Sugar Labs - User contributions [en]

Oversight Board/Next meeting

2016-06-18T05:48:52Z

Adborden: /* Next meeting */

=== Next meeting===

Friday, 2016-07-01 at 19 UTC

Email slobs at lists dot sugarlabs dot org to propose a topic queue to be brought up.

==== Agenda items ====

Please contact an oversight-board member to add topics to be considered for the meeting.

* Report from the i18n manager;
* Motion regarding GSoC mentoring stipends [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CPQRFvCwj-Az79PB3Y85aK8Pv5Sl1EODs07m9phAS5U/edit];
* Motion to request a membership donation [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CPQRFvCwj-Az79PB3Y85aK8Pv5Sl1EODs07m9phAS5U/edit];
* Discussion of merits of applying for inclusion in GitHub Education pack [https://education.github.com/pack]

User:Sverma

2016-01-09T20:42:16Z

Adborden: Sameer Verma Candidacy for Sugar Labs Oversight Board (SLOB)

= Candidacy for Sugar Labs Oversight Board (SLOB) =

== Background ==

I am a professor in the Information Systems department at San Francisco State University<ref>San Francisco State University, Sameer Verma, Ph.D., 2015, https://faculty.sfsu.edu/~sverma/</ref>. My Ph.D. dissertation was based on how technology adoption works with individuals and in communities<ref>Sameer Verma, Diffusion and Adoption of Multicasting: Role of Implicit versus Explicit Communication Initiation Methods, 1999, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255572948_DIFFUSION_AND_ADOPTION_OF_MULTICASTING_ROLE_OF_IMPLICIT_VERSUS_EXPLICIT_COMMUNICATION_INITIATION_METHODS</ref>. My work involves teaching and research in Management Information Systems (MIS). I teach courses on “Managing Open Source”<ref>San Francisco State University, Managing Open Source, 2005, http://is.sfsu.edu/node/145</ref> and “Media and the Web”<ref>San Francisco State University, Multimedia Business Applications Development , 2015, http://courses.sfsu.edu/courses/29446</ref>. My research revolves around the development and use of Free and Open Source Software. Some of my research has stemmed from collaborative work with the Open Source Initiative<ref>Open Source Initiative, Report of License Proliferation Committee, 2006, https://opensource.org/proliferation-report</ref>, and Ubuntu<ref>Alberto Onetti, Marco Talaia, Vincenza Odorici, Manuela Presutti, Sameer Verma, The role of serial entrepreneurs in the internationalization of global start-ups. A business case, , http://www.senatehall.com/strategic-management?article=368</ref>. I also serve on the Board of Directors of the Drupal Association<ref>Drupal Association, Board of Directors, Drupal Association, 2015, https://assoc.drupal.org/about/board</ref>, which gives me tremendous insights into how large FOSS projects work both in the community and the enterprise.

== Experience ==

My experience with OLPC and Sugar projects are based on a three-pronged approach:

:''Education''

:Understanding constructivist, constructionist, instructional and ad-hoc learning models. I look for accommodating for the gap between what may be prescribed, and what can actually be implemented in the field.

:''Technology''

:Hardware, software, and network combinations that make these projects work in the “middle of nowhere” communities. My professional training comes in handy when working on these technology bits.

:''Social Context''

:Understanding social context is the most important of the three approaches. Providing powerful life-changing educational tools to communities is not enough unless we also understand their cultural and social underpinnings.

== Projects==

I have worked with OLPC and Sugar since June 2007. I started off as a volunteer with a OLPC XO-1 from OLPC Headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Next, I put together OLPC San Francisco in January 2008<ref>Sameer Verma, Welcome!, 2008, http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/olpc-sf/2008-January/000000.html</ref>. Since then, we meet every month at San Francisco State University's campus. We have also hosted the annual OLPC San Francisco Community Summit from 2009 to 2015<ref>OLPC San Francisco, OLPC SF Community Summit Archive, 2009, http://www.olpcsf.org/archive</ref>.

