XO 1.5: Create, Collaborate, Contribute

As the mystery around the XO-1.5 unfurls, take part in something historic! Approximately 30 XO-1.5 B2 units are now available at OLPC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Given that our supply is limited, we want our allocation to be fair and meritocratic. Here are some key points to remember for this round:

Hardware and software developers will get priority over educators.
Educators will get in on the next round – the hardware and software need to work first!
Certain projects may possibly be vetoed if they are violent or unsuitable in nature.
Worldwide shipping and customs/import fees are included in this participation.

Don’t know where to start? Use the following as general starting points for your ideas:

Need something more specific? Here’s a list of suggestions based on notes from Daniel Drake:

Voice chat (maybe even VoIP? Imagine the XO doubling up as a phone!)
Project Karma, the superb endeavor led by the OLE Nepal team.
Physics activity – Can the make-believe “Physics” world interface with the real world? Think sensors!
Media editing activity – Going beyond simply “Record“ing on the XO.
Programming activities – Building upon Pippy, Develop and maybe even an activity for LOGO.
Sustenance activities – Build/improve upon Simcity, FoodForce II, or be inspired byÂ The Incredible Machine!
Ebooks – take a look at the latest Read activity and its support for annotations and formats, and build upon it.
Touchpad activity – How do I use the touchpad? A simple but much needed activity.
Low level stuff – the new video driver, for instance.

Create, Collaborate, Contribute

The Contributors Program is a thriving program that has seeded a whole set of unique and interesting projects around the world. Dare to contribute a Project ranging across educational, technological, and/or outreach initiatives… Want to know more about Contributors Program? Read our FAQ at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Contributors#FAQ

Further XO-1.5 test units will likely not be available until December (around release time of the XO-1.5) so find your muse, get your ideas together, and send them in! Interested folks need to email contributors@laptop.org explaining how their software/development or other projects impacts children. Take a look at this form http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Contributors_program/Project_proposal_form and submit your proposal!

10 thoughts on “XO 1.5: Create, Collaborate, Contribute”

I advocate that every engineer working with the XO find an educator to work together from day one. The best activities for learning are created by integrated discussion, research, design & development between the two disciplines.

Educators know what children need, how they adopt technology, what they struggle with, what they get immersed in, when they are reaching to learn something new. Engineers know the intricate technology nuts and bolts; and, how to stretch technology to the edges to make new activities possible.

The engineering / learning split is a thing of the past. The OLPC community has a great chance to cast aside a for-profit model of R&D that puts tech development first and tech use later.

Instead we can look to egalitarian, fast iterating, and dynamic development communities to create learning tools for children.

Learning is not a spectator sport:)

~ b

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I have one of the first XO computers. I have been writting a Teaching program. It works on a XP computer. If you E-mail me I will happy to send it to you to look at.It will show you my skill. Will the New XO1.5 move to XP? I ONLY write programs in Dephi 2009 (or Delphi 2010) witch is set up to make Window API calls, these API calls can speek, and even have Voice recognition. In Delphi it is very easy to program, easy to make button, save files, display images…. If the new XO is moving to ~XP I have the program you are looking for. The Program (I wrote) comes on a USB memory stick, It can make tests, Spelling test (and drills) lesson plans, Flashcards, it links to the web.

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