EKindling
Welcome to Education Kindling Organization Wiki
eKindling is short for Education Kindling, eKindling is the result of our collaborative attempt to formalize an organizati on in the Philippines that will allow us to further our common mission and vision as a community. Simply said -- This is an education project.
Having been conceived through the "OLPC process," eKindling is supportive of current XO-related initiatives. Projects, partnerships and volunteer efforts will continue to be encouraged. The project details below provides more detail about the organization and why we are pursuing this route.
Many thanks to everyone who has helped in getting us to this point. Your efforts are priceless! With your continued support and collaboration, we can finally see the vision become a reality in the Philippines.
Vision
This is an education project, not a laptop project!
Thus, through innovations in learning and technology, we want to empower the youth of the Philippines to become digitally literate, critical thinkers and productive members of society. In doing so, we believe that they will be better prepared to tackle the challenges of an increasingly competitive job market and globalized world as well, as become an agent of change towards the betterment of themselves and their communities.
Mission
To enhance educational opportunities through open source, learning and technological innovations for the empowerment of children in the Philippines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from other computer classes?
Most programs teach "computer literacy", which focuses on the basics such as email, power point, word processing, and web browsing. Many others use "edutainment" software to teach things like the 3 Rs “aRithmetic, wRiting, and Reading.” Both of these approaches fall far short of what's possible with computers.
We believe that children are creative learners, and as such, they can construct new knowledge through playful exploration and problem solving. Our curriculum, which will be based on the methodologies used by OLE Nepal and Waveplace, will serve to enhance already existing curricula in public schools. Thus, we do not aim to replace established curricula.
In partnership with Squeakland and local stakeholders, we hope to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum that leverages constructivist approach and that focuses on programming as well as the 3 Rs. Again, this is an education project. Creating effective educational content and curriculum will be a primary goal.
Why is your name eKindling?
In the words of the Greek Philosopher, Plutarch, a mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. We strongly believe this and as such, we wanted our name “eKindling” (or Education Kindling) to reflect this.
Although there are branding benefits to naming ourselves “OLPC Philippines,” we believe that it would limit our growth. In a rapidly innovating technological terrain, we want to be able to adopt better technologies that may help us achieve our mission more efficiently and effectively.
Ultimately, our vision transcends the notion of simply giving each child in the Philippines a laptop. We recognize that the XO laptop is simply a vehicle that delivers quality education that each child deserves. We focus on the mission, not the vehicle.
Does this mean you are not using XO laptops?
No, XO laptops are still our primary choice of hardware. In the foreseeable future, we believe that its design and price still holds a competitive advantage over all other competing technologies. Thus, XOs will be the main tool in our pilot deployments.
With that said, we suspect that Sugar on a Stick will play an increasing role in our future operations.
As an organization, we recognize that hardware is simply the beginning. We put equal emphasis on the software and educational content. OLPC is simply 1/3 of the equation. Sugar Operating System (Sugarlabs) and Educational Content (Squeakland) are equally as important. Understanding this from the onset will increase our chances of success.
Who owns this project?
We firmly believe that no one person owns the OLPC project. The community, which includes all stakeholders (educators, parents, entrepreneurs, students, donors, engineers, etc) owns the project. Collectively, community members are the experts and we look towards them for guidance and support. The value provided by the community is central to our strategic plan. Thus, to maintain a sense of ownership and trust, our organization strives to be transparent.
Learning from the experience of OLE Nepal, we maintain that this is community driven.
Are you looking for partners?
Yes, we are looking for partners! We are looking for partners that know how to get things done. They will guide our approach, especially as we move forward with our small-medium deployments. You know your communities the most and we look forward to serving them with you.
If you are an academic institution, private corporation, non-profit organization, corporate social responsibility program, or government department, please feel free to contact us!
How can I help?
There are many ways you can help!
Right now, we need money. Every dollar you donate will help us help more children. If you are also a grant writer, please help write applications for seed funding and deployment programs. Increasing our funds will increase our capacity to deploy pilots!
We also need help with educational content. Feedback and input regarding our curriculum would be truly appreciated!
Spread the word in your social networks, blogs, etc. Spread the word!! We need as much support as possible. Engage!
Follow us on twitter:eKindling. We will continue to post volunteer opportunities and announcements about new partnerships, developments, deployments, etc.