I started and currently help manage four school projects with OLPC/Sugar in Jamaica<ref>Center of Excellence, UWI Mona, OLPC Jamaica, 2008, http://olpcjamaica.org.jm/</ref>. These are managed by the Center of Excellence, University of the West Indies, Mona campus, Jamaica, where I am a founding academic partner<ref>Center of Excellence, UWI Mona, OLPC Jamaica, 2008, http://coe-msb.org/about</ref>.

I also started and currently manage a OLPC/Sugar project in Bhagmalpur<ref>Sameer Verma, Anish Mangal, OLPC Bhagmalpur, 2008, https://bhagmalpur.wordpress.com/</ref>, a small village in north India (my mother's village), where we use a model of “One Laptop per Household”. The youngest child of school-going age becomes the owner. In this project, we bypass the local school completely. There is no traditional teacher. The children have their own ad-hoc learning support structure. They actively learn from each other.

I have worked on several other OLPC/Sugar projects in varying capacities in Madagascar<ref>June Kleider, Isabella Kleider, OLPC Deployment Maroantsetra, Madagascar, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N10T_RRFWG0</ref>, Tuva<ref>Sameer Verma, Stacey Borsody, OLPC Tuva, 2011, https://olpctuva.wordpress.com/</ref>, Pakistan<ref>Giulia D'Amico, A successful Contributors Program project: Rehnuma School in Karachi, 2011, http://blog.laptop.org/2011/12/21/a-very-successful-contributors-program-project-rehnuma-school-in-karachi/</ref>, India<ref>Salil Konkar, XS Learning with Sameer Verma, 2013, https://monsoongrey.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/xs-learning-with-sameer-verma/</ref> among others.

My newest project is an effort that began in Jamaica, where we analyzed Sugar Journal data for useful information<ref>Sameer Verma, Peering into Journal data, 2013, http://olpcjamaica.org.jm/blog/peering-journal-data</ref>. We relied on the model from ParaguayEduca<ref>Raúl Gutiérrez Segalés, get-journal-stats, 2010, http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/iaep/2010-May/010847.html</ref>, and then went on to build our own. I created the architecture for what eventually became XOVis, a visualization system for Sugar Journal data across a classroom, school, or a education district or Ministry<ref>Sameer Verma, XOVis - Analytics and Visualization for Sugar and OLPC, 2014, http://www.slideshare.net/sverma/xovis-analyticsvisualizationsugarolpc-36184541</ref>. The application was developed by Martin Dluhos<ref>Martin Dluhos, GitHub account for martasd, 2014, https://github.com/martasd</ref> and is currently being extended by Andreas Gros<ref>Andreas Gros, GitHub account for Andreas Gros, 2014, https://github.com/andi-g</ref>.

== Expected Contribution ==

Sugar is a technology-heavy project, with deep and lasting implications for its users. I strongly believe that the core purpose of education is to learn to solve problems, and by extension, this applies to Sugar as well. Let's keep our focus on the technology medium, but not lose the education message. I hope to bring my skills and expertise to contribute to the strategic direction of Sugar the project, and its implementations, be it on original XO-1, or on any device anywhere.

== References ==

<references />

Talk:EduJAM/2011/Conozco Uruguay Tour

2011-04-23T23:27:12Z

Adborden: /* April 8-9 by Caryl */

'''''Please add to the discussion with your questions, answers, and suggestions!'''''
===April 23 by Aaron===
How will transportation work? Some of the events describe buses but others do not. Also, does the start time include the travel time or is that the time we are expecting to arrive at the location of the day's itinerary?

===April 8-9 by Caryl===
Yesterday we succeeded in booking at Casa Sarandi for May 4-8. We wanted to change from Che Lagarto because what we thought we were getting was a room with a bath, instead it is a room with a "path" (down the hall)! They do have some problems with their booking system, as others have also found. Today, we got a note from the owners of Casa Sarandi saying they had a room for April 30-May 3 after all. So we grabbed it. We will be canceling our Che Lagarto reservations as soon as we hear again from the Casa Sarandi owners that our reservation really did go through. BTW, the actual room price is $71/night instead of $66. That was last years price.

