Thank you Opera

We installed the OLPC Opera package today.  Opera is an alternative web-browser that is “out in front of the pack” when it comes to the OLPC project.  They have released their software to run on the device – and, in my opinion, is a vast improvement to the default browser the machine ships with.  Here’s [...]

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Installing Flash on the OLPC

Ok, so I may have over-reacted a bit yesterday.  It turns out setting up the adobe flash player instead of the Gnash player on the OLPC isn’t as tricky as I thought it might be!  Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get it working.  Going through these steps will fix a lot of issues [...]

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Literacy Content and OLPC

I did some more playing around with the OLPC operating system today – this time with an eye to on-line content, particularly literacy content.  We are thinking about how a pilot might run with the OLPC machines in a k-2 classroom environment; and there are some stumbling blocks, but also a lot of potential.
The number one stumbling [...]

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OLPC Configuration

We are still patiently waiting for our first shipment of XO machines.  Ok, not so patiently waiting.  So in the meantime, I discovered the OLPC livecd that has been floating around out there.  What it lets you do is run the OLPC operating system off of a CD on your regular PC.  Everything boots off [...]

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David Pogue Introduces the Laptop

David Pogue gives a nice overview of the laptop. 
Features, getting started and why he thinks this is a great laptop for “poor kids from other countries.” 
The question we have is what does this laptop offer students and teachers who want one to one access in school? The demo of the indestructible keyboard made me happy.  Let’s all [...]

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Goals for Middle School Pilot

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Writing Matters with One Laptop Per ChildIncreasing student access to tech-rich literacy environments.
Teaching Matters is conducting  a collaborative pilot with the New York City Department of Education to test One Laptop per Child (OLPC) mobile computing devices in connection with our Writing Matters content in a middle school ELA classroom.  The purpose of the pilot [...]

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Getting off the ground

Teaching Matters has decided to pilot set of OLPC laptops in a middle school in Harlem to determine if the laptop will provide the access necessary to take advantage of the programs we are designing to support technology rich learning environments. We will test out our middle school writing program – Writing Matters first.   
We had a [...]

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