[LUAU] Schools and the OPM Addiction

R. Scott Belford scott at hosef.org
Mon Dec 3 15:15:12 PST 2007


Jim Thompson wrote:
> Can't someone put the Sugar interface on top of non OLPC boxes, and make 
> a distro out of it?   That would get allow HOSEF to pitch Hawaii's 
> schools on a OLPC-like setting (the sizzle) on desktops without having 
> to sell the steak (FLOSS).
> 
> Or perhaps Bishop Estate / Cambell Estate / Kaneohe Ranch could be 
> persuaded to buy OLPCs for youth in Hawaii Homelands housing, or HOSEF 
> could find the grants to purchase and administrate OLPC programs to 
> reach Hawaii's disadvantaged youth.   Maybe Kamehameha school students 
> could BOGO, with the "GO" going to a disadvantaged Hawaiian youth.

Your observation could not be more timely.  This is exactly what we are 
working to propose to a few of the above-mentioned entities.  I have 
attempted, so far unsuccessfully, to make contact with the OLPC team 
about actually buying their hardware.  Their supply chain could use the 
committed orders.

You know your ideas are good when you hear them from unassociated 
parties.  A friend in Makaha who is a born and bread Native Hawaiian 
finally understood this past Friday what HOSEF is about.  Her first 
question was yours, Jim, 'why not find a way to get one of those 
hundred-dollar laptops to all the Native Hawaiian children in Hawaiian 
Homelands, and why not go to OHA for it.'  She and I are meeting today 
to move on it, and I will contact you for details and information.

> 
> Yes, its OPM.
> 
> Play the game from the inside, not the outside.

That is exactly my message.  This was born in response to someone on the 
K12OSN mailing list who had become a bit exasperated by his endeavors in 
Missouri.  This list, for those who are not familiar with it, is full of 
global stories of people promoting, adopting, supporting, using, etc, 
FOSS in their school settings.

For anyone vaguely familiar with HOSEF's commitment to getting Free 
computer labs into schools and community centers, you will know that 
this assessment is made from the requisite and painful real experiences. 
  I can cite several schools this past year that had been using Free 
computers labs, successfully, for years.  After changes in teachers/tech 
coordinators, they came under new leadership.

There was an acceptance and an eagerness to use the existing Free 
computers, and there was a good relationship with those in our community 
providing Free but limited assistance.  Money was found, somehow, to buy 
new computers.  The reasons cited, with regret, were that there was a 
need for more immediate support.  Rather than expensing a fraction of 
the cost of new hardware for locally born and bread support, it was 
expensed on bling.

For this I fault myself for not creating the opportunity to spend that 
money with us.  I do not fault the dealing vendor.  I do not fault the 
using customer.  I fault me, the social entrepreneur, who failed to 
provide a solution for the problem.  I certainly do not excuse what I 
see as a misuse of OPM, but what alternative did I leave them with?

> 
> Maybe we could revive Kuokoa then.

I introduced her to your idea.  Who doesn't like it?  For those 
unfamiliar, Jim asked the question - why don't Native Hawaiian children 
have a fully immersed Hawaiian language computing experience- almost two 
years ago at TPOSSCON.  I believe it was part of this speech

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XKmHsqXc9TM

It has spawned another mailing list at HOSEF

lists.hosef.org

and is in need of attention, passion, and probably some OPM. :-)

> 
> Jim

--scott



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