[IAEP] introduction - hi I'm Donna

[David Farning]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 5:41 PM, Donna Benjamin <donna at cc.com.au> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've long been a passionate advocate of the OLPC project, and followed
> with interest the development and creation of sugarlabs.
>
> As conference director for linux.conf.au in Melbourne earlier this year
> I oversaw the distribution of 100 XOs to delegates at the conference,
> and have recently tried to follow up with them to see how they're doing.
>
> Am also intending to continue working with XO owners, developers,
> teachers and learning researchers on community development, and project
> awareness in 2009.
>
> I'm particularly interested in cross-pollination between education
> and learning experts and developers to further the development of sugar
> as a platform for learning. I'm also keen to understand the cross-
> cultural issues encountered during deployments so we can adapt as
> necessary.

Are you interested in theory, application, or something in-between?
One of our recent initiatives is the establishment of Local Labs.  It
is still an open question what exactly a Local Lab[1] is. I envision
that they will be based on the notion of, 'Think globally, act
locally.'

Interested parties may take the idea of Sugar Labs and replicate it on
a regional basis.  The challenge over the next several months and
years will be how to encourage the creativity and resiliency that come
from decentralization with the consistency and quality that a global
'brand' can provide.

If you, or anyone you know, is interest in the theory of establishing
Local Labs we can certainly use your help.   If you are interested in
the lessons that can be learned from actual deployments, the
Deployment Team[2] may be for you.  How about something in the middle?
 We could use a Sugar Labs -Australia to support local deployments,
work on local issues, and feed good ideas and best practices back
upstream to Sugar Labs.

> I introduced the idea of building communities of practice to some people
> in the Aussie OLPC community, getting local groups of XO owners
> gathering with teachers and children to work together on testing,
> learning, discovering and documenting their experience.  Have already
> had a few informal gatherings with some of the developers who got an XO
> at LCA - intending on doing more of that too.  It would be brilliant to
> tap into the broader community to get a TODO list of tasks to accomplish
> and hack on.

Your reputation as an organizer precedes you:)  I would invite you to consider:
Helping us figure out exactly what Local Labs are.
Establish Sugar Labs - Australia to support local deployments and feed
best practices back upstream.
Encourage and support local deployments.

> I think a handful of you already on the list will recognise me, as I've
> been drawn in on the odd conversation, so thought it was time to step
> aboard and say Hi Everyone!
>
> cheers
> Donna
>

david

1. http://sugarlabs.org/go/Local_Labs
2. http://sugarlabs.org/go/DeploymentTeam