Powerful mate revs up remote students (fwd link)

[Dave Pearson]

Hi Jennifer,

You can run the freeware "WeSay" dictionary-building software on the OLPC
machine. 

"WeSay helps non-linguists build a dictionary in their own language. It has
various ways to help native speakers to think of words in their language and
enter some basic data about them (no backslash codes, just forms to fill
in). The program is customizable and task-oriented, giving the advisor the
ability to turn on/off tasks as needed and as the user receives training for
those tasks. WeSay uses a standard xml format, so data can be exchanged with
linguist-oriented tools like FieldWorks. Users can collaborate via USB flash
drive, email, and (soon) via network connections."  

http://www.wesay.org/wiki/Main_Page 

Dave Pearson

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Jennifer Teeter
Sent: 30 May 2009 02:05
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Powerful mate revs up remote students (fwd link)

Hello everyone!

Thank you Phil Cash Cash for sending out another thought provoking  
article! This is my first time to post something here so yorkshiku  
onegaishimasu(I hope it's okay!)
I am curious to hear people's opinions of the "One laptop per Child"  
initiative mentioned in this article. I am a little concerned with the  
approach not necessarily the lap top itself. The teachers at the  
school are saying it is making their lives easier. But is that causing  
them not to deeply confront and overcome the issues that prevent  
students from attending school. I feel that if used improperly, the  
laptop solution could be a bandaid solution. What are the best ways to  
implement this program? If you have time it would be great to gear  
your opinions.

Best regards

jennifer teeter





On 2009/05/30, at 2:15, phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU>  
wrote:

> Powerful mate revs up remote students
>
> REBEKAH CAVANAGH
> May 28th, 2009
> Northern Territory News, AUS
>
> MOVE over conventional laptops - these Territory kids are crossing  
> the digital
> divide with "green machines".
>
> Weighing 1.5kg and just 24.2cm long and 22.8cm wide, the compact XO  
> laptop is
> being delivered to disadvantaged primary school-aged children across  
> the nation
> as part of the One Laptop per Child initiative.
>
> About 100 students from Shepherdson College on Elcho Island, about  
> 550 km
> northeast of Darwin, were among the first to receive the new  
> learning tool.
>
> Access full article below:
> http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/05/28/54355_ntnews.html