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From K12 Online

Hi Woodie,

Hope you have been well. We added my first child to our family--pics on mtorut.com. Amazing feeling being a father.

Things are coming together with EDUIT and its K-12 Education initiative. The scope of the project has become clearer and we been able to start assembling our strategic partners; they include, Fablevision, MITs Education Arcade and TVworldwide.com.

Let me provide an overview of what the project is now looking like. We feel there are four pieces we'll need to assemble in order flatten global learning. Simply: 1) an AV library of content 2) A tool to manipulate it 3) a play-learn system to hook the kids 4) (optional) a vehicle that will focus all their energy on the game. Below is a bit more detail:

1. Online video editing software -- We are calling this Wikitube. It will be open-source software. A excellent example is something like jumpcut.com (I think its about 30% of wikitube). Wikitube will allow a Chinese teacher to bookmark a segment of, oh let say, a PBS education video and easily do a voice-over and add Chinese characters to a "karaoke bar" to match the voice-over. But it's bit more then simple editing software. What it will also do is "bookmarks" chunks of hosted video. For example lets say you want to do an education piece on Hamlet's soliloquy "To be or not to be?" with Wikitube you would be able to have a educational piece showing every version of it ever performed. It would allow you to take a book on tape and add images to it and create your very own video. The key is it isn't creating separate recording its accessing the "bookmark" of the hosted piece. As the name " Wiki" implies, anyone will be able to view the archived videos and bookmark and make tight educational pieces that will plug into K12 Online and other applications. Wikitube will have a lot of additional neat functions. (Strategic partners include: identifying...)
2. Media Archive -- Where will ALL the educational videos be hosted that Wikitube will access? Here's were TVworldwide and EDUIT will work together to get access to all possible videos as far back as they go. We are calling this the EDUIT Media Project. We'll have to get partnerships with Discovery, BBC, PBS, etc... (Strategic partners include: TVworldwide)
3. Play-learn platform -- How do we get the kids off their play station, Nintendo DS, Xbox etc...? We do it by fighting fire with fire! We give them video games, but we tweak them so they are educational based and we throw in cool prizes, hands-on mentoring programs and all kinds of scholarships and trips for them to win. This aspect of the project is called K12 Online. It will be a very sophisticated piece of proprietary software. It will be able to detect kids that are above the norm, learn thier personality and more. It will allow learners to progress at their own pace and go as far as they like in math and science. The pilot will be in K-12 Math and Science education. (Strategic partners include: Fablevision and Educations Arcade, Marshall Islands)
4. Educational multi-touch tablet PCs (ancillary-currently being investigated for cost feasibility). We want to explore the feasibility to developing tablet PCs for K12 Online to run on. One Lap Top Per Child is distributing 100m laptops per year around the world. Many think the tool they have developed is inadequate for education. Getting PCs in the hands of kids isn't a solution when they cant read or write. K12 online will be 100% point-touch(click) system embedded around audio-video educational modules. Text, keyboard and mouse will be tertiary components. The ideal vehicle to deliver K12 online is maybe a 19" ergonomic, multi-touch "lap" tablet PC we are calling Teaching Tablets. Kids will sit them on their lap and play and learn. They will prohibit general access to the Internet unless unlocked by the parent/teacher. Our gaol, is NOT to get into the hardware business. We would instead seek to identify a maker and ask that $2 to be donated to EDUIT for every TT sold. (Strategic partners include: identifying. CTO identified)

Here's a strategic overview of the plan and how the pieces fit together.

Anyway, your 6 month advisory term is technically is up. I am hoping to secure your indefinite presence as an advisor or your interest to being on the EDUIT board.

Cheers,

Michael

PS> if you think of anyone I should talk be talking with please let me know. I am looking for inroads to google and or yahoo. -- thanks