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Volunteering in the SOLEs & SOMEsThe Granny Cloud
Volunteering in a Digital Age
WCVA & Communities 2.0 Swansea UK
27th Sept 2012
Dr. Suneeta KulkarnieMediation Managementwww.solesandsomes.wikispaces.com
How it all began…
• Brain child of Prof. Sugata Mitra• Earlier work with Hole-in-the-Wall• SOLEs adaptation to school settings for
curriculum related learning
Self Organized Learning Environments
The Basis• There are [and always will be] places in the
world where good teachers cannot [or do not want to] go…..
Groups of children, givenfree access to computersand the internet… canteach themselves….
[quite a few things… we are still figuring out the whole list!]
The SOLE approach
• Pose an interesting question
• Let children work in groups• ‘teachers’ / ‘adults’ to be ‘invisible• Move around freely• Share what they have found• Arrive at some answers /
conclusions
3 Key Goals of Education
• Reading Fluency & Comprehension• Developing search & information
gathering skills• Developing a rational belief system
Enter the SOMEs!
Self Organized Mediation EnvironmentsakaThe Granny Cloud
Basis for the SOMEsCurrent Focus
• Reading fluency absent• Inability to use the net to search for
information
• Potential to use mediation at every level
Context of the SOMEs
• Across geographical / time zone / language / cultural / SES differences
• Typically disadvantaged / remote locations [but it doesn’t have to be this way]
• No formal infrastructure
• No funding
Impact
• Raised confidence• Acceptance of different cultures• Learning to speak and read a new
language• Awareness of the world
and themselves• Changed aspirations
What makes it work?
• It’s live! [synchronous]• A sense of connection• Allows freedom, self/group pacing,
exploration of interests• Doesn’t need much technical /
technological know how
What should you have to be a ‘Granny’?
• A desktop computer or a laptop with an inbuilt or separate webcam
• A stable & high speed broadband connection capable of sending and receiving video
• A relatively quiet spot in the house
What does being a ‘Granny’ involve?
• Patience• Openness • High frustration
tolerance• Sense of adventure• Humour • And a little bit of time….
‘Granny’ Support
No formal training for being a ‘granny’ It’s ‘self-organized’!
• Wiki• Skype• Email• Remote & physical monitoring/moderating of
sessions• Facebook groups• Blogs • Conferences [skype & otherwise]
Granny Profile
• Varied backgrounds• Retired or otherwise available• Enjoy children• Need the interaction for their own
fulfillment
Profile of the SOMEs
• Recreational centres• Schools • Community learning centres • Individual homes• Individual mentoring
Still interested…?
• Check out our wikiwww.solesandsomes.wikispaces.com
And write in to us:[email protected]
