(by Russell Van Riper, expanded from newsletter) As this is written, I am at work. Sailing, four days at sea, the last leg up the Indian River. We are delivering a boat and its owner to a new home port. Nearly four weeks have passed since the end of the Immokalee pilot. When first handed this little computer with great ambition, I asked myself, "How does one introduce computing to children who have never been exposed, without losing childhood to the screen?". I have never been enamored with technology for tech's sake. I see far to many people passively using...
Astronomical Potential Mon, 1-Sep-2008 (paula)
(by C.T. Kormann, from newsletter) The classroom is lit only by the mid-day sun, which angles in through the glassless windows of wrought-iron bars. Outside is a grove of plantain trees. The heat is heavy, the air dusty. Rubén, a skinny 11-year-old, is clicking and dragging his miniature mouse across the arm of his battered wood desk-chair. His toes just barely touch the floor and his saucer-shaped eyes are locked on the glowing screen of his XO laptop, where he has, on a whim, created the solar system. It was my third day in Nicaragua teaching 21 students, (six girls,...
Spark of Light Mon, 1-Sep-2008 (paula)
(from newsletter) Teaching, learning, playing, creating ... everything is interwoven. The spark of light in a child's mind is there at the very beginning. It is our job, as the caretakers of these bright lights, to kindle that spark and fan them, and watch them grow. This spark wants to grow naturally, strongly, because it knows its purpose: to love, to watch, to learn, to know, to grow. The thing that weakens that spark is fear. Fear keeps us trying to do what we think other people want. Fear keeps us distant from our lives, locked in life-long jobs or...
Nicaragua Day 21 Mon, 1-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Jose has become my eager helper. I arrived early today and he a tad late. He was disappointed that he was not there to unload a box of computers from the taxi. Two other children were busy calling out the laptop numbers for the children to claim. Seeing the bag holding the mice, he quickly snatched it and began passing them out. Tasks like these are physical was for him to show his appreciation. They are important to him. Geovany had endured an awful flu over the weekend. I told him he was free to go home if he wasn’t...
Nicaragua Interviews 1 to 5 Tue, 2-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Today I began interviewing the children one by one. We have reached the halfway mark of the pilot. These first 15 lessons are the foundation of Etoys and the rest are the "banquet" of skills and deepening explorations of the program and its possibilities. I thought this was an appropriate time to start. Basically I am asking them a bit about their family life, their dreams and aspirations, their pastimes. I am photographing each student individually and David and Geovany will translate their responses to be sealed in an envelope and delivered to them five years from now. Perhaps it...
Nicaragua Interviews 6 to 8 Wed, 3-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
6. Adan Jose Alcocer Monestel I live in El Cacal part of Buenos Aires. There are twelve of us children, four boys and eight girls. My mothers name is Sonya and my father is Juan. Yes, it s a very big family. I also have eight more cousins but only two grandparents. They are all near by. After school first I have lunch and then study for a while. I play both baseball and football but I prefer football. I do some errands at home. I draw water from the well, run errands for my mother or father and go...
Nicaragua Days 22 to 25 Fri, 5-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
This week saw a deluge of thunderous rainstorms at the camp. Electricity was out for whole evenings and nights and Internet service was intermittent at best. When electricity was available, I rushed to insure that the XOs got charged and fortunately the children saw no interruption in classes. This curtailed my ability to write as my computer was often lacking charge and the loss of signal severely limited my ability to post. All the rain also wrecked havoc on the road, still my taxi driver was stalwart and managed to navigate the swamped areas often forgoing the road altogether to...
Nicaragua Interviews 9 to 13 Sun, 7-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
9. Ruben Rivera Casanova I live in a white house just one block north of the school in section 7 of Buenos Aires. There are 8 sectors in the pueblo. I have one brother and a baby living in my house. We live with my father and Grandfather. I lived and went to school in Costa Rica for five years before moving here. After school I go home for lunch and then come back here for class and fun. In the evening I watch television, do my homework, have dinner and go too bed. I often play football and other...
Nicaragua Day 28 Mon, 8-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
“Muy claros,” was the phrase of the day. Buenos Aires was sweltering. Vapor rose off the tin rooftops. There was neither faint hint nor whiff of breeze. And it wasn’t just me, a gringo in a different clime. Everyone moved slowly. Hand towels stayed in hand, not pocketed, to wipe the sweat from ones brow and neck and hands, continuously. I had brought cookies to tame appetites and found myself rueful that I had not waited and opted for popsicles. Still, the children beads of perspiration sliding down their foreheads and cheeks were present and smiling. After all it was...
Nicaragua Day 29 Tue, 9-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
The future of the pilot weighed heavy today. Adam and I have been discussing it. What can it look like ideally and what are the options with the resources at hand. Is it possible to turn the computers over to the children themselves? What actors do we have and what might support and/or capabilities look like that they may bring to the table? I spent the afternoon in discussion with the Peace Corps workers, discerning their commitment and making arrangements for their director to visit on Friday for a first hand observation of the project. Adam will be present and...
