GBS Students Show Computer Savvy Thanks to Waveplace
March 31st, 2008
Reprinted by permission from St. John Tradewinds.Written by Jamie Elliot.
Showing off their software programming skills, 14 Guy Benjamin School fourth graders strutted their computer savvy at the conclusion of the Waveplace Foundation's 10 week digital media pilot program on Thursday afternoon, March 28.
The Coral Bay public school students who took part in the after school program each received an XO laptop and learned software programming and animation.
Combining mathematical principles and storytelling skills, the students shared their creations which showed pirates dancing and finding treasure maps, speed boats racing across the sea, dogs wagging their tails, fish jumping down waterfalls and an octopus wiggling its legs.
First Program in Caribbean
Launched on Thursday, January 10, the GBS pilot program was the first of its kind in the Caribbean for the burgeoning Waveplace Foundation which is part of the growing One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) movement, the seeds of which were planted years ago at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.Nicholas Negroponte and other MIT Media Lab veterans succeeded in developing their dream of a $200 laptop and open-source software made specifically for children and began launching OLPC
projects globally last year.
Entrepreneur and long-time Caribbean visitor Timothy Falconer was inspired by the idea as well and started the non-profit Waveplace dedicated to bringing laptops to children throughout the Caribbean. Falconer collaborated with St. John School of the Arts executive director Jan Kinder, and GBS officials to kick-start the program on island.
Dream Becomes Reality
The dream became a reality and for the past 10 weeks teacher William Stelzer and mentor LaReesa Williams have showed Mary Burks' fourth grade students the software programming ropes.While technological and logistic issues arose, everyone involved gained valuable information from the GBS pilot program, explained Falconer. "We had some things working against us, but overall the program went really well," Falconer said.
"We ended up having less time we originally thought we would have. We wanted to have three hours a week, but we ended up only having the kids for two hours a week."
"We also had some technological problems with some of the laptops, which we learned about after the program started," added Falconer.
The one hour a week difference translated into a 20-hour program instead of the originally planned 30-hour after school pilot. The shortened time, however, didn't hinder the GBS students, Falconer explained. "Still in that short amount of time, the kids learned a great deal and we learned a great deal about the program," he said. "The success shows in what the kids learned in such a short amount of time."
Despite the difficulties encountered, Waveplace teacher Stelzer -- who instructed Burks and mentor Williams to teach digital media and software programming -- pronounced the program a definite success.
"The program was great," said Stelzer. "Working with the kids, getting to know them and seeing St. John through the persepctive of these kids' eyes was really interesting. It was incredible and challenging."
"It was difficult coming up with creative ways to teach software programming to the kids," Stelzer added.
"I had them act out their programs on the playground to take these abstract concepts and make them real. And it worked."
The GBS Waveplace program was literally history in the making, Stelzer explained. "It was all worth it because it was history in the making that I got to be a part of and really shape," he said. "The kids were really impressive and dedicated. They were doing some difficult stuff after they had been in school all day."
Learning Along the Way
The next pilot program, which will be launched in a Haitian orphanage, will reap the benefits of what Waveplace organizers learned from the GBS program. "We are re-writing our course material from this, so the kids from Haiti will benefit from what we learned here," said Falconer.At the final meeting of the GBS pilot program, students shared stories and pictures they had written and scripted to animation. Everyone's work was impressive, but at the end of the hour, Liana Clendinen won the best storybook prize for her story about a bear named Honey, which included several examples of scripted animation. Clendinen took home an iPod Nano for having the best presentation.
Vanessa Jaramillo's pirate tale won for best scripting. Jaramillo A'Feyah Smith won for best artwork for her story about a pet dog and Tracey Powell won for best story for her tale of a lonely mango. Each of the category winners took home an iPod shuffle.
Flash Drives for Everyone
While the winners took home special prizes, each of the pilot program participants were winners and will be given flash drives, courtesy of Waveplace Foundation.Although the after school program is now over, the students aren't about to stop creating animated stories on their laptops. "I really liked the program," said Powell. "I loved making up stories and drawing pictures."
"I created a story about boat running away from a police boat and it was a lot of fun," said JaQuan Sprauve. "I can't wait to do more on my laptop."
"I haven't finished my story about a mermaid yet, but I'll work on it more," said Aariyah Athanase. "I'll do more on it. I like learning new things."
Sharing with DOE Commissioner
Smith even got the chance to show off her skills to recently approved V.I. Department of Education Commissioner LaVerne Terry last week. "I showed the commissioner how to use the laptop, how to turn it on and off, how to animate, and how to exit out of the program," said Smith. "I also showed her my story about a dog which also told about St. John."Stelzer is creating a documentary about the GBS pilot pilot program and organizers are also tweaking their coursework based on what they learned over the past 10 weeks.
Waveplace's goal is to expand programs throughout the Virign Islands and the wider Caribbean. The foundation's officials are hoping to share the GBS digital media pilot program participants' work with their parents and the public in June. Organizers are still working out the details
of the planned Waveplace laptop program celebration.
Worldwide Programs Planned
What happened at GBS will impact the world as future digital media programs are slated for St. Vincent, the Philippines, Nepal, Columbia and Africa, all of which will gain from what organizers learned through the GBS program, Falconer added."People around the world are interested in what is happening right here in this room," he said. "We'll be starting another program like this in Haiti and soon in St. Vincent. People in Nepal, Colombia, the Philippines and two different countries in Africa, where we'll have programs in the future, are eager to hear about what happened at this program."
To make a donation to Waveplace, to become a mentor or for more information, about the foundation, check out the group's website at waveplace.com.
