It is good to end the year with a next journey dream. Have a great 2014 and Happy New Year !
Friday, 27 December 2013
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Unleash Kids Hangout: Basecamp2013 reflections
We did not do a live Hangout on Basecamp2013 on Nov 18 because of "poor" internet bandwidth. This is blessing in disguise as I was dead tired already .. overwhelmed by the event itself. Now 3 weeks later perhaps everybody is in better mental/physical shape. I think I need to get a new microphone to get started with this .. all this is novel to me ( I find G+ pretty confusing). I am more a asynchronous person by habits.
See you there..... and
What do I have to say? I hope not the wrong things!
http://blog.unleashkids.org/hangouts/
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
r = reawakening (message for me)
Participants to basecamp never had identical Tee-shirt. I was given this "r' message from a fellow basecamper. We had to design one for each other :-). Maybe this is symbolic for the next journey ahead.
Walk on!
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Video Recordings: basecamp2013@malacca
Video clips will be uploaded here for people who are interested to know what happen from beginning to end.
Friday, 22 November 2013
The journey ends with a new start
Thank you for the support and for coming !
Day 1, Nov 16
Introduction, TurtleArt Day, Social & XO Day
Day 2, Nov 17 (olpc 2: the next journey discussion)
Day 3, Nov 18 Workshops, Mentoring & Farewell
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Basecamp Updates: The action on 14 Nov
Pictures of the trip to a future deployment site visit in Malaysia yesterday. Let us be enlightened with the maturing durian. It will fall to the ground when ripe to be eaten by wild boars and human alike! More photos from Adam: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiayiti
Basecamp@Malacca start tomorrow with various teams and people making their way to the venue today/tonight.
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
The Journey begins
Some of us are in the air already. Will be boarding soon and will be meeting some of the support gang/triads in KL later today.
My XO-4 touch is working well on this first journey with me. Device of desire and choice.
Monday, 11 November 2013
Have a Safe Journey: See you there
Some are now in Malaysia.. some are travelling now.. and some are beginning to pack!!
We have people from many different countries meeting this Saturday. At its peak on Saturday we may have well over 60 basecampers.
Friday, 8 November 2013
Countdown: Basecamp2013
A week from today. There will be some late registrations, hence I have set the cut-off day as Nov 13.
Travel with us ?
Some of us leave for Malacca from KLIA (airport) at around 6:0 pm and 9:00 pm on Nov 15.
If you are early and in in KL we will leave in the afternoon of Nov 15.
Let me know if people are coming to the pre-deployment site visit on the morning of 14 November
Meet up at e Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Tourist Centre at around 8:30-9:00 am on Nov 14.
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Packing headaches
Monday, 4 November 2013
OLPC & olpc status: A football anology
olpc 2.0 :-) if this is the way it ends on Nov 18, 2013
Friday, 1 November 2013
2 Weeks to basecamp@malacca + greetings
Exactly two weeks from today "olpc basecamp 2.0: the next journey" will kick-off in Malacca, Malaysia. Volunteeers new and old will assemble in the heart of historical Malacca (Melaka), a place where the mix of various cultures east and west is very visible. Our hope is to bring attention to the need that real action is needed for change to educate the millions of children.
What can be accomplished will be dependent on participants themselves to self-organise for action.
May the light be with you as the world celebrate:
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
The Open Agenda (not hidden)
Yes... basecamp2013 has a little agenda for people to fill in the blanks! With more than 60 people expected at its peak... and organised by volunteers with their own pocket-money, we are free as a bird to self-organise, learn and choose where we want to go. Money or time is always a constraints .. dreams are not.
With 2+ weeks to go.... you can still join us: https://olpcbasecamp2013.eventbrite.com/
or get more information from www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013 or http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Asia_BaseCamp_2013 or at FB group
With 2+ weeks to go.... you can still join us: https://olpcbasecamp2013.eventbrite.com/
or get more information from www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013 or http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Asia_BaseCamp_2013 or at FB group
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The Agenda is designed to be open and flexible. Here is a snapshot of it. In the meantime we want people to keep sending in their topics through the forms. On Day 1&2 everybody will get a blank form We want people to help and be helped!
