[LCA2015-Chat] RFC Parenting Miniconf at lca2016

[Robyn Willison]

There are versions for Linux, Android, MacOSX and Windows it appears the 
Android version has a small cost and the others are free.

Let your teachers know that this software is LEGAL to copy and give away.

 From their website http://gcompris.net/index-en.html

GCompris is a high quality educational software suite comprising of 
numerous activities for children aged 2 to 10.

Some of the activities are game orientated, but nonetheless still 
educational.

Below you can find a list of categories with some of the activities 
available in that category.

computer discovery: keyboard, mouse, different mouse gestures, ...
arithmetic: table memory, enumeration, double entry table, mirror image, ...
science: the canal lock, the water cycle, the submarine, electric 
simulation ...
geography: place the country on the map
games: chess, memory, connect 4, oware, sudoku ...
reading: reading practice
other: learn to tell time, puzzle of famous paintings, vector drawing, 
cartoon making, ...

Currently GCompris offers in excess of 100 activities and more are being 
developed. GCompris is free software, that means that you can adapt it 
to your own needs, improve it and, most importantly, share it with 
children everywhere.

Robyn

On 20/01/2015 5:21 AM, Michael Schmitz wrote:
> Thanks Thomas,
>
> I'll give that a try, our little monster starts kindy this week, there
> may be reading on the cards soon.
>
> I'll mention gcompris to the kindy staff - not sure what they already
> have on their computers, this may be a nice addition (or something to
> recommend for the parents).
>
>    Michael
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 11:22 PM, Thomas Sprinkmeier
> <thomas.sprinkmeier at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 01/17/15 17:41, Michael Schmitz wrote:
>>>
>>> Tabitha,
>>>
>>> seems you found yourself a new organiser role for the next conference :-)
>>>
>>> Seriously though - one question along the lines of this that I meant to
>>> ask you (as OLPC volunteer) during the conference: are there any free / open
>>> educational games apps for Android for small kids?
>>
>>
>> As it happens, it seems gcompris was just released for android:
>>
>>      http://gcompris.net/newsall-en.html#2015-01-06
>>
>> Thomas
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I've found plenty of 'free' stuff for school-age kids but nothing for the
>>> preschoolers at a quick glance.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>>   Michael
>>>
>>>
>>>> Sorry, too excited and forgot to say who I am.
>>>> I ran the education miniconf in Wellington LCA2010 and volunteered at
>>>> Auckland LCA2015.
>>>>
>>>> My many hats - teacher development (elearning) at a NZ polytechnic,
>>>> consultancy for a Moodle Partner, volunteer for OLPC and Sugarlabs, and a
>>>> founding member of the Manaiakalani hackers.
>>>>
>>>> Most important hat, I have small kids which puts me in the interested
>>>> parent category.
>>>>
>>>> Tabitha Roder
>>>>   On 17 Jan 2015 19:15, "Tabitha Roder" <tabitha at tabitha.net.nz> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Yes! Totally interested in supporting this idea for a miniconf. Putting
>>>>> thinking cap on.
>>>>> Tabitha
>>>>>   Calling all parents, educators and other interested parties!
>>>>>
>>>>> If a group of free and open technology enthusiasts went to playgroup,
>>>>> what
>>>>> would they talk about? What would the kids be playing with and doing?
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd like to put forward the idea of doing a "Geek Parenting" Mininconf
>>>>> at
>>>>> next year's LCA. I'm putting the concept to the community at large to
>>>>> help
>>>>> define the scope and ideals of the day in preparation for putting in a
>>>>> submission when the CFP opens.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm interested in ways to encourage an interest in technology for my
>>>>> children as they grow up. I'm looking for other like minded people to
>>>>> share
>>>>> ideas on what they do with their kids, what works and what doesnt.
>>>>>
>>>>> Like Bdale (I think) said in Friday's keynote, in the 80s there were
>>>>> books
>>>>> in the library you could borrow that contained BASIC code to be typed
>>>>> into
>>>>> your C64 for fun. Hands up how many people got the bug that way? Well,
>>>>> what
>>>>> is the 21st century equivalent.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have been thinking about this idea for awhile and comments Bdale made
>>>>> along with Thomas Sprinkmeier's talk on training your minions yesterday
>>>>> gave me the extra enthusiasm to get the ball rolling.
>>>>>
>>>>> As an aside, how awesome would it be that at a future LCA, one of the
>>>>> tracks in the open hardware miniconf was aimed at kids? And our kids
>>>>> went
>>>>> to that as part of the partners program for that day?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>
>>>>> Jared
>>>