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PEDAGOGICAL
AND IT DEVELOPMENT
Self-paced
IT Learning for the Underprivileged,
the firts projects conducted in Northeast Thailand
(Isan).
Read what OPM said about the pioneer projects:
Overall
Ambition
To contribute to the bridging of the digital divide between rich
and poor nations by developing IT learning models for 3rd world
villages depending mainly only local resources
and foreign volunteers
Objectives
To facilitate IT learning in the 3rd world by developing a cost
effective and lean project model using a minimum of external resources.
Local resources should be stimulated to learn. to learn to learn
and to help each other.
To
develop and test learning and social process methods.
To
study the effects of access to computers and the Internet on individuals
and villages as well as coaching.
Approach
To start, support, and maintain IT Learning Processes.To create
Learning Friendly Environments.
Facts
Orphanages, Villages and temples in the Northeast of Thailand( Isan)
are our test sites. Isan is the poorest region of Thailand, populated
mainly by ethnic Lao, and small scale farmers .
The living standards and lifestyles of the Isan population remain
similar to their cousins in Laos. Education is poor and many children
drop out of sclool to work instead.
Project
Resources
We initially had one local Isan IT coach and ourselves.Some Scandinavian
consultants, grooming new, young local IT coaches.
Foreign
volunteers participating in this project also worked as volunteer
teachers at the First Global Community College in Nong Khai.They
come from Europe, the US, amd Latin America.
This core of volunteers constitutes our major external resource
base.
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 Tawtaw,
our local IT coach. PiTaw( called - elder
brother). An Isan farmer's son, he graduated from nearby Udon
College for Agriculture and Technology. Mainly autodidact on
computers and the Internet, he coaches, makes websites, trouble
shoots, and most importantly, he acts as the important role
model he is to particpants!
Already our junior coaches amongst the boys and girls take
after piTaw's caring and inspiring coaching.
 Sven
Mauleon, the initiator,
with a traditional M.B.A. and a less traditional career as management
consultant in W/E Europe, Russia, and S/E Asia. Also visiting
professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
Team leader and networker. Into x-cultural, learning, and change
management,
Some
of our Pioneer Farang(foreign) Volunteers.
 Mario,
our patient, popular, and perceptive ex-pat IT coach from Columbia.
Engineer with an M.B.A. degree from Barcelona, who chose to
go abroad due to do the problems of his home country. Traveling
and working with Patty, his wife, around the globe. From kibbutz's
in Israel, to volunteering in Japan and New Zealand, mixed with
some, free lancing financial consulting in the US.
On his way to Africa. Maybe he will start our first IT in
3rd world villages there together with his Patty? In Tanzania?
 Patty,
Patricia, Mario's wife. On the same global trip of x- cultural
experience. Our inspiring, ever smiling,laughing World Awareness
coach. Psychologist from Columbia.
 Mary,
retired physiotherapist from California, one of our English
language coaches. She and her husband Mel sold their house when
their kids left home, onto globetrotting and volunteering from
Europe to Sweden to Isan. Always on the look out for people
in need. She just found a wheel chair for a young man who cannot
walk!
 Mel,
Mary's husband, the same trip and volunteering in English as
well as mathematics with his engineering background. What if
we all maintain our young curiosity and energy as M&M do?
Hope so!
 Lucy,
our bright, young, long stay English language coach. On to Cambridge
University after a year in Isan. Clever, tender, sweet, and
ambitious, she recommends everybody to read the book 'Touch
the Dragon'. What if more students did the same as she. What
future leaders! Now she speaks Thai!
Computers
Children share a number of computers at each 'learning
center'. Computers are of varying age and capacity but
we make them work most of the time. We only have Internet
connection at some places.
What
we do
We are available to stimulate, help, coach, and show what
can be done. And how to do it if asked. Some stress is
made on IT English; and for the elder boys and girls we
also aim to increase their 'World Awareness' to make them
see the new opportunities of IT!
Some Milestones
The Boys project started in mid-October 2001.
New programs and games added.
World Awareness added to the English program.
Creation of a Community " IT-pilots in Isan" on the Internet.
Start 2nd test in January 2002 at Girls Home.
Competition PowerPoint , awards for technical, artistic
quality, and content.
The boys act as coaches at the Girls Home.
Girls start learning Powerpoint.
Boys and girls start making websites for their homes.
Start 3rd project in our 1st 3rd world village, March
2002.
Since
then we have started up new groups and centers.
Selecting
special groups
Late November, after some seven weeks, we selected a smaller
group of 15 boys. They have more access to the computers
when we are not there. This is a step in the direction
of creating new coaches and role models for the younger
ones; and to be able to increase non-supervised access
time to computers to the others as well.
Having
consulted with the staff, we selected fifteen boys. These
fifteen boys are divided into four teams with one boy
responsible for each team.
The
computers are thus available for these boys every day
until ten o'clock PM (curfew time).
We
have new programs for typing, spelling English, and some
more advanced games.
We
have started coaching some 20 girls at their home.A fter
testing the girls and consulting with staff more can sign
on gradually.
So far we don't use any foreign volunteer coaches at the
girls home since we want to assess the added value of
foreign volunteers.
At the village we offer coaching every weekend; and some
boys or girls from the homes come along to help and inspire.
Time
for computers - to sit, to explore, to try, to
think, and try again alone and in groups - is the key
to learning.
Computers
should ideally be available as in any normal home in the
West: anytime of the day!
For
updated news contact us!
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Bangkok
Post about IT in Isan
The
Asian Institute of Technology visits IT in Isan.
The Swedish ambassador, and the president of the A.I.T
welcomed by Sven Mauleon and senator Aranya Sutjanil.
Technology
says about IT in Isan
