Project Diaspora skillfully responds to OLPC. Their response makes me think of a discussion we are having at BOSCO (see a reply to PD’s post with some thoughts in the comment section): How to provide more than computer skills and the Internet? How can we engage people to use the Internet, for example, as a tool of learning or economic empowerment?
Let’s call this, for a lack of anything catchy, ICT+. Going beyond the basics of operating a computer to really engaging on the Web and creating content. I constantly refer to the “knowledge of power” concept and the fact that the Internet allows for a distinct reversal of this imbalance. How do we both provide access to the Internet while encouraging users to contribute?
Thus far, BOSCO has used a Web 2.0 training curriculum which is available here. I haven’t been around long enough to know what kind of an impact we are having through this program, but feel free to contact long-term BOSCO staff via myself for an idea of how we do it and what developments we’ve seen thus far.
