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World Wide Workshop Foundation
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The World Wide Workshop Foundation was created in 2004 by Idit Harel Caperton, an MIT scientist and entrepreneur known for her research, publications, and internet media products and services for children and youth around the world. The Foundation's aim is to use open-source applications of social media technology, and game production curriculum, to enhance learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and an understanding of the world in economically-disadvantaged and technologically-underserved communities; to help close the digital literacy gaps that exist in the U.S. and worldwide. The Foundation's work offers a model for purposeful learning within any 1:1 computing environment, using Web 2.0 methods and tools to present new possibilities for learning, creativity, communication, and collaboration. History In the 1980s, while working at the MIT Media Lab, Idit Harel (now Idit Harel Caperton) conducted breakthrough research on Constructionist learning in digital media production. This research showed that educational software development and game design foster the development of knowledge and ideas in symbolic form through computer programming. She published her design research in a book called Children Designers that received the Outstanding Book Award by American Education Research Association (AERA). In the mid 1990s, Harel Caperton took her research and vision to the internet in launching MaMaMedia, a dynamic, award-winning website for children, which in the early Web 1.0 era pioneered many of the principles applicable to the new social internet (Web 2.0). In response to the need for children to develop 21st century learning skills, Dr. Harel associated the three Rs of traditional education (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic), with what she named The 3Xs: eXploring, eXpressing and eXchanging ideas through digital media making. In three years, MaMaMedia reached more than 50 million children and teachers from 36 countries and stretched the Web 1.0 technology of the first internet era and the minds of young children of the 90s. In 2004, Dr. Caperton founded the World Wide Workshop to leverage academic and commercial experience to help disadvantaged youth become successful participants in the global knowledge economy. The Foundation’s flagship program, Globaloria, proposed to help close the digital opportunity divide by providing traditionally underserved young people in developing communities around the world with learning opportunities to acquire Web 2.0 digital skills and new learning abilities for the millennium. Programs The World Wide Workshop Foundation has implemented two programs since its inception: (1) Globaloria and (2) The Next Billion Learners Globaloria Globaloria, World Wide Workshop's flagship program, is a social network for learning web-game design and simulation production. Invented by the World Wide Workshop Foundation in the spring of 2006, it seeks to create technology-based educational opportunities through a flexible set of virtual learning networks for students in developing nations, and economically disadvantaged and technologically-underserved communities. Using a network of educational web 2.0 platforms, students develop 21st-century digital literacy, master social media technology, and gain a deeper understanding of curricular areas, such as science, mathematics and health. Its activities help students sharpen their communication and critical-thinking skills for leadership online and offline, bringing them closer to the participatory and collaborative nature of work in the 21st century. Globaloria in West Virginia In August 2007, the World Wide Workshop Foundation sought to contribute to West Virginia’s economic and social development, foster job creation, and position the state as a leader in 21st Century education by implementing the Globaloria Program statewide. In its first pilot year, 89 students and 18 educators from seven learning institutions became the first participants to use the Globaloria-WV Program’s MyGLife network for learning to design educational web-games. In the second pilot year, which started in August 2008, Globaloria-WV more than doubled in size to over 250 participants. With the support of the State of West Virginia, Benedum Foundation, and Verizon West Virginia, the World Wide Workshop plans to continue its growth and impact throughout West Virginia. Next Billion Learners The Next Billion Learners program is a composite of individual projects that focuses on the development of creative learning software for low-cost laptops in order to support 1:1 computing worldwide for the “next billion learners.” The first project in this initiative was the MaMaMedia Creative Center for OLPC. The MaMaMedia Creative Center is made up of a set of original, fun, intuitive constructionist learning activities that invite children, their teachers and communities to invent, make, and share their own puzzles, stories, cartoons, polls, quizzes, and more individually or in groups through the mesh network. These activities, originally developed for MaMaMedia.com, were re-written in Python with updated functionality that leverage the unique operating system and technological features of the XO Laptop, such as the built-in camera, drawing and writing tools, and its mesh network. Lesson plans and tutorials for teachers and parents who have little or no previous experiences with computers, the internet, and programmable media technology accompany each activity. Geographical Reach Globaloria’s geographical impact has grown since its inception. It is now active in the following communities and nations across the globe: *West Virginia *New Orleans *New York *Colorado *Washington D.C. *China *Mexico *Brazil *Russia *Malaysia *Trinidad *Saudi Arabia *Israel As part of its ongoing expansion plans, World Wide Workshop Foundation is seeking to expand Globaloria to other states and countries for 2009. As of September 2008, over 250 youth and educators globally are learning through the Globaloria Program Photo gallery Partners Over the years, World Wide Workshop have partnered with the following institutions to achieves its goals: *State of West Virginia *Benedum Foundation *Verizon West Virginia *West Virginia's Center for Professional Development *21st Century Foundation *ReThink Camp *Schlumberger Seed *OLPC See Also *MaMaMedia *OLPC Main Page See Also
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