Feedback from the field - Haïti

One Laptop Per Child1cc, October 21st 2008

Bastien Guerry

bzg_0.1a

● 10yo: Logo – 20yo: Emacs – 30yo: OLPC

● Background philosophy/cognitive science

● Compas thinktank: cognitive science, education and new technology in schools

● Communities of teachers using ICT in schools + « La main à la pâte »

● WikiProf: teachers using wikis

● OLPC France (grassroots organization)

OLPC Haïti – summer camp

OLPC Haïti – summer camp

OLPC Haïti deployment map

Timeline & general tasks

● 2 weeks at the end of June – starting the summer camp in Republique du Chili

● 5 weeks from July 28th to Sept. 10th – help with building the core team

● Wanda: power / learning materials / teachers' training

● Bastien: online support / technical training

OLPC Haïti core team composition

● 1 Coordinator: Guy Serge Pompilus

● 2 admin staff: Beatrice and Nedgine

● 5 tech staff: Max, Codio, Geebs, Emmanuel, Lacrete

● 2 pedagogical staff: Medly, Beatrix

OLPC Haïti core team in action

Deliverables

● 6 Teacher reports & evaluation forms

● Exams to recruit the tech team

● French version of the Getting Started OLPC guide

● French version of the Scratch guide

● Wiki (wikified version of the Getting Started guide, glossary of technical terms, ...)

OLPC Haïti wiki

OLPC Haïti online support page

OLPC Haïti online support form

OLPC Haïti – learning materials

Problems / Challenges

● Get really hands on with learning, not just learning about computers (lack of people with a background in education)

● Encourage the tech team to take part of the learning side of the project

● Tasks management: don't let blockers stop informal spread of knowledge

● Better communication with(in) the team

● Bring a sense of trusting the teachers

● Create an environment to engage the community (students, parents, ...)

Successes

● Get Sugar translated into haitian kreyol

● Encourage the team to explore GNU/Linux

● Feedback from the OLPC HQ tech team was really good and helpful

● The haitian tech team now feels more comfortable in diving into OLPC mailing lists and into the wiki

● Tech team is working on building a GNU/Linux User Group