Can mobile devices change the way we bring technology to kids?

Posted by stormy on February 28, 2012 · One Comment · Subscribe to blog

At Kids on Computers,we bring computers to kids that have no access to technology. We’ve frequently debated the benefits of laptops vs tablets vs computers. I think the new devices coming out will soon lead us to phones … and they’ll change the world for kids in developing countries.

Here are some of the new devices:

Small devices like this would help us solve some of the problems we have:

  • Shipping. It’s really expensive to get computers to some of the rural places where we are trying to bring technology. Shipping full size desktops to rural Mexico or Zambia can be challenging from a cost perspective. (It’s also challenging for customs reasons, but that’s a different topic!)
  • Power. Most of the places we’ve set up schools don’t have strong power infrastructures. (Most of them don’t even have telephones.) Not only have we blown power to an entire school trying to turn on just a couple of computers, but we’ve often had to stop our work while we waited for power to come back on. All of the schools we’ve set up are in places with frequent power surges and as a standard practice, they cut power to the whole room whenever they are not using the computers to help protect them. (This has also led to problems. In one school they didn’t realize the importance of shutting down the computers first and they were shutting them down by flipping the power switch to the room …)
  • Cooling. Most of the schools we have helped so far are in warm locations (Zambia, India, Mexico) and keeping a room full of computers cool is tough. Especially when power is not reliable.

So the new devices which would be relatively inexpensive and accessible for people living in areas with less infrastructure, would be terrific. My cell phone has worked in all the places we’ve been so far … being able to give a cell phone with all the capabilities of the web to these children would be a wonderful experience to watch.

Disclaimer: I work at Mozilla.

Spreading the word & meeting like minded people

Posted by stormy on February 26, 2012 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

A while ago Thomas and Hermes had a Kids on Computers booth at a conference in Huajuapan. They spoke to many about the project, including the people that went on to set up Proyecto Min, a project using local recycled computers for schools. I was later introduced to Proyecto Min through a GNOME connection – what a small world. Full of people trying to help kids learn about technologies!

(And still plenty of work to do. Getting computers to kids is not the tough part. Maintaining the labs and teaching and empowering is where the work is. Luckily everyone is enthusiastic! Let us know if you’d like to work with all of us.)

Kids on Computers goes to Huajuapan

Posted by avni on May 18, 2011 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

At the end of May, five members of the KOC team are heading down to the Huajuapan de Leon area in Oaxaca, Mexico for a KOC Summit. We will be building two new labs at schools in Savcitlan and St. Marco’s.

We will meet up with fellow KOC members in the area, Hermes Ojeda Ruiz and Alex Mayorga Adame to work on building these labs and also doing maintenance on three other labs we have built at schools in the area – a school for kids with disabilities, a boarding school for girls from difficult situations, and 18 de Marzo.

The team will also be providing computer training to teachers and students at the schools with the hopes they will be able to
use the computers to help in their current studies and further their education.

In preparation for our trip, we hosted an install fest this past weekend at the System76 offices in Denver, Colorado. We installed edubuntu along with a local Wikipedia instance and math and biology videos made by the Khan Academy on computers donated by individuals and corporations. We will take the computers down to Mexico with us for installment in the labs.

To recap, we are going down to:

  • Take down some new equipment.
  • Set up computers in new labs.
  • Replace broken equipment in existing labs.
  • Teach kids and teachers.
  • Add and update software (things like Wikipedia in Spanish to the computers).
  • Show excitement, drum up support.
  • Thank all the local people and organizations that have helped.

This is my first KOC trip and I am extremely excited about our two weeks in the area. I hope we make a difference in the lives of the students we meet.

Girls’ school gets computers

Posted by stormy on December 9, 2010 · 2 Comments · Subscribe to blog

Hermes and Thomas have been working on the lab in the girls’ boarding school in Santo Domingo, Oaxaca. (Thomas went down a few weeks ago to work on this school in particular.) This is a school for girls that come from difficult homes, all teenagers. They have about 50 students and they sleep 25 to a room. The school exists entirely on donations, including donated food from the market. In addition to a place to live, and a school, they teach them skills like sewing to help them find jobs.

These are the computers that Partimus sent down.

The lab now has a floor, bars on the window, electricity and internet. They have 14 computers set up. (Partimus sent the computers. I don’t know if they found monitors locally or if Thomas bought them. I know he took one that was sent to us through System76.) There are 16 more computers in customs that are being slowly released. According to Hermes, 8 of those will fit well in the existing infrastructure. The others will go to other local schools.

The lab’s inauguration is on Thursday.

Awesome work, Kory, Cathy, Hermes and Thomas! We hope to meet all the girls on the web soon!

All photos by Thomas Peters.

