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From Andrew Churches, yet another gem, MyGLife.

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

Project Description
Currently the most active network of Globaloria, My Global Life (www.MyGLife.org), is designed to help youth 13 and older:
1. Learn internet media technology and game-development skills;
2. Hone professional and life skills;
3. Experience positive virtual communication with other communities; and
4. Foster social change
Through an open architecture of websites and related wikis and blogs, MyGLife participants learn to analyze, design and build web-based games and simulations that address globally relevant and social issues of their choice and passion. Topics include climate change, ecology, water, community services, technology skills, peace and more.

What you will find at MyGLife.org
MyGLife.org is comprised of an open architecture of educational, programmable websites and related wikis that offer more than 100 educational activities, simulations and tutorials to play, learn, explore and contribute new ideas online.
* PLAY to Learn invites participants to play with an arcade of games, puzzles, creative tools and scientific simulations and to think about them critically as game developers. Donated and open source customized tutorials allow participants to tinker with the underlying game code and learn programming skills.
* LEARN to Build features an extensive library of hand-picked, custom written and open source tutorials for learning Flash, HTML, Graphic Design, Wiki, Blogging and Project Development skills.
* EXPLORE Web 2.0 Resources features links to recommended online resources and lists of suggested readings that will help participants.
* CONTRIBUTE Knowledge and Support encourages participants to follow-up their learning by contributing works back to the site.

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William Kamkwamba (19 years old) who built a windmill power system for his family’s home in Malawi, was a star of TEDGlobal 2007 . He is a self-taught engineer with an infectious smile and crazy-wide-open mindset.

William’s story begins when at the age of 14 he was forced to drop out of high school because his parents could no longer afford the school fees. Dedicated to continue learning, but no longer in school, William often visited his local library to check out books about the subjects he was interested in. He happened upon a book called Using Energy, a textbook about how energy is made. Inside the book were plans for building a windmill to generate electricity. With plenty of time on his hands and considering his entire village had no electricity, William decided to try and build the windmill. Using sticks, spare bicycle parts and a few other cheap supplies, William was able to contruct his windmill for only $15. The project was successful.

Over the next few years he modified the windmill to increase its output. Adding a fourth blade to the original three and raising it higher, from 5 meters to 12 meters, to receive better air flow. The windmill is able to power lights for three rooms inside his family’s house as well as a light outside, two radios and his neighbors’ cell phones.

Eventually, word of this reamarkable achievement spread and William’s windmill was covered in the local media. He found a mentor in a local doctor and the publicity raised enough money to send him back to school. William’s efforts were deemed so admirable that he was invited to the recent (Technology Entertainment Design) TED Global Conference in Tanzania this June as one of 100 special fellows, along with Bono, Jane Goodall and many famous African musicians and scholars.

Arriving in Arusha, Tanzania, on a plane during his first time out of Malawi was part of a series of firsts for William, he soon used a computer and the internet for the first time as well. At the conference, he showed a slideshow of the windmill project and was interviewed on stage.

William writes:

Two weeks ago I used a computer for the first time. I learned about Google and searched for “windmill” and “solar energy.” I was amazed to learn how many entries there were for both subjects. My friends showed me how to create an email address and now I am on Gmail. Now I am practicing sending and receiving emails when I have access to a computer. I don’t have regular access to a computer yet, but I’m working on a way to get online more easily. You can write me at williamkamkwamba at g mail dot com.

To follow William’s progress check out his blog called William Kamwkamba’s Malawi Windmill Blog.

Pretty amazing huh! What do you think?

This comment comes from Boing Boing.

This YouTube video is the trailer for a documentary called “Voices from the New American Schoolhouse,” which chronicles the radical education practiced at the Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, MD. Fairhaven appears to be a classical free-school, in which kids self-govern, design their own curriculum, and tutor their peers. I went to publicly funded schools like this from grade four to graduation, and they were the most important factor in the way I conduct my own adult life. Attending schools like this teaches many kids to run their own lives, blazing their own trail, inventing their own careers, and trying anything. Useful skills in a world where any job that can be described is likely to be outsourced.

The documentary is narrated principally by the school’s bright, well-spoken students, who are eloquent and passionate advocates for open education.

What do you think?

Download: Posted by E=2>jillhammonds at TeacherTube.com.

This is a great interactive site with simple and quality animations that show how a variety of drugs interact with your brain.

It’s a pity we hadn’t found this when we were doing our Teen Issues unit last year but it’s really worth having a look at. It’s a great teaching tool for drug education.

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This site has been set up by Iain, an ICT cluster facilitator from Dunedin.

It occurred to me that it would could be a powerful thing if children from around the world could voice their concerns, and brainstorm possible solutions to some of the issues that face our blue and green marble in space…before it turns into a brown marble in space!
So, I set up a social network at ning.com, ‘If I could change the world‘, with the idea that this could be a place where children could raise their voices. At the moment I have three main issues that can be tackled. But if this takes off, who knows what might happen?
1)Poverty
2)Pollution
2)ViolenceI have started the project with three ways you can contribute.
1) Artwork: Get kids creating artwork that offer solutions or ideas about global or local issues
2) Blogging: Write posts about these issues
3) Video: Create a 1 minute video

So this is my little attempt at starting something to help change the world for better, but it will be YOU who help make it come true, so please, come join the site and contribute, and spread the word!

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Today I learned about TypeFaster Typing Tutor (a free, open-source typing program available for Windows) as well as Dance Mat Typing from the BBC, which is also free but web-based.

Here are the links to the work we had a look at today so that you can go back and have a look at it. MakeItInteresting is the blog where we saw the slideshare portfolios. While you are there take a look at their Maths blogs. This is a record of what they have learned in Maths each day / session. Students have turns being the scribe (writer) and post what they were taught. Sounds like a good idea for us but take a look and let me know if you think it will work for us. We may have to start another blog or we could use our Maths wiki.

This is the wikispace where the students have their Maths work. Here is the link to Angelic’s page which we were quite impressed with. It would be a neat idea to leave some comments about their work. You never know you may be able to start up some on-line dialogue with them.

Here’s another link, studentblogwikitools, that you might like to look at as it has some examples of the students’ work plus some useful tools.

Now I am waiting for your ideas. Who is going to get started on our Maths wiki or blog???