Oh the publicity. Bono's ONE website has recently featured our Senegal OLPC deployment on its blog. The ONE blog will be featuring between 2-4 OLPCorps blogs over the next few months, so stay tuned. Until then, click http://www.one.org/blog/?p=7703 to read ours.
01 September 2009
16 August 2009
Rotary Newsletter: August
Hey all,
The Rotary district 6220 newsletter just came out and is featuring a second article on Justin's and my deployment. The newsletter can be accessed here: http://www.ridistrict6220.org/about/newsletter.htm
15 August 2009
All good things must come to an end, at least temporarily
It's been a while since we've updated our blog on actual OLPCorps Senegal progress here in Mboro. It's been quite the eventful couple of weeks.
1. We finally received our new server, and then had problems with said server. It resulted in us being unable to connect to the internet properly.
2. Then we had a lightning storm and were further unable to connect to the internet.
3. Both teacher and student trainings are finished!
4. Teacher training ended with the Americans trying to cook a batch of stir-fry, chicken, and pasta for 20 hungry exam-goers. It ended with a few Senegalese women taking over and making something they called "American Suppakadja." They loved this new concoction. The head of Catholic schools in Senegal also came to enjoy the festivities. Together we ate, drank, and celebrated one month of computer training and one hefty XO exam being complete.
5. The teacher’s largest concern was forgetting everything they learned before school starts in October. Since all the teachers have taken an XO home with them for summer vacation, we are less concerned. However, we did assure them if they don't use the XO during break, they will indeed forget. Better practice! It's in their hands now.
6. Half our team went home last week, leaving the last week of student training up to us. Unfortunately, this also coincided with the teachers officially leaving for vacation. We ended up giving the students free time to explore their XO for several hours each day. Since none of them had even opened up email accounts, the time was more productive than originally anticipated.
7. Most common XO activities students used during free time: a) Record - you'd be surprised at what creative rap videos students can make with the XO. b) Wikipedia images - the youngest students watch the world images on slide show mode and pretend its television. They point and gawk and just love it. c) Paint - many of the female students would take group photos together in Record, import them into Write, and start pasting hearts and stars all around the image. Since importing photos into write wasn't something covered in the first two weeks of classes, we were pretty excited. d) Maze - while the sharing function on the XO is still fairly buggy, the keyboard does allow up to three or four students to compete in Maze at one time. Once they found this out, students would line around one computer and yell and laugh and try to beat each other in a Maze game that gets progressively more difficult as you play. It's quite the sight.
8. XO charging cabinets are now in our hands. After being overcharged and disappointed at the electrical work done on our first charging cabinet, Devon decided it was best to take over. We'll post photos to clarify exactly how the charging cabinets are being wired for electricity. For now, we're saving a ton of money on a better product.
9. We have received word from two Rotary Clubs in Dakar and are looking forward to meeting with them about the project next week.
10. In five days Justin and I leave and all loose ends move into Devon's hands. We only hope to have most of them tied up.
1. We finally received our new server, and then had problems with said server. It resulted in us being unable to connect to the internet properly.
2. Then we had a lightning storm and were further unable to connect to the internet.
3. Both teacher and student trainings are finished!
4. Teacher training ended with the Americans trying to cook a batch of stir-fry, chicken, and pasta for 20 hungry exam-goers. It ended with a few Senegalese women taking over and making something they called "American Suppakadja." They loved this new concoction. The head of Catholic schools in Senegal also came to enjoy the festivities. Together we ate, drank, and celebrated one month of computer training and one hefty XO exam being complete.
5. The teacher’s largest concern was forgetting everything they learned before school starts in October. Since all the teachers have taken an XO home with them for summer vacation, we are less concerned. However, we did assure them if they don't use the XO during break, they will indeed forget. Better practice! It's in their hands now.
6. Half our team went home last week, leaving the last week of student training up to us. Unfortunately, this also coincided with the teachers officially leaving for vacation. We ended up giving the students free time to explore their XO for several hours each day. Since none of them had even opened up email accounts, the time was more productive than originally anticipated.
7. Most common XO activities students used during free time: a) Record - you'd be surprised at what creative rap videos students can make with the XO. b) Wikipedia images - the youngest students watch the world images on slide show mode and pretend its television. They point and gawk and just love it. c) Paint - many of the female students would take group photos together in Record, import them into Write, and start pasting hearts and stars all around the image. Since importing photos into write wasn't something covered in the first two weeks of classes, we were pretty excited. d) Maze - while the sharing function on the XO is still fairly buggy, the keyboard does allow up to three or four students to compete in Maze at one time. Once they found this out, students would line around one computer and yell and laugh and try to beat each other in a Maze game that gets progressively more difficult as you play. It's quite the sight.
