On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 9:04 PM, Yoshiki Ohshima <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There was been strong Etoys experiment going in Illinois, especially > at Columbia College and UIUC.
Excellent. Can you point us to some groups or individuals, or published documents, or whatever? > I don't know how much olpc-chicago > overlaps with that group, but it would be nice to be able to say that > "we already have been doing the test of (a part of) software long time > in the state." Indeed. Thanks. > -- Yoshiki > > At Tue, 8 Apr 2008 20:42:36 -0700, > > > Edward Cherlin wrote: > > > > On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 7:59 PM, Jameson Chema Quinn > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > This is fascinating. I would say that the first triaging you should do to > > > make this a reality for September is to reduce the number of grade levels > > > you target to an absolute minimum. More than 3 would be crazy, two is > > > better. > > > > This is presently set up to be the choice of the schools or school > > districts. But we can of course inform them of the resources currently > > available, and what might become available. > > > > > Possibilities: > > > 6/7: pros: 2/3 of the students in a junior high, yet you can count on > > > having most of them there for 2 or 3 years. cons: late grade = lots of > > > testing; jealous 8th graders. > > > > > > 3/4 or 4/5 : good ages, but not good saturation. > > > > > > 3/6 : good variety, more logistics. > > > > > > Once you decide this, a lot more will follow. > > > > I want to do K-2. The laptop works well for illiterate users. It has a > > minimum of text and a maximum of icons in the Sugar User Interface, > > and we will have literacy software built in. I also want to do 3-5, > > the ages where we know we can have the maximum impact with programming > > in Smalltalk. We will have to have the whole discussion, and not try > > to optimize beforehand. > > > > "Premature optimization is the root of all evil."--Donald Knuth, > > quoting C. A. R. Hoare > > > > > Also I had a link for you: http://www.ck12.org/ <-- just starting up but > has > > > some funding and possibly an inside track to getting more, trying to make > > > open-source textbooks attractive to public schools, worth giving them a > call > > > to see if they are interested in (ready to) collaborating with you. > Illinois > > > would definitely be a feather in their cap. You need all the help you can > > > get with can get with content. > > > > Excellent. They are just up the road from me. I'll go see them right away. > > > > > Good luck! > > > > > > Jameson > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 4:49 PM, Edward Cherlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I talked with Ryan Croke of Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn's > > > > office today. They are keen on this project, and would like to arrange > > > > for us to assist in getting the program designed for the best possible > > > > outcome. HB5000 is moving rapidly through the House, and will then go > > > > to the Senate, which is likely to turn it over to the Education > > > > Committee for public hearings. We should organize to bring our XOs and > > > > our children to Springfield for the hearings. > > > > > > > > Among the questions: > > > > > > > > Schools will be allowed to choose from among the available laptops. > > > > The program should capture the differences in outcomes between schools > > > > using different hardware and software, using appropriate measures LG > > > > Quinn's office agrees. Nicholas Negroponte is strongly opposed to > > > > "bake-offs", but the world doesn't work the way he wants. > > > > > > > > We need to work with the legislature, the Education authority, and > > > > with schools on appropriate integration of laptops into curricula, and > > > > provide at least draft versions of electronic textbooks on all > > > > requested subjects. Much of what we want to do has yet to be designed. > > > > In fact, the software that we want to build the textbooks on has in > > > > some major cases yet to be designed. How much can we promise for the > > > > start of the next school year in September? That depends very strongly > > > > on who steps up to do it. > > > > > > > > It is very important in pilot projects to do good experimental design > > > > before hand so that the results contain usable information, not merely > > > > data. We need to talk to people who know something about these issues, > > > > who also understand what we are trying to measure. > > > > > > > > What training can be put together for the summer before? We need to > > > > demonstrate the meaning and value of learning by doing through > > > > collaborative discovery, aka Constructionism. Then we need to provide > > > > the toolkit for teachers to apply it, and provide feedback mechanisms > > > > so that their experience and insights steadily improve the process. > > > > > > > > This program requires dedicated resources, and management, on our side > > > > and several others. That means that we need to look for funding. > > > > Anybody know a good grant writer? > > > > > > > > No Child Left Behind creates perverse incentives that can interfere > > > > with the program. Can we get waivers from the Federal Government for > > > > the trials? > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Edward Cherlin > > > > End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business > > > > http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ > > > > "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Library mailing list > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/library > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Edward Cherlin > > End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business > > http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ > > "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay > > _______________________________________________ > > Library mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/library > _______________________________________________ > Library mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/library > -- Edward Cherlin End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay _______________________________________________ Devel mailing list Devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel