OLPC Cook Islands

Trial in Cook Islands started end of 2009 in Mitiaro High School an isolated island .

Below is an update from Thomas Samuela, the principal of the school on February 19th, 2010

"We spent nearly the whole of week 2 working together as a whole school.

The school has a team of 6 supervisors (students from correspondence class and one from Fm. 2) who generally look after the administration of the XOs. They remedy little hiccups like battery not charging properly, application disappearing from the homepage, labeling chargers, upgrading the new version and teaching children how to “pick up” their electronic copy of the school newsletter from the server. They get together sometimes to discuss new ideas or turn old ideas to new ones. As in the following example.

Right now, all secondary students take home an electronic copy of the Cook Island news on Thursdays. This is one brilliant extension idea ( from the newsletter idea) by the two boys Nia and Joseph. These two boys are very committed to becoming administrators one day. (they think they are the godfathers of the XOs) This activity is extended to other classes. Senior students actually pick out (filter) their favourite news from the Top news and the General News section, not forgetting the sports section.

Here is copy of the in- school training that took place in Week 2. Two days were put aside so that teachers have a better idea on integrating the use of the laptops in the curriculum. In this case, Social Science, language and music. The children just loved the Bio Poems activity that the Social Science advisor had sent us. I wish that I can easily print out the Bio poems. The teachers learned a lot from the activities.

I am working on a draft Emergency plan for the XOs. I am looking at possibly purchasing some solid waterproof bins (enough to contain all laptops and the server and other equipment) so that the laptops are collected or recalled just before a major natural disaster hits . "