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Das Pinguin Café wird erstmals als Kinder- und Jugendoase bei “LinuxTag” 2008 in Berlin unter dem Funkturm vom 28. bis 31.Mai präsent sein. Aus der Idee geboren einerseits eine Kinderbetreuung für Besucherfamilien auf der Softwaremesse anzubieten, die es Etlern erlaubt ungestört ihren Interessen zu folgen, und andererseits den pädagogisch wertvollen Seiten der Open-Source-Software eine Plattform zu geben und diese in der Benutzung durch Kinder unter Beweis zu stellen. Im Vordergrund steht das Selber-Machen, Learning-by-doing.

Viele Eltern und Erziehende sind verunsichert bezüglich der Mediennutzung ihrer Kinder. Häufig ist diese auf kommerzielle Spiele einseitig ausgerichtet. Hauptgrund hierfür sehen die Erfinder des Pinguin Cafés im Mangel an Information über das Angebot von PC-Software für Kinder.

Dabei begeistern sich gerade Jüngere für Programme mit kreativem Potenzial wie Tuxpaint und ähnliches und finden sich aufgrund ihres intuitiven Zugangs schnell ohne viel Hilfestellung mit diesen zurecht. Die Tux-Software zeichnet sich durch attraktive Oberflächen und einfache Nutzung, aber auch durch Veränderbarkeit im Code aus und weist damit den Weg in Informatik und Programmieren.

Die Medienpädagogen M.Dow und L.Brass, die 2004 das Open-Learning Centre Blue Crane in East Londen, Südafrika, gründeten, bringen hier ihre jahrelange Erfahrung in der Medienarbeit mit Kindern ein. Nach der Initialzündung durch Lust an der Sache und der Selbstbestimmung des Inhalts steht die Weitergabe von Fähig- und Fertigkeiten sowie Wissen von Kindern an Kinder, was partnerschaftliche Kooperation von allen Beteiligten erfordert und so soziale Kompetenzen fördert. Das Lernen mit dem PC wird zum Selbstläufer.

Das der Wissensgesellschaft auf den Leib geschriebene “Klassenzimmer der Zukunft” in die Gegenwart geholt und erfahrbar gemacht, auch dies steckt im Pinguin Café.

Nach LinuxTag wird das Pinguin Café in permanente Räume umziehen. Augenblicklich konzentriert sich die Suche nach einem geeigneten Ort auf die Stadtteile Neukölln und Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Mit Sicherheit wird die Nachbarschaft von den oben genannten Eigenschaften eines solchen Ortes der Begegnung mit den neuen Medien profitieren.

 

 

The first Penguin Café will be at LinuxTag 2008, from the 28th to the 31st May, as an area designed for the younger visitors. Coming from an idea to provide a place where children can occupy themselves while the adults attend the more esoteric aspects of the fair, and a platform for the breath of perhaps more unknown, pedagogic and Open Source software developments, including unusual and new hardware available for children and education.

Penguin Café supports learning by doing. From playing with and getting to know what LegoMindstorms and EEEPC's can do, to using a Wii whiteboard and what is TuxPaint and Audacity and why are they fun?

Parents and educators alike are known to express concern regarding children and media. Much of the concern centers around commercial computer games. Penguin Café aims to provide information on the diverse software available for creative use that is free and supported by the open source community. Pointing out that there is more to computer games than just being a consumer. Even while younger children are attracted to, say the easy interface of the graphics program TuxPaint, when it is understood that it is open source and open to addition, this leads to children thinking about ICT and programming in a way that applies to their interests. It's one thing to play a game, another to invent one. One cannot invent a game unless one knows what a game is, and one can't know a good game unless one has experienced bad games. It is the experience that counts and experience is what Pinguin Cafe provides.

The project managers; Louise Brass and Malcolm Dow, have been working with children and media technology for the last 10 years, most recently in East London, South Africa with the BlueCraneMedia youth empowerment project, and have learned that a great deal can be effectively achieved by self led learning and the exchange of knowledge between children. The learning environment has to be fun, and they see Penguin Café with its technological and social aspects as being a 'classroom' of the future.

After LinuxTag Penguin Café will source permanent locations, concentrating on the Neukoelln and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg areas of Berlin, with a view to benefiting the local learning community with the concept and resource.

 

 

 

The question of the Pinguin Taxi, based on Lego MindStorm, Lego and MindStorm provided by



and

Interaction /SelfHelp
HelpYourself

Nobody had seen these EeePC's before, never mind Linux. There was no handbook provided.
But with the interaction, nothing was a problem.

 

...meanwhile in the corner... looks like fun

These are crayons, quite edible, as is the TIP, all very Bio, but not recomended as a diet.

Rock Solid - Heart Touching

So say ASUS.

They are right.

It was
heart touching
when the baby pulled the cable, because she wanted to play too,
and crashed an EeePC from the table to a wooden floor,
it wasn't marked.
It didn't seem to notice.
Rock Solid.

I wouldn't recommend it at home, but it would seem you can get away with it.

Early days at LinuxTag, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the kids are in school, so we had the older kids. Which was also interesting.

Paul,on the far right, was so enchanted with the EeePC's he was talking about placing an immediate order of 18,000.
Who says these trade fairs don't generate business. OLPC was there too, but he went for the EeePC.

More about that later...

Tuning the Pinguin Taxi...

Tuning the Pinguin Cafe...

Pinguin Cafe is a a
bluecrane project
in cooperation with
"Stichting alternatieve leervormen"

contact the Pinguin Café - pinguincafe[at]gmail.com

(+) 49 151 100 939 95

Supported since 2000 by UKHOSTS

Penguins and Linux sound system from

The next Pinguin Cafe will be at

Die IFA ist die weltweit wichtigste Publikums- und Ordermesse für Consumer Electronics. Auf diesem einzigartigen Business-Event präsentieren sich alle bedeutenden Marken der Consumer Electronics. Als Schaufenster für Innovationen und zukunftweisenden Technologien - ergänzt durch ein spektakuläres Entertainment-Programm - zieht die IFA jährlich tausende von Besuchern aus aller Welt in ihren Bann.

The IFA in Berlin is the world’s leading trade show for the general public and the CE industry’s number one venue for doing business. All of the major Consumer Electronics brands present themselves at this unique business event. A showcase for innovation and the technology of tomorrow – coupled with a spectacular programme of entertainment events –IFA fascinates yearly thousands of visitors from around the world.

See you there!

Pinguin Cafe aims to present to children (and adults!) innovative, inspirational and educational products, instead of the glorified packaging that passes as 'toys' so often. Designed to be trashed, not built. Pinguin Cafe also promotes the use of interactive computer technology; program the media, don't let it program you!

We think children should be presented with the best quality products so they know what they are missing most of the time. Better have a set of Stockmar crayons that are rich in colour and have a philosophy behind them, than a set of faded brittle rubbish guaranteeing to disappoint the youngest artist.

Better a high speed large capacity computer running a state-of-the-art operating system than a third hand Pentium 2 running Win98.

Better still, an ASUS EeePC!

If you would like to support Pinguin Cafe with your product or service please contact us.

Pinguin Cafe is an SAL-BlueCrane project with charitable status.

BlueCrane & PinguinCafe are supported by: