For those of you with an interest in developing countries and/or mobile applications, there are two wonderful initiatives that you can enter.
First of all (deadline 31 March 2010) building your own widget for Vodafone. If you sift through the categories, you will see that education does not yet have a widget app uploaded... so let us all jump on this possibility. Building widgets is a feasable endeavor if you are a bit comfortable with html and CSS. If you feel insecure, just go through this 'how to build a widget' manual. Even if you do not want to apply for one of the money prices (big money!), understanding how a widget can be build could help you with future educational techniques (it is like mash-ups, you just combine what you already use and combine it for an extra educational purpose: gps + twitter search => finding educators in your region).
If you really want to make a difference, enter the (nearing deadline) competition organized by the Worldbank for poor regions threatened by violence.
If you have field tested an educational pilot and you could see this benefiting a violent or poor region, upload it as a project to their competition: Innovation Fare: Moving beyond Conflict' that will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. Make sure you read the application guidelines thoroughly (a few of the submitted projects do not comply with the requirements and that is a pity).
Come on let's get great technology supported education on the map!
