[IAEP] USB based access in Australia

[Donna Benjamin]

On Thu, 2008-12-11 at 20:50 -0500, Caroline Meeks wrote:
> hi Donna and other Aussies, 

Hey Caroline! :)

> Do you know the folks at Cybersource?
> http://www.cyber.com.au/press/government_laptop_best_value_solution.html

I do know Con quite well - and am long overdue for a catch up with him.
Thanks for pointing this out, it had completely slipped by my radar!

> Here is a good article on it:
> http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22209/53/

Oooh - Also good. Thank you.

> It looks like they are working on the idea I was calling School Key
> when we met in Indianapolis.

Yep - some years ago con contracted one of his developers to put
together LiveLAMP - a CD that allowed a teacher to easily install a
school server for student software development.  They've done some good
work in this space before.  

It was also Con Zymaris who put together the original Free Software for
Schools catalog for OSV that Bryant revised last year (and he and I are
working on revising again: latest here
http://www.osv.org.au/index.cgi?tid=155 )

> They may also be interested in looking at Sugar on a Stick to provide
> better pedagogy for the younger grades and as a way to get in without
> the direct linux-windows conflict the comments on this article suggest
> they are facing. 

Aaah ok - thanks - I shall follow through and read the comments, touch
base with Con, and report back to you lot. :)

> I already sent an email to their info address but an introduction is
> always nice.

Will do! (action: now)

> Thanks,
> Caroline
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 6:41 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.
>         
>         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.
>         
>         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
>         
>         --
>         Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
>         Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au
>         ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414
>         open source - facilitation - web services
>         
>         _______________________________________________
>         IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>         IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>         http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Caroline Meeks
> Solution Grove
> Caroline at SolutionGrove.com
> 
> 617-500-3488 - Office
> 505-213-3268 - Fax
-- 
Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au
ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414
open source - facilitation - web services