If you are not coming and like to contribute...with a poster, etc.. feel free to sent it to me.
There is also a google forum for olpc2 discussion:
This is basecamp and not a CLASSROOM venue
If you are not coming and like to contribute...with a poster, etc.. feel free to sent it to me.
There is also a google forum for olpc2 discussion:
This is basecamp and not a CLASSROOM venue
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
No Classrooms :-)
When we arrive at the guesthouse venue we will need to be creative, turning common areas into learning areas with digital resources support. I envision for example schoolservers powered by XOs be used to serve basecamp participants with many other interconnected devices. Some virtual hangouts would be great for global communication.
Let's walk the talk ..do what we preach with right stuff in the wild, setting an example
The "medium and process" is the message.
Sessions will be held in makeshift learning common "campfire" areas where participants can share their stories and work with hard fun!
Be prepared to sit on the floor with comfortable clothings.
B ring Y our O wn M at A nd D evices (BYOMAD)
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
One month to Basecamp2013@Malacca
NOV 16, 2013 is fast approaching ...
Our main website is ahttp://www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013.
Register at : https://olpcbasecamp2013.eventbrite.com/
Hope volunteers or participants who are coming can update the wiki that Danishka has started.
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
A Retreat to Dream with action
Yes.. I need a holiday too. Do you need one?
..
Nice if people can really wind down and take basecamp2013 as a retreat for renewal. It does magic for our bodies, soul and the future of what we want to do. No promise but I will try to see if I could get a bus and transport us to the a nearby beach in Malacca. I think evening of Day 2 (17 Nov) could be ideal. A smaller group will continue into the third day and the developers can lock themselves to start the XSCE for 18, 19 and morning of 20 Nov.
Relax, Dream and Act :-)
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Setting up Basecamp2013: What would you come with?
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In another 1 1/2 months timel I will have 25 kilos of my personal belongings plus some equipments to setup basecamp2013. Will have to rely on others goodwill also. Basecamp2013 will cater to about 40 plus basecampers.
Without any site visit I know that there will be electricity and free internet. There will be some common spaces to conduct sharing sessions. For sure I know it won't be a classroom environment. There is a need to improvise when the time come. The Boy Scout motto "Be prepared" is vital for the both the organiser and participants
Similarly when volunteers are deploying technology for learning in poor regions there will be uncertainties - EVEN MORE UNCERTAINTIES.
What would you and your team bring? Who and what is coming?
If people have great devices, learning gadgets and stuff that they think must be in a learning chest, please bring it to basecamp2013. We hope to "walk the talk" and with participants contributions, create a temporary learning space for few days filled with the right tools and initiatives.
Please pack early your deployment learning chest and make your travel arrangement early.
November 16 is fast approaching .....
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Hard Fun @basecamp2013: Panda is coming
Yes, I am getting worried.. the next step is the program for the 3 days? I like an "open agenda" with a little structure but lots of fun - yes hard fun. There will be new as well as hardened volunteers and hence some introduction programs for newcomers can ensure some common language for dialogue.
Hope Seymour Papert's 8 big ideas on constructionism can guide this panda into its next journey.
About Malaysia (Quick & Clean Intro )
Coming to olpc basecamp2013?
It is in Malacca (Melaka), Malaysia
There is no need to re-invent the wheels. This web-page from the World Innovation Forum - KL has put together some information for travellers to Malaysia It is generic information. For more details of olpc basecamp2012@Malacca, Malaysia from Nov 16-18 visit our website.
THE LAND
Located in the tropics, Malaysia straddles the South China Sea - Peninsular Malaysia is at the tip of mainland Southeast Asia, while the states of Sabah and Sarawak are on the island of Borneo. The nation’s natural diversity offers visitors a range of attractions including beautiful beaches, idyllic islands, cool hill stations, historic towns, a dynamic capital and the world’s oldest rainforests with an astounding diversity of flora and fauna.