Nicaragua Day 30 Wed, 10-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Yesterday Roxanna’s computer was experiencing ‘the fritz’, simply acting erratic on it’s own accord so Geovany took over (quite happily – he may have put a jinx on her XO) with Lesson 21 – the joystick. I, as noted, was occupied with other issues so based on inquiry the children, especially but not only the boys were thoroughly engrossed. Still they found it a bit complex. We have decided by consensus to review this lesson in its entirety another day when a future lesson is readily grasped. I want to note both Roxanna’s and Geovany’s commitment to being prepared to...
Nicaragua Day 31 Thu, 11-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
What is a present? A gift? Is it a bestowing of something valuable from one to another? Ideally a sharing or token of appreciation? What sorts of gifts live on? What is aid and what of this talk about sustainability? Geovany, Roxanna and David expressed that they have been given the opportunity to be engaged in their world. They feel empowered to make an impact in a few children’s lives, at a small school, in a small pueblo, in their beautiful but impoverished country. They now carry something special and relevant in their hearts – hope. They have been following...
Nicaragua Day 32 Fri, 12-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Karen Ocon, a native Nicaraguan employed by the Peace Corps, visited us for an hour at the school in Buenos Aires today. We held class in a ramshackle room usually used to store bicycles. Our regular classroom had been transformed into a theater, the iron barred windows covered with paper to block out the goings on inside. A talent show was to be held there later in the afternoon and tickets were being sold – no peeking allowed. We had our own talent show on display in our makeshift classroom. The children pulled up their favorite lessons to date. Karen...
Nicaragua Day 35 Mon, 15-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Schools throughout Nicaragua are on vacation this week in honor of both Nicaragua’s and Central America’s independence. The weekend was host to parades throughout the country. School marching bands, colorful floats depicting scenes from Nicaragua’s history and uniformed children abounded. Today Buenos Aires pueblo, not wishing to compete with the larger Rivas, held its’ celebration. The march began at eight am and continued past one thirty in the afternoon. Needless to say it was misguided to hold class today. Still eight of the children showed up exhausted from parading but eager. Opting not to give a lesson the eight delighted...
Nicaragua Day 36 Tue, 16-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Vacation and yet all the children showed up for class. It was fun to see them out of their uniforms. A bit more of their individual personalities revealed in their day-to-day attire. Many were all ready waiting and others trickled in on their bikes. The greeting now is “Goood Afternooon” the ooo’s stressed and drawn out. We held the lesson outside once again under the mango tree. A breeze wafts through the courtyard every once in awhile making the atmosphere much more comfortable then the stifling classroom. Many parents were on hand today as a parent meeting was scheduled for...
Nicaragua Interviews 12 to 15 Wed, 17-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
12. Katherine Massiel Siesar Narljaez In my house there are six people in my family. one older brother, 2 older sisters, one younger and my grandparents. One of my aunts also lives with us. Our house is in the El Cacal sector of Buenos Aires. I like to watch the soap opera “El Patito Feo” (The Ugly Duck). Some of my cousins live by me but not many friends so I play with them. We play many games, mostly house and tag. I help with the dishes, sweeping, and run errands. I like to cook and know how to. My...
Nicaragua Days 37 to 39 Fri, 19-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Once again storms and intermittent inter-net access prevented me from posting. This week Patrick introduced moving an object along a path. This was one of the most well received lessons so far even though it involved come complex scripting. The children saw great potential in this activity and its usefulness in enhancing their stories. After explaining the process by scripting a star to shoot across a wending path the children hurriedly booted up, opened their journals and began tackling this new activity. The room was abuzz with consultations. Small groups formed as children who ‘got it’ drew others around them...
Nicaragua Day 40 Sat, 20-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
The bus arrived promptly a 1:30 under cloudy skies and slight drizzle. The children, family members and friends poured out of the bus smiling and animated. Jose ran to be first to greet me feigning exhaustion as he claimed he had run the whole way beside the bus. He needs no antics to impress me. He’s already stolen my heart. I was delighted to see Aaron’s father present knowing that he would be so pleased with his sons remarkable new abilities. We had opted for no lessons today but rather to give the children the first opportunity to present their...
Nicaragua Interviews 16-22 Sun, 21-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
16. German Luis Romeros Alvarez There are six persons in my house. My mama and stepfather, me and two sister’s. one eight months old and the other fifteen years. We live in a southern sector. I like to play, also to help my mom, study and similar things. I wash dishes and sweep the house. I also amuse the little one who has started to crawl. My favorite sport is baseball and I like to watch TV., mostly channel 10. It has both cartoons and soap operas that I enjoy. I like the Simpson’s, especially Homer. I’d like to be...
Nicaragua Day 42 Mon, 22-Sep-2008 (mscotti)
Saturday night through to this Monday morning displayed thunder and lightening storms of ferocious intensity and downpours to wash out the road and make pasture land look more like ponds then grazing fields. I wondered whether my taxi driver would be able to make it. A little late, his car caked with mud and tires that looked like chocolate donuts he puttered up to camp. He announced that he would never leave me stranded. I am indebted. We loaded up and slowly made our way through the water sodden roads often solely defined by the fence posts on both sides....
