Danawa is also involved in the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project for rural schools in Sarawak. OLPC is a worldwide non-profit organisation which provides each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, WiFi enabled PC developed by Media Lab and loaded with content and software which lets them undergo self-empowered learning.
In August 2008, two schools were selected for OLPC pilot projects. Their students can access electronic books and information in the national and state libraries and it has icon-based learning material for them to learn mathematics, to play music through its in-built speakers, do recordings through its in-built microphone and take pictures with its integrated camera. It also has a drawing programme and a journal which lets teachers keep track of each child’s progress.
The children are allowed to take the laptop home, which increases the awareness of ICT to their parents.
Media Interview Sessions
Radio station BFM 89.9 Malaysia speaks to Mr Charles Kane, the President & Chief Operating Officer of OLPC, on the background of OLPC, how he met Nicholas Negroponte, and the various projects that OLPC are implementing in Asia, especially on the OLPC project in Sarawak.
Listen to the link here
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BFM also interviewed Tan Yii Ying of Danawa Resources talks about how the OLPC movement has fared in Sarawak thus far.
Listen to the link here
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Watch This OLPC Video
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Implementing OLPC in Sarawak
13th August 2008, we brought some OLPC devices to the local pre-school to test response and acceptance of the pre-school children
15th-17th August 2008, we conducted teacher training session for 9 teachers from 3 rural schools – we arranged for the session to be held in a nearby town, so some teachers took the bus there whilst others had to take boats (bcos their village is only accessible by boats and helicopters).
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18th-19th August 2008, Presented 4 sessions introducing OLPC at a
Regional Convention for Pre-School Education – each session attended by more than 50 teachers