===April 6 by Holt===
We are currently being [[Conozco Uruguay Tour#Participants|flooded with last-minute requests]] to join our planned "15-person-maximum" community/school exploration tour. Final requests are needed this week NOW such that I, Pablo and Leticia can decide how many people can or cannot in fact be reasonably accommodated!

===April 5 by Aaron===
Tony Anderson and I will be rooming together at Che Legarta.

===April 5 by Holt===
Many of us have booked great little rooms at Hostel [http://chelagarto.com/index.php/en/hostel-in-montevideo.html Che Lagarto] right near the [http://ceibaljam.org/node/1171 PAOF/UTU summit venue] itself! Note CJB/CScott just had success booking hotel [http://www.casasarandi.com/ Casa Sarandi] [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1718386-Reviews-Casa_Sarandi_Guesthouse-Montevideo.html for $66/night]. Interesting since Caryl was unable to book it about a week ago :)

===April 4 by Nick===
I have been in Montevideo for almost a week. Enjoyed staying in bed & breakfasts [http://www.unanochemas.com.uy Una Noche Mas] in Punta Carretas and now at [http://posadablanes.com Posada Blanes] in Carrasco. The former is in a quiet part of the city and across the street from a great sushi restaurant; the latter is on a residential street, walking distance to Plan Ceibal, Portones Shopping, and Carrasco. Both have buses to the conference location, and a ticket is 18 pesos = US $0.95. There's also a long (50min) walk along the shoreline between Punta Carretas and Plaza Independencia.

Traveling: have stuff in your carry-on if your luggage is delayed. Connecting in Rio: you don't need a Brazilian visa unless you want to leave the terminal or your layover is over 7 hours. Everyone from the ticket agent to the flight attendant will take your passport and look for this visa. Say "transit only to Montevideo". Checking in the day before: I booked on Travelocity and American Airlines needed my passport info before I could check in. Checking into Pluna: I was unable to check into Pluna through American Airlines. When I checked in with TAM, they gave me my Pluna ticket, but I was paged in Brazil and needed to show my passport. Customs: easy. Airport pickup: Do it. Pickup available for additional charge from Una Noche Mas - schedule several days in advance. Airport phones: call locally from Antel office in the main lobby. Buses: about US $1 for most, US $1.50 for the DM1 from the airport. Sometimes you pay the driver, other times there is a separate fare collector. Make sure to take your receipt.

===April 2 by Caryl===
After a [[#March 16 by Caryl|few false starts,]] it looks like we have reservations for our stay in Montevideo. We started with reservations at Hotel Austral, but then Pablo and friends told us they had heard there were problems there and that it is really not within walking distance of the summit. They suggested 2 other Hostels:

Che Lagarto: http://www.chelagarto.com/index.php/en/hostel-in-montevideo.html

Montevideo Hostel: http://www.montevideohostel.com.uy/

We booked at the Che Lagarto via [http://www.booking.com/ booking.com] because there were some problems with the hostel's own site. We got what looked like the last double room with a bath, but back on the hostel's site, it looks like there may be others. Maybe that is all that booking.com has access to. They also have some doubles w/shared bath and rooms with twins etc. I think there are dorms as well.

The location is excellent, on Plaza Independencia, a very short walk to the summit. They have what looks like a great breakfast, wifi, a communal kitchen and a luggage room we can use for the one day we leave to go to La Paloma. Plus, it is very reasonably priced. Ed and I will be saving over $150 by staying there instead of Hotel Austral!

Whether you wish to join us at Che Lagarto or stay somewhere else, it would be a good idea to make your reservations now. Most places will let you cancel with no penalty (within a time limit) or they may have just a nominal charge, so you will still have time to change your mind. Popular international cities like Montevideo always fill up way in advance so grab a room now, while you can!

=== March 19 by Nick ===

Great to see everyone's posts here. I'm going to work for Plan Ceibal for two months, with the Conozco Uruguay tour happening about halfway through. I'll try to join the group while you're in the Montevideo area. My blog is at http://MapaDelSur.blogspot.com

Caryl: since I have a GPS and map projects, I'd also be interested in geocaching.

=== March 19 by Holt ===

Hi All Uruguay [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Uruguay EduTRIPPERS,] confirmed & unconfirmed!

Christoph Derndorfer bought his Madrid flight yesterday (Apr 29 - May 8).
Caryl & Ed Bigenho will be in Uruguay from Los Angeles/Buenos Aires (Apr 29 - May 8).
Tony Anderson a couple days longer, from Rwanda/Berlin (Apr 28 - May 9).
Simon Schampijer from Berlin & Nick Doiron from New Hampshire have flights staying even longer!

Myself I hope to stay for 2 weeks -- Thanks all for finalizing your flight details now/this week and replying to me with your timing/details!

Then: Take our "community exploration" eduTRIP seriously by blogging occasionally your thoughts here, starting now/soon -- posting your flight dates for now if nothing else (!) by clicking "EDIT" at the top of this [very] page!

Being sure to follow Trip/Summit schedule details emerging with new additions/modifications almost every day here:

http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour 
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Uruguay_Summit_2011

Thanks all & see you soon exactly 6 weeks from today, on Saturday April 30 :-)

=== March 17 by Caryl ===

Are there any [http://www.geocaching.com/ Geocachers] in our group? Uruguay has only 13 active caches at this time. One is in Montevideo, which we can easily try to visit while we are there. It was recently rehabbed by a German visitor and is probably in great shape now. We could also think about placing a cache somewhere in the countryside where they don't have any. It would need to be where someone local could maintain it from time to time. We could put lots of interesting small stash items in it, including coins from the countries we are from. Any interest in this?

=== March 17 by Aaron ===

Looks good so far! I'll be in Montevideo Friday April 29 so I'd be up for adding something Friday evening or Saturday morning. Or if anyone else will arrive then maybe we can figure out something separately.

=== March 16 by Holt ===

New Draft Itinerary posted, thank to Leticia Romero: http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour#Itinerary

Please provide feedback here prior to the Friday March 18's upcoming organizer meeting!

=== March 16 by Caryl ===

'''Accomodations update''' from [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1131 (13/3/11)] [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 Spanish]

Some hotel information is available at the [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 ceibalJAM] site. The hotels are listed in order of cost from lower to higher. All have wifi and include breakfast in the price. It could be fun if we decided to all stay at the same place while in Montevideo. Feel free to make comments about which ones you prefer. Is there someone who would like to organize this or should we just all do it on our own? There are links below including some to the Trip Advisor site where you can read reviews.

Here are some links to the websites of the first 3 hotels/hostels listed:

* [http://www.redhostel.com/ Red Hostel]

A real hostel, but not affiliated with HI. Has shared baths. Has a communal kitchen where you can prepare some of your own meals if you are so inclined (some folks with dietary restrictions might like this).

Rated #8/16 in "Specialty Lodging in Montevideo on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1067805-Reviews-Red_hostel-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.australhotel.com/index.cfm?idioma=esp Hotel Austral]

A hotel. Does have at least one meeting room to rent if any are needed for parts of the summit event. Says they are recently remodeled.

Rated #30/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1237543-Reviews-Austral_Hotel_Montevideo-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.klee.com.uy/servicios.htm Hotel Klee]

A hotel. Web site is somewhat lacking in information.

Rated #40/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d455725-Reviews-Hotel_Klee-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

'''Add your comments and preferences here:'''

Caryl: I like the hostel best because of the kitchen. The Hotel Astral sounds like a good choice as well.

[http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:CScott CScott]: The Hotel Klee has *much* better reviews on tripadvisor than the Hotel Austral. Both hotels seem to be a bit ambiguous about whether wifi is available just in a lobby area, or in all the rooms. I've sent email to inquire. But the fact that the Hotel Austral has bad reviews in both English and Spanish would make me very wary of staying there. cjb suggests [http://www.casasarandi.com/ Casa Sarandi] ([http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1718386-Reviews-Casa_Sarandi_Guesthouse-Montevideo.html TripAdvisor]).

=== March 9 by Holt ===

Fantastic Aaron! [CONTEXT: at least 5 flights are now purchased] Keep in close touch so we can connect directly in April by phone to make sure all are preparing thoughtfully and ready to go -- as you say, I strongly encourage you/all to edit http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Talk:Conozco_Uruguay_Tour when you can!

Until then, I'm cc'ing some of the other individuals who've also already bought flights, so all are free to begin introductions even prior to setting up a mailing list by April early hopefully.

A very preliminary menu of possibilities should begin to emerge on http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour soon after spring has sprung -- make that autumn in the Southern Hemisphere! I will ask all your help to get this right, and make adjustments where necessary, asking all participants here to think together how we can properly thank RAP Ceibal (Uruguay's volunteer parents group!) for welcoming us.

Occasionally of course, we'll all need to make compromises and just Get On The Bus -- not a mindless tourbus however, don't worry -- I ask everyone take to heart mindful "guided discovery" a.k.a. project-based learning :)

PS please write [http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Roadshow_in_a_Box Caryl] if you can help her offer informal Uruguayan Spanish tips on a weekly basis over the remaining 7 weeks!

=== March 7 by Caryl ===

ACCOMMODATIONS?

Started checking accommodations availability for dates 04/29/11 to 05/08/11. Most double rooms in HI Hostels are already taken. Plenty of dorm space still available at very moderate prices ($12-$15/pp/nt). Some B&B's still have space, at generally higher rates. Some have wifi available. Most include breakfasts (continental), Hostels have kitchens where you can fix what you like.

It would probably be a good idea to make a few decisions very soon so that people can make reservations while rooms are still available. 

To proceed we need to know:

* Where will the main meeting place be?

* Do the "out-of-towners" want to try to stay in the same place?

* What kind of public transport is available?

* Where will the weekend events be held? Please post a map link.

Talk:EduJAM/2011/Conozco Uruguay Tour

2011-04-05T04:25:02Z

Adborden: /* April 5 by Holt */

'''''Please add to the discussion with your questions, answers, and suggestions!'''''
===April 5 by Aaron ===
Tony Anderson and I will be rooming together at Che Legarta.

===April 5 by Holt===
Note CJB/CScott just had success booking hotel [http://www.casasarandi.com/ Casa Sarandi] [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1718386-Reviews-Casa_Sarandi_Guesthouse-Montevideo.html for $66/night]. Interesting since Caryl was unable to book it about a week ago :)

===April 4 by Nick===
I have been in Montevideo for almost a week. Enjoyed staying in bed & breakfasts [http://www.unanochemas.com.uy Una Noche Mas] in Punta Carretas and now at [http://posadablanes.com Posada Blanes] in Carrasco. The former is in a quiet part of the city and across the street from a great sushi restaurant; the latter is on a residential street, walking distance to Plan Ceibal, Portones Shopping, and Carrasco. Both have buses to the conference location, and a ticket is 18 pesos = US $0.95. There's also a long (50min) walk along the shoreline between Punta Carretas and Plaza Independencia.

Traveling: have stuff in your carry-on if your luggage is delayed. Connecting in Rio: you don't need a Brazilian visa unless you want to leave the terminal or your layover is over 7 hours. Everyone from the ticket agent to the flight attendant will take your passport and look for this visa. Say "transit only to Montevideo". Checking in the day before: I booked on Travelocity and American Airlines needed my passport info before I could check in. Checking into Pluna: I was unable to check into Pluna through American Airlines. When I checked in with TAM, they gave me my Pluna ticket, but I was paged in Brazil and needed to show my passport. Customs: easy. Airport pickup: Do it. Pickup available for additional charge from Una Noche Mas - schedule several days in advance. Airport phones: call locally from Antel office in the main lobby. Buses: about US $1 for most, US $1.50 for the DM1 from the airport. Sometimes you pay the driver, other times there is a separate fare collector. Make sure to take your receipt.

