Python Aboriginal ebooks for 3K OLPC laptops

Tue Mar 30 02:11:24 UTC 2010

I'm sorry I can't respond to this in more detail, but seeing as I'm interested in educational software, I had a quick look. And so my comments might be a bit misdirected, given I couldn't read over the documentation and view the source code in detail.

My understanding, is that you don't need to modify the source code, but rather you need to develop new reading activities (there are other activity types too that may be relevant). The "reading activities" are like plugins that add extra content. Once these activities are created then configuring which activities you want to load is actually configured in the running software, not in the source.

Documentation for creating these "activities" is here:

http://gcompris.net/wiki/index.php?title=Adding_an_activity

If I had the time I'd download the source and check out the "pythontest-activity" and see how tricky it is.

These activities are created, for some inexplicable reason, in Python, presumably so that you can bundle content with programatic logic. However, its pretty rare that programming skills, education skills and language skills are all bound up in one person, so perhaps I might be so bold as to suggest the following solution:

One way forward would be to employ a python programmer to develop a template system which produces "activities", in consultation with an educator. The educator would generically describe the format of the reading task. The educator would work with a language specialist(s), who would translate/provide content (stories with multimedia) in a special format (xml, markdown, or whatever is easiest for the language specialist). The programmer would take that content and translate it  into "reading activities" in python code (using the projects terminology).

Then as a final step, share the template format and code used to translate that template into reading activities with the rest of us so we can all code the languages we're working on in the special format, so that they can be turned into reading activities for use in other schools and language communities!

In fact, separating content from programming logic seems like such an obvious solution, I'd be amazed if somebody hadn't already done it. Again, if I had the time, I'd google it.

And in fact it has been done for the separate task of translating the interface of the software. There is specialised software for doing this, should you wish to, so that all the interface elements  such as menus, preferences, warning dialog boxes and so on, are in whatever language you want it to be. You probably don't necessarily have to be a programmer to do this either. You'd have to translate the following file:

http://l10n.gnome.org/POT/gcompris.master/gcompris.master.pot

Basically everything between the double quotes. Or you can use graphical applications to help you.

Finally, I would definitely warn against re-inventing the wheel. It's a much much much bigger task to modify the source code to make a specialist solution, than it is to build upon it by adding activities. Even if the existing system doesn't do everything you want it to, there's some real advantages in building on existing software rather than branching off into a special corner that doesn't contribute to the main project. If that is what Krys is proposing… I'm not actually sure.

Anyway, hope this helps. If it sounds OK (ie someone will have to check that this is actually what Krys is after), I might have some friends who know python.

-tom

On 30/03/2010, at 11:25 AM, Gail Woods wrote:

> Hi all
> I wonder if the list can help here...?
> Please see below.
> 
> 
> Gail Woods
> Lecturer B
> Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics
> Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
> PO Box 9170, Alice Springs, NT, 0871
> t:  08 8951 8354
> f:  08 8951 8300
> e:  gail.woods at batchelor.edu.au
> 
> 
> 
> ------ Forwarded Message
> From: Dennis J <dennisj at fastmail.com.au>
> Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:53:44 +0930
> To: Margaret Carew <margaret.carew at batchelor.edu.au>, Gail Woods
> <gail.woods at batchelor.edu.au>
> Subject: Fwd: Python Aboriginal ebooks for 3K OLPC laptops
> 
> Gail, Margaret,
> 
> FYI. Bit of techy language below, but the gist of it is...
> 
> "We will have 3000 green machines ("netbook" style small laptops) for
> primary school children that we would like to load with Aboriginal
> readers..." "...digitise Aboriginal readers by
> inserting text, music and speech in various Aboriginal languages."
> 
> Dennis
> 
> 
> ----- Original message -----
> From: ninti at internode.on.net
> To: aslug at lists.linux.org.au
> Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:08:01 +1030
> Subject: [Aslug] Fwd: Python Aboriginal ebooks for 3K OLPC laptops
> 
> 
> Hi All 
> 
> Currently I work for NTDET with the OLPC XO Fedora based laptops.
> Previously I have been teaching in very remote Aboriginal  communities
> for 12 years. I have also completed MIT at CSU.  We will have 3000
> green machines for primary school children that we would like to load
> with Aboriginal readers. Presently Gcompris is the most efficient
> working literacy software on the XO . It is made in Python. I would
> like to use it as a template to digitise Aboriginal readers by
> inserting text, music and speech in various Aboriginal languages.
> 
> The author suggested that I edit the source code. As I don't know
> Python, I am looking for someone who could help me to edit the source
> code to my needs.  Gcompris can be downloaded from
> http://gcompris.net/-en-
> 
> I have joined the ASLUG list.
> 
> Kind regards 
> 
> Krys 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> aslug mailing list
> aslug at lists.linux.org.au
> http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/aslug
> 
> 
> ------ End of Forwarded Message
> 