THE PEOPLE
Malaysia is truly multiculture and one of its greatest resources is its rich cultural diversity. Malays number around half of the total population of over 21 million, while the other half comprises Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans and other ethnic groups.
Follow this piggyback link that explains "About Malaysia" and visa details.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Look UP: the "visible" full moon is an inspiration
I love this quote: "It is not that difficult to get involved (i.e. with OLPC); it is DIFFICULT to get UNINVOLVED" when Tony Anderson spoke in an interview at Linux Tag, Berlin in 2013. With that I insight hope to unwind (or detOX) myself for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival. I will try to stare up into the moon these few days for some inspiration and to remind myself that it is the worth being a volunteer for a good cause.
As a child during mid-autumn festival, playing with lanterns allowed us to understand fire, candles and its hazard. If you are not careful one's dream lantern can go up in flames and smoke! This permissive playtime left deep memories and excitement to millions of Chinese children in Asia and China. You learn when you can follow on curiosities. Bamboo can be sliced thinly nto strips, to CREATE beautiful lighted lanterns that you can carry and walk in the dark with family and friends. My family had a special trolley double rotating lantern with flapping butterfly wings. The wings flap and the double round lanterns spin accompanied by a synchronized mechanical metal drumming as we pushed it along while walking. Yes, it has primitive pully gears and mechanical design system that you can investigate and study. Like the full moon it is visible to inspire!
Today children play with plastic inflated "hello kitty" lantern. It is safe and battery operated. Play with it but don't keep it since the next year model would be more contemporary or cooler (e.g. iron man design lanterns). This is the SAME trend that we see today in the digital gadgets world; and sadly we may be shutting open doors on growing children. For example, I guess I am not able to peep into the source codes of the recent OLPC XO learning tablet to build my personalized dream. Hence the current XO-1 to XO-4 is still appealing to me (despite not knowing to program codes) after the many years! Will the XO fade away?
Lets hope we will get enough diverse voices in November basecamp2013 to discuss how the XO is still a long-life awesome machine that is ideal for children - under the full moon by the Malacca river!
A Happy Mid-Autumm Festival
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Revised logo for basecamp2013
Time flies and olpc basecamp2013 in Malacca, Malaysia is due in two months. Over the past weeks we have been able to define what could be the focus and purpose for the 3 days meetup. A tagline and description is now embedded so that old or new volunteers can quickly grasp the message behind why we organize basecamp. Will be working on the agenda next while we get confirmation of participants.
Saturday, 14 September 2013
where to stay in malacca?
here're a couple of suggestions from our official venue, wayfarer:
http://www.hotelpuri.com/
and this one has recently opened, bookings can be made online with agoda, booking.com and other OTAs.
https://www.facebook.com/GingerflowerBoutiqueHotel
both hotels are on the historic heeren street, only a few minutes walk to our venue at wayfarer's.
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Kickstarting olpc basecamp2013
"OLPC 2.0 - the next journey"
Watch this with speaker ON
Achieving a sense of harmony in action
It has been learning for me to understand the law of karma.
Watch this with speaker ON
Achieving a sense of harmony in action
It has been learning for me to understand the law of karma.
Monday, 9 September 2013
Learning Learning by Doing
I think this visual convey a sense of what may be possible @olpcbasecamp2013. If people put their hands, heads and hearts together and come with a sense of adventure they will discover the vast opportunities await them. Maybe with a week or more stay in Asia you will "see the
saneness" of the Eastern world as well as its capacity for irrational
thought ( I stole Steve Job's quote with a twist as he saw something in his travel to asia).
I think for those who come to pre-basecamp event (Arrive on 13 Nov) we will be visiting a potential future deployment site on the 14 Nov and enroute to the famous Fraser Hill of Pahang near Kuala Lumpur..
I believe we can mix fun with some work and do 3-4 of the 10 things mentioned here in this video. Well historical Melaka will be an intimate part of the basecamp!
Cheers and check for cheap flights to this part of the world :-)
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Thursday, 5 September 2013
From a raw idea to basecamp2013
Proposing and planning for basecamp2013 is an iterative process of learning for me. It reflects the idea of "Learning Learning by Doing" in is true sense for me. I learned patience and how to go with the karmic energy as the dots get connected.