===April 2 by Caryl===
After a [[#March 16 by Caryl|few false starts,]] it looks like we have reservations for our stay in Montevideo. We started with reservations at Hotel Austral, but then Pablo and friends told us they had heard there were problems there and that it is really not within walking distance of the summit. They suggested 2 other Hostels:

Che Lagarto: http://www.chelagarto.com/index.php/en/hostel-in-montevideo.html

Montevideo Hostel: http://www.montevideohostel.com.uy/

We booked at the Che Lagarto via [http://www.booking.com/ booking.com] because there were some problems with the hostel's own site. We got what looked like the last double room with a bath, but back on the hostel's site, it looks like there may be others. Maybe that is all that booking.com has access to. They also have some doubles w/shared bath and rooms with twins etc. I think there are dorms as well.

The location is excellent, on Plaza Independencia, a very short walk to the summit. They have what looks like a great breakfast, wifi, a communal kitchen and a luggage room we can use for the one day we leave to go to La Paloma. Plus, it is very reasonably priced. Ed and I will be saving over $150 by staying there instead of Hotel Austral!

Whether you wish to join us at Che Lagarto or stay somewhere else, it would be a good idea to make your reservations now. Most places will let you cancel with no penalty (within a time limit) or they may have just a nominal charge, so you will still have time to change your mind. Popular international cities like Montevideo always fill up way in advance so grab a room now, while you can!

=== March 19 by Nick ===

Great to see everyone's posts here. I'm going to work for Plan Ceibal for two months, with the Conozco Uruguay tour happening about halfway through. I'll try to join the group while you're in the Montevideo area. My blog is at http://MapaDelSur.blogspot.com

Caryl: since I have a GPS and map projects, I'd also be interested in geocaching.

=== March 19 by Holt ===

Hi All Uruguay [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Uruguay EduTRIPPERS,] confirmed & unconfirmed!

Christoph Derndorfer bought his Madrid flight yesterday (Apr 29 - May 8).
Caryl & Ed Bigenho will be in Uruguay from Los Angeles/Buenos Aires (Apr 29 - May 8).
Tony Anderson a couple days longer, from Rwanda/Berlin (Apr 28 - May 9).
Simon Schampijer from Berlin & Nick Doiron from New Hampshire have flights staying even longer!

Myself I hope to stay for 2 weeks -- Thanks all for finalizing your flight details now/this week and replying to me with your timing/details!

Then: Take our "community exploration" eduTRIP seriously by blogging occasionally your thoughts here, starting now/soon -- posting your flight dates for now if nothing else (!) by clicking "EDIT" at the top of this [very] page!

Being sure to follow Trip/Summit schedule details emerging with new additions/modifications almost every day here:

http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour 
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Uruguay_Summit_2011

Thanks all & see you soon exactly 6 weeks from today, on Saturday April 30 :-)

=== March 17 by Caryl ===

Are there any [http://www.geocaching.com/ Geocachers] in our group? Uruguay has only 13 active caches at this time. One is in Montevideo, which we can easily try to visit while we are there. It was recently rehabbed by a German visitor and is probably in great shape now. We could also think about placing a cache somewhere in the countryside where they don't have any. It would need to be where someone local could maintain it from time to time. We could put lots of interesting small stash items in it, including coins from the countries we are from. Any interest in this?

=== March 17 by Aaron ===

Looks good so far! I'll be in Montevideo Friday April 29 so I'd be up for adding something Friday evening or Saturday morning. Or if anyone else will arrive then maybe we can figure out something separately.

=== March 16 by Holt ===

New Draft Itinerary posted, thank to Leticia Romero: http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour#Itinerary

Please provide feedback here prior to the Friday March 18's upcoming organizer meeting!

