OLPC Oceania/Deployment

Deployment guide

WORK IN PROGRESS

This is a guide to the implementation of the initial 8-country trials. The various strategies described here will be padded out as we gain experience.

Preparation

Host projects

In these initial trials we are

Political approval

• SPC gets initial approval
• Brief Ministry and Minister on arrival, involve key divisions, get their support
• Brief provincial/district education departments and get participation
• Brief Ministry of Information/Communications and telecoms authorities
• National steering group or task force with subcommittees (TOR)

Local support

• local project officers, Policy Dept, Curriculum, Teacher Training, School Inspectors, provincial and district education officers
• local NGOs, academic institutions, champions
• logistical support ensured. Find out what resources the Ministry has available – I.e. Can they provide domestic transport and miscellaneous costs (this should be encouraged).
• Help Ministry officials to plan for official hand-over at school, with media etc.

Computers

• Updating
• Entering names and colours

Power

• Pin type and alignment
• Village power availability
• Plan for charging capability

Connectivity

• Options
• AP
• School server

Handouts

• Introduction to OLPC (4-page handout for teachers and others) Have one for each teacher plus 10 extra copies.
• Other useful information: The OLPC Nepal report is useful to add weight to the promises of educational impacts made for the laptops. Bnd a few “presentation packs” with the basic information and a copy of this and an other useful reference papers.
• Training pack
• Parents agreement (one copy per child)
• Students record (one per child)
• Teachers Training Certificate (one per teacher)

Plan how to get copies of the last three on site, once they are signed (bring a scanner to site).

Deployment

• Contact with school. Warn them well in advance.
• Consider dates, and the school's likely commitments (exams, holidays, etc)
• Get names and numbers. This is often inaccurate.
• Arrange deployment logistics with local officers.
• Plan for minimum 5 days on site
• Checklist
• Video an digital cameras
• Power/charging solution (I.e. Powerboards, adapters, extension cables)
• Inverter with 12V car power plug (to charge up facilitator's laptops etc)
• Scanner and printer (with software installed on facilitator's laptops etc)
• Multimedia projector is useful – good for community awareness
• Mobile phone SIM card that works in local networks, if coverage available
• Torch
• Personal items (you might need to bring food, mosquito net, food and basics in some locations)

Schedule at School

• Welcome, introductions
• Initial meeting with school teachers, principal and school board.
• This meeting can be split into a short introductory meeting and later more detailed session.
• Introduce the project, using the “presentation” agenda and include showing of short videos
• Discuss schedule and find out what timetable and commitment the school has to keep to. Agree the training schedule timetable for the rest of the week.
• Feedback
• Teacher training
• Session 1 – Basics
• Session 2 – Activities and sharing
• Session 3 – Discussion/workshop: Principles, Classroom usage and Evaluation
• Feedback
• Student training
• Basics
• Activities and sharing
• Community Awareness
• Parents meeting
• Hand over
• Suggested deployment timetable / schedule