sure whether/when it's happening.
<Yellow-Russet-24> oh I am hoping I will be able to advocate for my
project proposal. It is designed to help orphans in Swaziland who need
help with literacy
<Yellow-Russet-24> I am signed on to two computers! in case I lose my
connection
<CanoeBerry_> Rellow-Russet-24: My apologies our meeting is not taking
place this week.
<CanoeBerry_> I will preview your proposal prior to a more full review
Sept ~17
* CanoeBerry_ is now known as CanoeBerry
<Yellow-Russet-24> oh no1 Have I done everything I need to do to submit
our proposal? I put the proposal online
<CanoeBerry> Got a link?
<Yellow-Russet-24> can you find it? the address is
teachersusan.com/computersforchildren.htm
* Retrieving #olpc-meeting modes...
<Yellow-Russet-24> I did it this way because I was anxious so I used a
personal server space. I am a professor at Cabrini College and we
support a hostel for 127 orphans run by the Missionary Sisters in Swaziland.
<CanoeBerry> Thanks. OLPC volunteers can also check out and comment on
your proposal here: http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=66939
<Yellow-Russet-24> When should I plan on signing on to advocate for the
proposal again?
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: can you make a link from
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects to your site?
<Yellow-Russet-24> am I able to do that?
<CanoeBerry> A very quick 1-2min review here might help steer things in
the right direction.
<CanoeBerry> Yes, click edit above on the Projects page.
<CanoeBerry> Click "EDIT" if possible..
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: have you spoken with http://waveplace.org
right in your area of Pennsylvania I believe?
* iisidor has joined #olpc-meeting
<Yellow-Russet-24> no I have not
<CanoeBerry> iisidor: do you also have any critiques of
http://teachersusan.com/computersforchildren.htm to help the applicant here?
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: please do look over Waveplace's approach
(a smaller-scale approach that OLPC generally, emphasizing mentors &
eToys DIY software storytelling / guided discovery) :
http://waveplace.org/blog
<CanoeBerry> As they are just north of you in PA I believe..
<Yellow-Russet-24> I am on their website right now It says they are
bringing laptops to Caribbean children
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: how could you (would you) use 2 XO-1
laptops for starters?
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: yes, the Caribbean is their emphasis.
<Yellow-Russet-24> we would learn to use them ourselves then teach the
Swaziland teachers who are due to arrive here in January They would
bring them back tot he children in the hostel I know they would be
great for teaching ESL and basic literacy skills
<Yellow-Russet-24> The children at the missiion need to learn English
in order to continue their education. Two Missionary
sisters run the hostel alone with the help of community teachers and staff
<CanoeBerry> OLPC does not have sufficient XO laptops to provide 12 to
brand new groups. Generally we only provide ~10 or so to groups that
have a strong blogging track record creating learning content or
software etc for kids worldwide (or at least in their language/region!)
<Yellow-Russet-24> we would be happy to get whatever we could to support
these children and their teachers
<CanoeBerry> Thanks much for explaining your forward path(s). Have you
considered eBay.com also, to scale up beyond? Many microdeployments
similar to yours buy XO-1s on eBay for about $100-200 each, and/or post
here too asking for individual XO-1 donations across Canada & USA:
<CanoeBerry> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Donate_Your_Get_One
<CanoeBerry> iisidor: any reactions to the pedagogic approach/potential
here?
<CanoeBerry> ( http://teachersusan.com/computersforchildren.htm )
<Yellow-Russet-24> we would be able to raise money, I believe to
purchase some XO laptops. The people here at Cabrini are committed to
helping the children
<CanoeBerry> Do you have a linux or similar enthusiast on board to help?
<Yellow-Russet-24> yes we do, through our IT department We are also
affilated with Drexel University
<iisidor> CanoeBerry: It seems very promising
* sandrat has joined #olpc-meeting
<CanoeBerry> iisidor: excellent
<CanoeBerry> let's consider shipping 2 preliminarily if sandrat agrees?
<CanoeBerry> sandrat: please see
http://teachersusan.com/computersforchildren.htm
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: please type right here a more personal
name if you can, eg. just type: /join TeacherSusan
<CanoeBerry> Or some such. Just a suggestion!
<CanoeBerry> Sorry, I meant: /nick TeacherSusan
<CanoeBerry> To chance your nickname right here in this channel.
<Yellow-Russet-24> TeacherSusan: OK
<sandrat> good project, good background on team, good history in the
community
<CanoeBerry> +1 for 2 XO-1s
<CanoeBerry> Does anybody else here have a vote, critique, or offer to
mentor this high-potential young initiative?
<iisidor> +1
<sandrat> this group appears to have resources to support the investment
<CanoeBerry> Final votes? Objections?
<CanoeBerry> Calling once..
<CanoeBerry> Calling twice..
<CanoeBerry> Calling thrice..
<sandrat> would like some more specific ideas in the implementation of
the power of sugar and its activities to address the needs of the students
<sandrat> +1
<Yellow-Russet-24> TeacherSusan We definitely do. We are a small
Catholic College with a strong mission and we will work hard to support
this project
<CanoeBerry> APPROVED for 2 XO-1s. A strong welcome to this emerging
Pennsylvania / Swaziland team!
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: any final questions for OLPC volunteers
this week, who can be tremendsously helpful mentoring en route?
<sandrat> ok go for it
<sandrat> I can send some initial comments to team with some lessons
learned and suggestions
<Yellow-Russet-24> TeacherSusan Thank you so much. I appreciate the
mentoring.
<CanoeBerry> Yellow-Russet-24: just for kicks try typing right here:
"/nick TeacherSusan"
<CanoeBerry> Without the quotes of course.
* Yellow-Russet-24 is now known as TeacherSusan
<TeacherSusan> hooray
<CanoeBerry> Ya did it!
<CanoeBerry> UberHacker
<CanoeBerry> Alrighty, final questions?
<CanoeBerry> TeacherSusan: feel free to later join our 250+ volunteer
team if you get serious..
<CanoeBerry> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Support_Gang
<TeacherSusan> Yes. Can I write to someone for help/ And how does it
work with getting the laptops so I can tell my department?
<CanoeBerry> Many folks similar to you on our mailing list here.
<TeacherSusan> I definitely am serious and will sign up
<CanoeBerry> Great. The semi-refurb'd XO-1 laptops will arrive within
about a week, to the shipping address you've already specified.
<TeacherSusan> This is all new to me but I will work hard I am so
excited about what the XO laptops mean to kids around the world
<CanoeBerry> Thanks so much.
<CanoeBerry> Give me a call sometime.
<CanoeBerry> I will send you my phone numbers by email.
<TeacherSusan> Thank you again, and God bless you too.
<iisidor> TeacherSusan: Godspeed
<CanoeBerry> Thanks sandrat & iisidor!
<CanoeBerry> For embracing fresh volunteerism here..
<CanoeBerry> TeacherSusan: sandrat works in Kenya & Tanzania, while
iisidor works in the Dominican Republic.
* cjb Quit (Remote host closed the connection)
* cjb has joined #olpc-meeting
<CanoeBerry> TeacherSusan: I will conclude now myself, but remember you
can very often reach us online here.
<CanoeBerry> If it's urgent, just type: "/query CanoeBerry" to catch my
attention.
<CanoeBerry> Thanks & havea great wkd!
<TeacherSusan> Thank you again. I will definitely keep you in the loop.
Susan
<iisidor> take care all
<CanoeBerry> -Informal Meeting Adjourned-
* iisidor has left #olpc-meeting
<sandrat> thx adam