=== March 16 by Caryl ===

'''Accomodations update''' from [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1131 (13/3/11)] [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 Spanish]

Some hotel information is available at the [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 ceibalJAM] site. The hotels are listed in order of cost from lower to higher. All have wifi and include breakfast in the price. It could be fun if we decided to all stay at the same place while in Montevideo. Feel free to make comments about which ones you prefer. Is there someone who would like to organize this or should we just all do it on our own? There are links below including some to the Trip Advisor site where you can read reviews.

Here are some links to the websites of the first 3 hotels/hostels listed:

* [http://www.redhostel.com/ Red Hostel]

A real hostel, but not affiliated with HI. Has shared baths. Has a communal kitchen where you can prepare some of your own meals if you are so inclined (some folks with dietary restrictions might like this).

Rated #8/16 in "Specialty Lodging in Montevideo on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1067805-Reviews-Red_hostel-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.australhotel.com/index.cfm?idioma=esp Hotel Austral]

A hotel. Does have at least one meeting room to rent if any are needed for parts of the summit event. Says they are recently remodeled.

Rated #30/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1237543-Reviews-Austral_Hotel_Montevideo-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.klee.com.uy/servicios.htm Hotel Klee]

A hotel. Web site is somewhat lacking in information.

Rated #40/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d455725-Reviews-Hotel_Klee-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

'''Add your comments and preferences here:'''

Caryl: I like the hostel best because of the kitchen. The Hotel Astral sounds like a good choice as well.

[http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:CScott CScott]: The Hotel Klee has *much* better reviews on tripadvisor than the Hotel Austral. Both hotels seem to be a bit ambiguous about whether wifi is available just in a lobby area, or in all the rooms. I've sent email to inquire. But the fact that the Hotel Austral has bad reviews in both English and Spanish would make me very wary of staying there. cjb suggests [http://www.casasarandi.com/ Casa Sarandi] ([http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1718386-Reviews-Casa_Sarandi_Guesthouse-Montevideo.html TripAdvisor]).

=== March 9 by Holt ===

Fantastic Aaron! [CONTEXT: at least 5 flights are now purchased] Keep in close touch so we can connect directly in April by phone to make sure all are preparing thoughtfully and ready to go -- as you say, I strongly encourage you/all to edit http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Talk:Conozco_Uruguay_Tour when you can!

Until then, I'm cc'ing some of the other individuals who've also already bought flights, so all are free to begin introductions even prior to setting up a mailing list by April early hopefully.

A very preliminary menu of possibilities should begin to emerge on http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour soon after spring has sprung -- make that autumn in the Southern Hemisphere! I will ask all your help to get this right, and make adjustments where necessary, asking all participants here to think together how we can properly thank RAP Ceibal (Uruguay's volunteer parents group!) for welcoming us.

Occasionally of course, we'll all need to make compromises and just Get On The Bus -- not a mindless tourbus however, don't worry -- I ask everyone take to heart mindful "guided discovery" a.k.a. project-based learning :)

PS please write [http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Roadshow_in_a_Box Caryl] if you can help her offer informal Uruguayan Spanish tips on a weekly basis over the remaining 7 weeks!

=== March 7 by Caryl ===

ACCOMMODATIONS?

Started checking accommodations availability for dates 04/29/11 to 05/08/11. Most double rooms in HI Hostels are already taken. Plenty of dorm space still available at very moderate prices ($12-$15/pp/nt). Some B&B's still have space, at generally higher rates. Some have wifi available. Most include breakfasts (continental), Hostels have kitchens where you can fix what you like.

It would probably be a good idea to make a few decisions very soon so that people can make reservations while rooms are still available. 

To proceed we need to know:

* Where will the main meeting place be?

* Do the "out-of-towners" want to try to stay in the same place?

* What kind of public transport is available?

* Where will the weekend events be held? Please post a map link.

Talk:EduJAM/2011/Conozco Uruguay Tour

2011-03-17T05:44:20Z

Adborden: /* March 16 by Holt */

'''''Please add to the discussion with your questions, answers, and suggestions!'''''