México: CAM 27 Lab Inauguration

Posted by hermes on November 19, 2010 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

The city of Tlaxiaco

The main church of Tlaxiaco

The main church of Tlaxiaco

Some of you may have noticed that in the previous post there’s a poster with some proprietary office suite software. You may have wondered what it was doing in a school that is using free software? The poster was put up by the lab’s teacher because he wanted to teach it. But now, with the new lab set up by Kids On Computers, they use Edubuntu 10.04 with OpenOffice.org. Maybe we can get some posters about FOSS sent to us. If you know of any, please let me know!

The first day (October 14) was dedicated to setting up the lab. CAM’s principal helped me with the network installation, and I tried to fix some computers that were having a lot of problems. Finally, at 1:00 AM it was finished! Ready for the inauguration the next day at noon. Unfortunately the first day I couldn’t play withthe children – I just shared a few moments with them at lunch time.

Setting up the lab

The computers on the lab

Up and running

Computers running and the network installation

The kids on the lunch time

The kids of kindergarden

The kids on the CAM 27

The kindergarden's kids

October 15 was the inauguration of the computer lab at CAM 27 in Tlaxiaco. That was amazing, with two radio interviews and a lot of delicious homemade cookies. It was a relaxed day, I worked on some “aesthetic” details of the network installation and the computers’ organization. All the work I did the previous day allowed me to play with the children at lunch time, and of course, time to take some pictures. But I wasn’t the photographer, because Alexander, a kid of this school, loved the camera and took some pictures of the “lunch time”. After the lunch, the inauguration started.  I received a present from the children in the name of the foundation. A poster where they say “Thanks Kids on Computers” (written in Spanish), made with their hands and at the kids’ initiative. I can’t lie, it moved me to tears.

Alexander (the photographer) working on the poster

The kids on the lunch time

The kindergarden's kids playing

Eli and me, showing the "Lion's face"

Lunch time!

Cleaning their teeth

The kids with the gift to KoC

The inauguration was a small event but the parents, the teachers, a reporter and the most important: the kids all participated. All the kids were really happy, and wanted to use the computers right away. I don’t have words to describe it.

The cookies for the inauguration

Some words before cut the ribbon

A great honor on the name of KoC

The parents and the kids on the lab

Testing the lab

Showing the poster on the inauguration

Who are the best testers?

The next day, the principal and me participated in a radio transmission where we talked for an hour and a half  about CAM 27, Kids on Computers and the use of GNU/Linux EdUbuntu in the lab. Thanks to the “Perla de la Mixteca” radio for giving us the chance to broadcast the information and support “Kids on Computers” with a campaign to get hardware donations.

Now the kids are really happy using the lab, they play educational games and are learning how to use the word processor and a lot of other software. Another good thing about this lab is that they have an internet connection and want to teach to the children’s parents how to use the computers and the internet to get information about their kids’ disabilities as well as government programs and foundations that can help them.

Melchor using the computer

Manuelito writing in the word processor

The kids love to use the computers

Lety a kindergarden girl using GNU/Linux

The kids using the computers

México – Tlaxiaco CAM 27

Posted by hermes on October 11, 2010 · One Comment · Subscribe to blog

On September 15 and 16, we set up a computer lab in Tlaxiaco. This center is of special importance, because this lab is to help children with disabilities. This school is a Centro de Atención Múltiple (CAM). In México these centers try to help children with disabilities by providing better stimulation and special attention to their learning development, and when it’s possible, integrating the children into the regular school system. The children have many different learning disabilities from Down’s syndrome to cognitive disabilities to motor disabilities. The CAMs, according to comments made by many teachers for special education, have a lot of problems with infrastructure, teaching materials, and many other things.

Brenda and Leti working on kindergarden activities

Lalito and Eli working on kidergarden activities

Ángel working on the lab

Installing Ubuntu

Working on the lab

Working on the network

The mess on the workplace

Ángel working

Testing LTSP server

The CAM's principal testing GNU/Linux games

I know about this center because the principal is a colleague of my sister, and told me about her school. They had 4 computers working with a proprietary operating system and some teaching software. I told her about Kids on Computers and Edubuntu and the software on it to help with children’s education. After a long talk about the center and their plans, I decide to support their project with the resources of KoC.

Ángel at work

My sister testing the games

LTSP server up and running

I visited the center on September 15. My sister and mom arrived 6 hours later. The principal’s brother is another computer engineer (like me) and helped me a lot to set up the lab. We worked 10 hours/day to set up the lab. It was really exciting because it was a great  way to celebrate the bicentury of our independence. Now, the lab also has internet connection. It’s amazing because they don’t want to teach only their children, they want to teach their parents how to use the computer and the internet. The main goal for this is teaching how obtain information about their children’s disabilities, government programs that can help, and many other things.

