WHAT IS OPERATION FIRST BYTE?
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The I*EARN One World Teachers'Conference was held in Melbourne, Australia,
in July, 1995. Conference delegates considered ways in which teleconferences
could contribute towards improving access to technology for disadvantaged
students in many areas of the world.
It was decided to work towards the establishment of a new I*EARN Project
that would address this problem. It is hoped that access to this technology
will allow rapid educational progress and will, in turn, speed the rate
of economic progress for the recipient countries.
South African and Australian delegates, Shannon Paul, Bev McDavid, Gregg
King and Di McWhirter engaged
in preliminary discussions. Subsequently, these led to the launch of the
I*EARN Project, Operation First Byte.
At the Western Cape Schools Network
Conference in September, 1995, the International Programme Director of I*EARN,
Mr Ed Gragert, launched the project by
donating five modems to the recipiant schools on behalf of the Whalesong
Foundation, Australia, Broadford
Secondary College, Victoria, St
Hilda's School, Queensland, Cold
Spring Harbor High School, New York and I*EARN
International.
A further two modems have been donated on behalf of Duxbury, through Margaret
Dugmore, Micklefield, South Africa.
PROGRESS IN SOUTH AFRICA:
Members of the Western Cape School
Network WCSN formed a sub-committee to support the South Africa section
of Operation First Byte. Pupils of Pinehurst
Primary School in Cape Town applied to various businesses for sponsorship
of a modem to be donated to Cornflower Primary in Mitchell's Plain.
A local computer supplier, Mustek, donated a modem which was presented to
headmaster, Paul Hendricks, at the WCSN's September Internet and Educational
Computing Conference.
Each school which receives a modem under Operation First Byte, is supported
by a school in the Western Cape and twinned with the donor school, either
locally or overseas. Beside the moral and technical support, the support
school in South Africa pays the annual subscription to the WCSN and the
WCSN waives the joining fee for the organisation.
LAUNCH OF OPERATION FIRST BYTE IN AUSTRALIA
May 6 1996 was Launch Day for Operation First Byte in Australia.
At St Hilda's School, Queensland, Australia, Associate Professor Jeff Brand,
officially opened the Australian campaign. It coincided with press releases
to radio, television and newspapers over the following few days. Letters
were sent to identified local businesses on the Gold Coast, to parents of
St Hilda's students, to parents of their brother school, The Southport School,
to corporate institutions, banks and universities Australia-wide.
The St Hilda's Operation First Byte team will be following up with calls
to each destination over the next few weeks. At this stage, some interest
has been shown and it is hopeful that, as time progresses, they will have
much to report.
DONATIONS:
The success of Operation First Byte depends on donations. Taxations
benefits can apply though such a donation is not a taxation deduction unless
the computer or modem is used for business purposes.
The book value of superseded business computer hardware can normally be
written off for taxations purposes when physically disposed of. All donors
will be acknowledged.
WHAT IS REQUIRED:
Fast modems : 14.4 kbps or faster although the
WCSN would prefer 28.8 internal modems
386 or better PC or comparable Macintosh computers
Computer monitors
Printers
Financial donations
Transport assistance
The recipient schools have limited access to technical support, therefore,
the items donated must be in excellent working order.
All donations should be made via I*EARN
Australia or St Hilda's School,
Australia. In South Africa, the WCSN
will ensure that the equipment is working and that the modems are placed
in suitable schools. Where possible donations of equipment fall outside
the ambit of the WCSN's activities, they can be handled by the CSSA's Adopt
a School programme.
These institutions can be contacted at:
THE SELECTION PROCESS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Once the WCSN committee has assessed a school for suitability as a First
Byte school, further needs are then assessed. Financial donations to the
WCSN, a non-profit organisation run largely by volunteers are urgently needed
to give technical support to First Byte schools and to ensure that future
Operation First Byte Schools can be connected.
OPERATION FIRST BYTE - THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM
Bill Coppinger I*EARN Australia/Whalesong
Foundation Executive Director
Dr Jeff Brand Associate Professor Bond University, Queensland
Di McWhirter St Hilda's School,
Queensland - Project Co-ordinator
FIRST BYTE TEAM: ST HILDA'S SCHOOL
Kylie Pinchen
Kelly Stallman
Peta Abdul
Melanie Leitch
Prue Vincent
Carla Polsen
Belinda Lee
Planning and Preparation in Australia
In Queensland, Australia, St Hilda's School student editorial staff members
of the student newspaper, The Observer, under the leadership of their teacher,
Di McWhirter, began preparation for an Australia-wide marketing campaign
to heighten awareness of the needs of disadvantaged schools in South Africa
in order to encourage Australian companies and individuals to donate up-to-date
computer hardware and modems for use in the Western Cape Province of South
Africa.
Associate Professor, Dr Jeff Brand and Organisational Communication
students from Bond University have been working with the St Hilda's students
to produce the I*EARN Project Model.
Di McWhirter
Co-ordinator St Hilda's Observer/ Operation First Byte
St Hilda's School
P O Box 290
Southport 4215
Phone: 61 7 5532 4922 (School)
61 7 5573 6400 (Home)
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