=== March 16 by Holt ===

New Draft Itinerary posted, thank to Leticia Romero: http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour#Itinerary

Please provide feedback here prior to the Friday March 18's upcoming organizer meeting!

Aaron: Looks good so far! I'll be in Montevideo Friday April 29 so I'd be up for adding something Friday evening or Saturday morning. Or if anyone else will arrive then maybe we can figure out something separately.

=== March 16 by Caryl ===

'''Accomodations update''' from [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1131 (13/3/11)] [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 Spanish]

Some hotel information is available at the [http://ceibaljam.org/drupal/?q=node/1124 ceibalJAM] site. The hotels are listed in order of cost from lower to higher. All have wifi and include breakfast in the price. It could be fun if we decided to all stay at the same place while in Montevideo. Feel free to make comments about which ones you prefer. Is there someone who would like to organize this or should we just all do it on our own? There are links below including some to the Trip Advisor site where you can read reviews.

Here are some links to the websites of the first 3 hotels/hostels listed:

* [http://www.redhostel.com/ Red Hostel]

A real hostel, but not affiliated with HI. Has shared baths. Has a communal kitchen where you can prepare some of your own meals if you are so inclined (some folks with dietary restrictions might like this).

Rated #8/16 in "Specialty Lodging in Montevideo on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1067805-Reviews-Red_hostel-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.australhotel.com/index.cfm?idioma=esp Hotel Austral]

A hotel. Does have at least one meeting room to rent if any are needed for parts of the summit event. Says they are recently remodeled.

Rated #30/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d1237543-Reviews-Austral_Hotel_Montevideo-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

* [http://www.klee.com.uy/servicios.htm Hotel Klee]

A hotel. Web site is somewhat lacking in information.

Rated #40/61 Montevideo Hotels on [http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294323-d455725-Reviews-Hotel_Klee-Montevideo.html Trip Advisor]

'''Add your comments and preferences here:'''

Caryl: I like the hostel best because of the kitchen. The Hotel Astral sounds like a good choice as well.

=== March 9 by Holt ===

Fantastic Aaron! [CONEXT: at least 5 flights are now purchased] Keep in close touch so we can connect directly in April by phone to make sure all are preparing thoughtfully and ready to go -- as you say, I strongly encourage you/all to edit http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Talk:Conozco_Uruguay_Tour when you can!

Until then, I'm cc'ing some of the other individuals who've also already bought flights, so all are free to begin introductions even prior to setting up a mailing list by April early hopefully.

A very preliminary menu of possibilities should begin to emerge on http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Conozco_Uruguay_Tour soon after spring has sprung -- make that autumn in the Southern Hemisphere! I will ask all your help to get this right, and make adjustments where necessary, asking all participants here to think together how we can properly thank RAP Ceibal (Uruguay's volunteer parents group!) for welcoming us.

Occasionally of course, we'll all need to make compromises and just Get On The Bus -- not a mindless tourbus however, don't worry -- I ask everyone take to heart mindful "guided discovery" a.k.a. project-based learning :)

PS please write [http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Roadshow_in_a_Box Caryl] if you can help her offer informal Uruguayan Spanish tips on a weekly basis over the remaining 7 weeks!

=== March 7 by Caryl ===

ACCOMMODATIONS?

Started checking accommodations availability for dates 04/29/11 to 05/08/11. Most double rooms in HI Hostels are already taken. Plenty of dorm space still available at very moderate prices ($12-$15/pp/nt). Some B&B's still have space, at generally higher rates. Some have wifi available. Most include breakfasts (continental), Hostels have kitchens where you can fix what you like.

It would probably be a good idea to make a few decisions very soon so that people can make reservations while rooms are still available. 

To proceed we need to know:

* Where will the main meeting place be?

* Do the "out-of-towners" want to try to stay in the same place?

* What kind of public transport is available?

* Where will the weekend events be held? Please post a map link.