Below is a very stitch of some photos to convey the idea that Malacca could be a hosting town in 2012. As time evolved the phrase "Learning Summit" was replaced with basecamp and the date January was changed to November. By chance Nov 16 was chosen since it was the beginning of school holidays in Malaysia and Singapore. I was advice that the month of November is ideal as there are cheap flights for overseas participants. It seems many Asian conferences and tech shows are around this time of the year which make travelling to Asia more appealing. The Nov 16 date was perfect since it also coincide with first announcement of the XO in Tunasia (Nov 16, 2005). A good excuse to celebrate XO Day with a party :-)
The next 2 months ahead may bring some surprises and disappointments. I keep reminding myself that I have to go with the flow of things as we try to bring people together - to work on a common goal of improving educational opportunities for children. "Whoever comes is the right people ....". has become my daily mental mantra.
Lot more work to be done by you and me. Thank you.
Why come to Asia?
Another important reason ..
When planning for olpcbasecamp2013 I was aware that many conferences were happening in the month of November. In my last posting I found out that the World Innovation Forum well be held from Nov 12-14, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur. Today I was alerted to the coming ITU summit on Nov 18 in BangKok, Thailand.
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/connect/Asia-Pacific/Pages/default.aspx
To me this is good news for potential participants coming to basecamp from overseas. With good planning they will be able to attend a few premier events during this period in November. It is also easier perhaps for funding if they are attending other major conferences as well :-) Yes we hope we can be lucky with more overseas participants.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
Anyway .. plan and see you soon
www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013
When planning for olpcbasecamp2013 I was aware that many conferences were happening in the month of November. In my last posting I found out that the World Innovation Forum well be held from Nov 12-14, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur. Today I was alerted to the coming ITU summit on Nov 18 in BangKok, Thailand.
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/connect/Asia-Pacific/Pages/default.aspx
To me this is good news for potential participants coming to basecamp from overseas. With good planning they will be able to attend a few premier events during this period in November. It is also easier perhaps for funding if they are attending other major conferences as well :-) Yes we hope we can be lucky with more overseas participants.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
Anyway .. plan and see you soon
www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Monday, 26 August 2013
Register now: basecamp2013@Malacca & World Innovative Forum-KL
Two meetings happening in Malaysia in November. Make your travel plans now.
If participants wants to network this is an ideal time to travel to Malaysia. If you (we) are lucky maybe a chance to talk to Prof Sugata Mitra who is listed as a Star Speaker at the World Innovation Forum-KL (see link below) or in basecamp2013
1. olpcbasecamp2013@Malacca (www.olpc.asia/basecamp2013)
Nov 16 -18, 2013
REGISTER@: https://olpcbasecamp2013.eventbrite.com/
olpc BaseCamp 2013 is a 100% community-driven gathering of people who care about education and the use of technologies to enable learning for children in disadvantaged communities. Every participant can be an active contributor to this mission. When there are dialogues, perspectives sharing and opportunities to work with like-minded people, we may reach a tipping point.
If you are interested in education and the transformative power of technology for learning, then olpc BaseCamp 2013 is for you!
olpc BaseCamp 2013 is a totally volunteer-driven event paid by individuals themselves. There are no registration or participation fees. olpc BaseCamp 2013 will be held from 16 to 18 November 2013 in the historic town of Malacca, Malaysia. Our main venue will be the friendly Wayfarer Guest House by the riverside right at the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage city.
2. World Innovation Forum Kuala Lumpur (WIF-KL)
Nov 12-14, 2013
Nov 12-14, 2013
Venue & Dates:Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA - view venue12-14 November 2013 (Tuesday - Thursday)
The WIF-KL is anchored by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) with the cooperation of the Malaysian Innovation Foundation/Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM)
WIF-KL 2012 had 3 core and 9 satellite events held over a five day period..
WIF-KL 2013 promises to build on and expand from the highly successful WIF-KL 2012.
1,500 international delegates from 50 different countries and 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the World Innovation Exposition to be held alongside the forum.