On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Sean Linton <s...@lpnz.org> wrote: > Hi > > I will look into creating a ticket. Thanks for your help most appreciated, > > As far as Sugar/OLPC is world wide, and the places the computers go to have > their own pedagogies, have people encountered issues regarding the embedded > pedagogy within this technology. The thing to remember maybe that OLPC also > contains a learning environment which has its own consequences, which on one > level is a neutral learning environment - that assumes universal > recognition of symbols and on screen aids. > > Even if the embedded pedagogy of OLPC is an experiential > learning environment in itself this doesn't mean that an > inherited pedagogy will begin to disappear (that 'social missions' are > competing) maybe just that it is a sign of what can be expected, and needed > to prepare children for growing into adults in the 21st century. > > One way these two backgrounds (or pedagogies) may complement each other, > and I think OLPC and Sugar are already on the way to doing this is by trying > to balance creating a neutral learning platform and encouraging virtual > learning environments. Virtual learning environments are powerful because > they may contain cultural metaphors, however they can also feel limiting > where the user is bound by what is already familiar. The strengths of a > neutral learning environment include a sense that what is possible is not > already defined. How broad do people think the metaphors contained with the > activities should be? Can anyone relate to the metaphor as an effective way > of making sense of a new experience, perhaps with a specific activity? > > Sean > > On 4 February 2011 00:21, Aleksey Lim <alsr...@activitycentral.org>wrote: > >> On Thu, Feb 03, 2011 at 10:32:28PM +1300, Sean Linton wrote: >> > Hi: >> > >> > One of the things I would like to know is that even at the current level >> of >> > deployment the OLPC project doesn't get attacked for eroding the >> indigenous >> > cultures of places when with some careful planning and insight it could >> > contribute to the opposite. The sort of thing I am thinking about is for >> > example where you have the TamTam activities, which have a pretty good >> > representation of instruments from around the world built in to the >> activity >> > already, but at this stage are not tailored to different regional >> > environments. I am thinking about the difference in using that program >> for a >> > child whose local music culture is represented by the program, and a >> child >> > whose musical instruments are not included in that program. >> > >> > At one level the activity is useful for either child - the first can see >> > that his or her culture is part of this world wide project and that is >> > really neat, and the second child is at least given the opportunity to >> see >> > what other instruments from around the world are like. So either way it >> is >> > an education for who ever is using it, but with out that renewal of the >> > traditional instruments and the unique backgrounds (culture) being >> brought >> > into the light of this empowering technology I feel there is a danger >> that >> > the result is a monoculture. To counter this one other thing that I can >> see >> > being accomplished with the OLPC project is the ability to create audio >> > content, and distribute it locally. In this situation although we don't >> have >> > 'place specific instruments' loaded as a part of the music iconography >> of >> > the OLPC, we at least have the ability to couple with community radio, >> or >> > other audio frameworks to promote locally generated content. >> > >> > One thing I have heard is that OLPC, in a way, creates this situation of >> the >> > 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Maybe you have heard this too? I think as >> long >> > as a focus of the project is making a contribution to building >> communities >> > through learning and networking the technology itself is less like a >> piece >> > of the pie and more like mixing dish. >> > >> > >> > It would be great to see the Canadian >> > 'drumbeats<http://www.olpccanada.com/content.php?id=12>' >> > activity ported to all the places where the computers are, and that all >> of >> > those places could create their own version of that interface, drawing >> on >> > indigenous knowledge and experience of sound. However if for example >> > 'drumbeats' is what makes OLPC in Canada unique, and that unique >> identity is >> > being expressed through this activity then it makes less sense to try >> and do >> > it in other places because that would be back to creating a sameness >> which >> > is contrary to the aim of renewal of indigenous music. My feeling is >> that >> > the identity created by 'drumbeats' is in the content and not in the >> fact >> > that it is unique to Canadian machines, and for that reason think it >> would >> > be great to see some more discussion on how to better equip this >> technology >> > to provide insights into more specific / less generic backgrounds. >> >> > It would be good to establish some more contacts who are on the same >> page >> > with this, I have also heard similar thoughts expressed by someone in >> Nepal. >> >> In case of TamTam and Nepal, people provided images and sounds of some >> Nepalese instruments, and they are in TamTam :) >> The only step is needed - creating request on >> http://bugs.sugarlabs.org/newticket?component=TamTam >> >> > >> > all the best, >> > >> > Sean >> >
Aleksey > > Reposting to "It's an Education Project" (IAEP), where there might be additional engagement on your questions. --Fred
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