Project information
| Status | Finalist |
| URL | Go to website |
| Category | Education Lifelong and informal learning |
| Country | Italy |
| Operational areas | Urban |
| Target groups | Youth, Women, Men |
| Fixed connection | DSL, IDSN, Cable |
| Wireless connection | WiFi, GSM, CDMA, 3G , N/A |
| Access points | Business, Home, School, Library, Cafe |
| Interact | Desktop Computer, Cellphone, Laptop, PDA, N/A |
| Software License Types | Open Source, Proprietary |
Project location
Random images Challenge 2008
La mela di Newton
- Brief description
- La mela di Newton (Newton's apple) is an award-winning web site with scientific interests independently conceived and developed by Max in the year 2000, when he was 14 years old.
- Vision, Objectives and Goals
- The website aims to introduce current events, popular issues, information, and education topics with powerful Community and communication instruments. The mission is to use an original approach for presenting science and technology without having to lose strict precision.
The project has won several International Awards including the Pirelli International Award 2001 Junior section, the Global Junior Challenge 2002 Special Jury Prize, the Cable & Wireless Childnet Academy 2004 Individual section.
The next coming goal is to release an e-Learning section of the website dedicated to Math education with online interactive exercises, live visualization and manipulation of functions and topics ranging from high school to University, real world applications and science simulations; the way this will be implemented is something pretty unique in the world. Also coming is a an Audio and Video Podcast dedicated to science linked to an online Wiki. - How does ICT contribute to the organisational objectives
- The audio/video streaming and the interactive Community section, empowers the website to reach a large audience (particular attention is to support non-broadband users also) and to be part of new didactic processes involving active and multi-sensorial interactive participation, resulting in a much more effective education. In this regard.
Thanks to the Content Management Sytem, the Video On Demand framework and other open standards/technologies, users can reach and autonomously contribute to the website with almost any Internet-capable device available today.
Upcoming things that will make extensive use of advanced ICT techniques are: an e-Learning section dedicated to online interactive Math and Science, an Audio and Video Podcast dedicated to science linked to an online Wiki.
La mela di Newton staff communicates trough phone, VoIP, webchat, Instant Messaging and video conferencing using either a Java based client-server product from Marratech AB (now Google) or using Apple iChat server with the open Jabber protocol. Both products are used for text chat, audio chat, video chat and brainstorming/collaboration trough a shared whiteboard and/or the shared computer desktops. - Transferability
- It can be done, like me, by an individual. It can also be done by a small private group, organization or institution.
- Project summary
- The Science News section has articles going from neurosciences to physics and history of science.
The Multimedia section features video streaming of interviews, conferences and lectures.
The Libri section has several book reviews on science and history of science with the ability to purchase online the referenced book.
The Spazio prof section offers some insights on education and technology with articles published by teachers, professors and students.
The Computer section sports a minisite dedicated to the Apple Macintosh called La mela di Jobs (Jobs’ apple) www.lameladijobs.it, focusing on Professional, Educational and Enterprise deployments.
The Community is a place where users can discuss in the forum, meet experts in the chat, browse for hundreads of selected links on science and education in the Isaac directory and look for scientific events in the Special Events calendar. They can also vote in Polls, comment articles and other contents, subscribe to Newsletters and send content by themselves, using any browser, in almost every section of the website.
The gadget page is an online store where visitors can purchase tshirts, pins, mousepads, clocks and other gadgets sporting La mela di Newton mascot scientist “Isaac”.
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