8. XO charging cabinets are now in our hands. After being overcharged and disappointed at the electrical work done on our first charging cabinet, Devon decided it was best to take over. We'll post photos to clarify exactly how the charging cabinets are being wired for electricity. For now, we're saving a ton of money on a better product.
9. We have received word from two Rotary Clubs in Dakar and are looking forward to meeting with them about the project next week.
10. In five days Justin and I leave and all loose ends move into Devon's hands. We only hope to have most of them tied up.
14 August 2009
Our First Video
We have been without internet for a little while, but that has been resolved for the time being. This is an interview we did with the school director about his thoughts on the program. There are also a few clips from the classroom. Let us know what you think.
05 August 2009
One Laptop Per Child at Ecole Notre Dame
We are a team of four university students from the United States who are spending our summer in Mboro, Sengal. Mboro is a small mining town on the Atlantic Ocean approximately fifty kilometers north of Dakar. After receiving a grant including two hundred XO laptops from One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), we were directed by Peace Corps members in Senegal to Ecole Notre Dame elementary school. Ecole Notre Dame is unique in that it receives free power and clean water from the local phosphorous factory; free power has greatly assisted in the financial sustainability of deploying 200 laptops to one school. All students from grades 2-5 will receive their own XO computer come October.
Pierre Khar Tine, the director of Ecole Notre Dame, had been researching the feasibility of bringing computers to his school for several years. Pierre’s philosophy is that “students need to know how to read; they need to know how to write; and, they need to know how to use computers. Computer illiteracy is illiteracy.” He had asked Devon Connolly, the local Peace Corps Volunteer, to keep an ear out for project possibilities; but, Devon hardly assumed such an opportunity would arise. When the Peace Corps director in Senegal contacted Devon about bringing XO’s to Mboro, it was serendipitous. He told Pierre about OLPC, our team, and showed him a photo of the green and white XO laptop online. After, he asked Pierre to consider seriously the ramification of introducing 200 computers to Ecole Notre Dame’s school curriculum. It didn’t take Pierre long to believe we were the answer to his prayers.
Deploying several hundred child-sized computers to one Catholic school is no easy task. Wireless routers and a school server had to be installed; trenches to bury Ethernet cable had to be dug; customized cabinets to charge and store the laptops each night had to be built. While these infrastructural changes did not come easy, none of them would have been possible without community support. A local woodworker built twelve charging cabinets; a hardware store owner constructed power strips; Devon’s Senegalese cousin wired the classrooms for internet; and the head of Catholic school in Senegal generously donated conduit to cover all bare wires in each classroom. Their goal was to create a permanent fixture the school could be proud of. The best way to insure sustainability was to create a community project, not simply a school project.
We don’t believe that computers alone will greatly impact Mboro; but, we do believe that the students who own these laptops will. This week the students are completing a career research project to think about their future in a way that might motivate them through school. Groups of four students went into Mboro and used the video, photo, and write functions on their XO to interview an array of local professionals in both formal and informal sectors. Students interviewed anyone from the mayor’s secretary, to the local pharmacist, to meat and vegetable vendors. At the end of this week, each group will present to the class what they saw and learned about the work involved to achieve and sustain various careers. In addition to this career research project, the teachers will soon be working with students to implement an online school newspaper. This newspaper will encourage students to be involved and present their insights on local issues to a global audience. The XO is one tool that allows students to take control of their education. Students at Ecole Notre Dame have taken a break from their daily routine of rote memorization, and have begun asking serious questions about themselves and their community. In only 8 weeks, students have begun to use a connected laptop to think critically about their environment. With more time, they'll start to create positive change.
03 August 2009
Meeeting with the mayor
After having only crossed paths a couple of times at such important public functions as wrestling matches, today was our first scheduled meeting with him and his staff. All in all - very positive.
We explained what we were doing and what our hopes were for the project. Many schools in the area see the importance not only in computer training but also in boosting the education system. After a few questions they started working on ideas on how they could go about purchasing more in the future. This was pretty exciting since school hasn't even started yet, but, of course they're looking forward to seeing how the year goes.
We talked about how much they might have available and it wasn't an overwhelming amount - but still good start. From there we talked about the prospect of the parents chipping in for part of the computer, paying small amounts over time. This is something which was done in some shools in Rwanda. We also talked about possible matching grants that might be found or provided by various groups to help either the local goverment or individual families. Lastly, the most ideal but not the easiest option, we talked about ways the national government can get involved to help support and hopefully expand the project to other areas.
It's a bit early in the game to pin down too many details, but we're excited that their excited. We'll continue to work with the local government, OLPC, and a few other friends that might be able to help over the next year. Hopefully, we'll be able to come up with something suitable for all - most importantly the students.
We explained what we were doing and what our hopes were for the project. Many schools in the area see the importance not only in computer training but also in boosting the education system. After a few questions they started working on ideas on how they could go about purchasing more in the future. This was pretty exciting since school hasn't even started yet, but, of course they're looking forward to seeing how the year goes.
We talked about how much they might have available and it wasn't an overwhelming amount - but still good start. From there we talked about the prospect of the parents chipping in for part of the computer, paying small amounts over time. This is something which was done in some shools in Rwanda. We also talked about possible matching grants that might be found or provided by various groups to help either the local goverment or individual families. Lastly, the most ideal but not the easiest option, we talked about ways the national government can get involved to help support and hopefully expand the project to other areas.
It's a bit early in the game to pin down too many details, but we're excited that their excited. We'll continue to work with the local government, OLPC, and a few other friends that might be able to help over the next year. Hopefully, we'll be able to come up with something suitable for all - most importantly the students.
Teacher / Student Update
1. Week 4 of mandatory teacher formation got off to a rainy start. When it rains in Senegal it pours. We had four go-getters for morning training and led a basic how-to-fix-any-XO-problem day. We showed them how to restart sugar, put the computer to sleep to fix the mouse, restart the computer if neither of those work. And if all else fails, reflash.
2. We practiced reflashing on spare computers so no teacher would lose his/her saved documents. One hour into training we got a late-arrival and Marie François was nice enough to catch her up on what she missed. Unfortunately, Marie François forgot the you-will-lose-all-your-documents aspect of reflashing. Although Thioum shrieked at the sight of a very blank computer, the teachers agreed they will now remember not to reflash unless absolutely necessary.
3. It is summer vacation time in Senegal and all the catholic schools are swapping students. Some students have come to Mboro for the week and Ecole Notre Dame students have gone elsewhere. Technically, we should have no students for XO training. And while attendance did drop, it hardly dropped to zero. We went from 80 students to 60 and have been told they would rather be here for "informatique" than on some holiday.
4. Learning project! We gave the teachers three options for learning projects to do this week (and next?) with the students. First, was a career research project. Second, was a 'where do you see your community in ten years' project. And lastly is a school newspaper. We plan to do the school newspaper next week regardless, but didn't want to force a learning project onto the teachers that wasn't culturally translatable. In the end, Pierre chose career research.
5. It will be the first time students take laptops outside school and into the community.
6. In preparation, the students wrote up interview questions in class and went over to the church / clinic to practice using the video function on their XO. It was an exciting activity to observe. Both the students and the men and women interviewed took the activity with a balance of seriousness and humor.
7. From 9-10 am tomorrow, groups of 4 students are coming to school to pick up one group laptop. They are writing interview questions tonight (2 questions per person) and are going into the garage, the market, the factory, etc. to interview individuals about their careers. Everyone is extremely excited to have a day-long, outside-of-school project. It's definitely better than vacation.
8. The end result will be a 5 minute group presentation about that specific career.
9. There is a strong chance that at least one team will not save the file correctly and will show up for student training at 3:30pm with no video.
10. But, we'll take that challenge as it comes.
2. We practiced reflashing on spare computers so no teacher would lose his/her saved documents. One hour into training we got a late-arrival and Marie François was nice enough to catch her up on what she missed. Unfortunately, Marie François forgot the you-will-lose-all-your-documents aspect of reflashing. Although Thioum shrieked at the sight of a very blank computer, the teachers agreed they will now remember not to reflash unless absolutely necessary.
3. It is summer vacation time in Senegal and all the catholic schools are swapping students. Some students have come to Mboro for the week and Ecole Notre Dame students have gone elsewhere. Technically, we should have no students for XO training. And while attendance did drop, it hardly dropped to zero. We went from 80 students to 60 and have been told they would rather be here for "informatique" than on some holiday.
4. Learning project! We gave the teachers three options for learning projects to do this week (and next?) with the students. First, was a career research project. Second, was a 'where do you see your community in ten years' project. And lastly is a school newspaper. We plan to do the school newspaper next week regardless, but didn't want to force a learning project onto the teachers that wasn't culturally translatable. In the end, Pierre chose career research.
5. It will be the first time students take laptops outside school and into the community.
6. In preparation, the students wrote up interview questions in class and went over to the church / clinic to practice using the video function on their XO. It was an exciting activity to observe. Both the students and the men and women interviewed took the activity with a balance of seriousness and humor.
7. From 9-10 am tomorrow, groups of 4 students are coming to school to pick up one group laptop. They are writing interview questions tonight (2 questions per person) and are going into the garage, the market, the factory, etc. to interview individuals about their careers. Everyone is extremely excited to have a day-long, outside-of-school project. It's definitely better than vacation.
8. The end result will be a 5 minute group presentation about that specific career.
9. There is a strong chance that at least one team will not save the file correctly and will show up for student training at 3:30pm with no video.
10. But, we'll take that challenge as it comes.
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