The status of the lab is:

  • 4 computers using Edubuntu, 2 running standalone and 2 running LTSP (1 server and 1 client, the server support ~8 computers yet).
  • 1 computer we didn’t touch it, and is running the other operating system. We did install a remote desktop connection from the Edubuntu computers. The reason was some teachers were afraid of the change. We hope to convert it later.
  • They have a Local Area Network working, divided on the network for the standalone and LTSP server and another to the LTSP clients.
    They have internet connection, donated by a neighbor that had a son that attended this school  and is integrated to the regular secondary school now.

The principal, my mom, my sister, principal's mom, principal's brother

All the team

All the team - Credits :)

A little inauguration

The principal happy with the lab

What do they need?

  • They need another 4 computers to have 8, because is the biggest class of kids.
  • They need accessibility solutions:
    • They have a child with visual problems, he is not blind but has weak vision. I want to solve this with the GNOME magnifier software.
    • They have 2 brothers that have serious motor problems, because they have problem with their muscles. They have problems with precision movements, and the mouse is really difficult for them to use.
    • Another 2 children have problems with the movement of the wrist, may be can be solved with a trackball.

September 16 the children participated in a municipal parade. I can’t describe the feeling I had when hanging out with them. They are so warm, so kind, and are really happy, although they were in the really hot sun, they finished the parade with a smile in their faces. I still feel a lump on my throat when I think about Rocío receiving us with a warm hug, and when I went to help Misael get off the truck and felt his muscles that he can’t control, but with a will to live and the happiness in his eyes, I felt that was really the lesson of life. I’m really happy to help this center.

The CAM's children on the parade

The CAM's children and teachers

The CAM's children on the parade

The CAM's children on the parade

On October 14, I’ll setup the 4 remaining computers on the lab to complete this stage and make some test with their children to detect another needs.

The CAM's children when the parade finished.

The CAM's children, teachers and parents

Kids on Computers is officially a federal 501(c)(3) organization!

Posted by stormy on August 18, 2010 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

I got back from a business trip last month and was ecstatic to find a letter from the IRS saying that Kids on Computers is officially a US federal 501(c)(3) organization!!!

It’s retroactive to February 25, 2009. (We have been a Colorado nonprofit since our start but this gives us federal status.)

Having 501(c)(3) status will enable us to qualify for more grants and programs targeted at nonprofit organizations. It also helps establish people’s trust (they know you are doing a public good) and enables some people to deduct their donation from the money they pay taxes on.

Many thanks to Serena Robb who filled out all the paperwork for us! It was her first time filling out a 501(c)(3) federal application and she did a lot of research to make sure she got it right.

Welcome Smoky Hill High School students!

Posted by stormy on June 1, 2010 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

Welcome to the Smoky Hill High School students working on their CAS projects!

We need you! We are working to set up computer labs for kids that have no other access to computers.

Our projects are creative, active and service projects.

We can use your help in everything from:

  • creating posters
  • designing tshirts
  • fundraising
  • collecting computers
  • installing the computers with Linux (no experience necessary)
  • packing up the computers for labs.

We will have our first kickoff meeting in June. If you would like to join us, please email Stormy Peters at stormy -at – kidsoncomputers -dot- org.

No experience necessary. There will be lots of fun things for everyone to do. If we get enough computers, we’ll dedicate a lab to Smoky Hill High School!

Working on computers in Huajuapan over the weekend

Posted by stormy on May 18, 2010 · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

Over the weekend, Hermes and some of his friends worked on the computers donated by “Caja Popular Mexicana”.

From Hermes:

Talking with Kees, another volunteer, we decided that the best way to use these computers is with LTSP. The computers are older and many don’t have a hard disk or they have a very small one.

My friend Mario David May Cuevas (maqquq) helped us. He is the guy from the lab on “El Jicaral”.  My sister and my girlfriend also helped us.

My friends Efrén Sánchez Juárez (rootsan) with debian t-shirt and Ángel Rodolfo Pérez Canseco (ikkaro) working on a computer.

Over the weekend we set up 12 computers with LTSP, and they worked very well.

The repaired machines!

My friends rootsan, ikkaro and Mario David May Cuevas, next to the books.

Ikkaro sleeping in the car after a very busy weekend.

All the friends that work on the computers this weekend.

rootsan: Efrén Sánchez Juárez
maqquq: Mario David May Cuevas
ikkaro: Ángel Rodolfo Pérez Canseco
Gris: Griselda Legaria Ortega (my girlfriend)
Maguito: Margarita Esperanza Ojeda Ruiz (Hermes’ sister)
Thot: Me :)

We still need some DDR 233MHz sticks and PXE network cards. The best part of this weekend was the Pentium II (233Mhz) computer, running like a new computer, using LTSP.

Thanks to Kees for the memories sticks, they were really useful.

UPDATE: 25 of the computers from this batch are now working!

Kids on Computers Brochure

Posted by stormy on · No Comments · Subscribe to blog

Kids on Computers has a new brochure! Many thanks to Kees and Erin!

To print:

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