Nikhil Nambiar of SPACE addressed a seminar on the topic, "Free Software: Birth, Evolution and Why We Exist" at Insight -2013, a national level IT Fest organised jointly by the Department of Computer Science, University of Calicut and Centre for Computer Science & Information Technology on 20 March 2013, at Calicut University Campus.
SPACE made a presentation at the one day Malayalam Computing workshop jointly organised by Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University and Kerala State IT Mission on February 8 2013, at Padmam Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram. Mr Rijoy V from SPACE spoke about the need for a concerted but interdisciplinary research initiative for making Malayalam more web compliant.
20 PG students led by Dr. Nazeer, Social Scientist, Psychiatry Department of Medical College Thiruvananthapuram visited Insight centre at Murinjapalam as a part of their commmunity work on 31 January 2013. Mr. Arun M, Executive Director of SPACE briefed them about the objectives of Insight and also about the free software used in the centre. Mrs Nila, explained the activities carried out at the centre. The visitors learned first hand how individualised educational plans are carried out for each child at the centre and the methods and approaches of the teachers.
Training was organised for the teachers of the Vazhuthacaud based Rotary Institute for Children in Need of Special Care at Insight centre, Murinjapalam on 18 January 2013. The trainees were Mrs. Renuka V.S., Mrs. Jino P.Jose and Mrs. Rani. Five sessions were were held as part of the training. In the first session, Mrs. Lethi gave an introduction to free software used at the centre and explained all the activities in GCompris. The second session was handled by Mrs. Kavitha and she covered Childsplay and PysyCache. Mrs. Sulekha dealt with KLettres, Tux typing and Tux Math. Mrs. Shilpa demonstrated the activities in starfall.com and Jacobs lesson.
In the second phase of the training for students at the Community Agrobiodiversity Centre, Kalpetta, held on 12- 13 January 2013, document creation, malayalam typing, image capturing etc., were explained. After this programme, the students are expected to conduct study on the bio-diversity, rituals and traditions of their native land and later record them using ICTs.
SPACE conducted a two day workshop on “ICT for Children with Special needs” at the Dept. of Rehabilitation Science and Special Education, Holy Cross College, Tiruchirappalli on 10th & 11th January 2013. Around 20 post graduate students from the department attended the programme.
Mr. Rijoy and Mr. Deepuraj from SPACE introduced and explained ICT tools in free software which are used by the visually challenged and autistic students.
SPACE and IIITM-K jointly organised a training workshop on Alfresco Document Management System on 2 January 2013 at IIITM-K Lab, Technopark. The resource person Mr. Joseph John, an engineer based in the UAE, is a promoter of free and open source tools.
SPACE made a presentation on “Assistive technologies for the visually challenged” at the 45th annual conference of Kerala Federation of the Blind. Mr Rijoy from SPACE talked about the latest free software based ICT technologies for the visually challenged. Android based mobile applications caught the special attention of the participants. The seminar was held at College of Commerce, Kannur on 30 December 2012. The conference was inaugurated by Mr. K. Sudhakaran, Member of Parliament at Jubilee Hall, Kannur. More than hundred visually challenged people from various districts of Kerala attended the session.
64 students selected by Community Agrobiodiversity Centre, Kalpatta received training in ICT tools during workshops held between 27 to 30 December 2012. For purposes of convenience, the participants were divided into two groups of 30 and 34 students based on their age.
SPACE programme for setting up rural information, technology and documentation centres has been extended to Wayanad through Community Agrobiodiversity Centre of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The centre will spearhead activities to document and preserve the traditional knowledge and cultural heritage of the tribes of Wayanad and also explore other possibilities that ICT offers.
