[IAEP] Textbooks

[Edward Cherlin]

I talked with Alan Kay, Doug Engelbart, and a member of Creative
Commons (at the 40th anniversary celebration of Doug's Mother of all
Demos) about starting a project to create Free interactive electronic
textbooks. I have also discussed these ideas here, with FLOSS Manuals,
and with some people at OLE. We have reached the point where we can
propose a specific project to begin the transformation of educational
materials to make use of the available hardware and software
capabilities of the XO with Sugar.

The basic idea is to integrate Sugar software into lessons wherever
appropriate, and then integrate the textbooks into a new curriculum,
based on the much younger ages at which we will be able to teach
powerful ideas. This is not the programmed learning approach of much
Computer-Aided Instruction. We will on occasion explain something
directly, and we will use drill techniques in those limited areas
where it is effective, but we will focus on teaching children
effective methods of exploring each kind of subject matter. So we will
not teach science as a body of finished discoveries, but will teach
the process for discovering and testing new knowledge, in the same way
that we will not teach music appreciation, but performance and
composition, even improvisation.

There is a substantial body of material to draw on for creating these
new textbooks, but by no means enough to do more than make a
beginning. We must then enter an extended period of Continuous
Improvement, inviting teachers and students to correct errors and add
new techniques and new insights.

In order to start this textbook project, we need to organize a few things.

o A workspace, including at least mailing lists, Wiki, and repository
(including translation server). Earth Treasury is getting a server set
up, and would like to hear from volunteers.

o Partners. We have Sugar Labs and FLOSS Manuals. Doug Engelbart is
definitely interested. OLE has some projects using conventional
documents. Creative Commons ccLearn should be interested. I have
talked to individual teachers, education researchers, and
subject-matter experts who want to join in. The Tech Museum in San
Jose CA would like to be a laboratory for trying out our work before
the general public sees it, and would recruit from all of the schools
that send classes there on field trips.

o A library of existing curricula and textbooks, and possibly RFQs
from Ministries of Education, the UN, and elsewhere

o Funding, which should be a mixture of research grants and
development contracts.

o Staff and volunteers. We will need researchers, writers, developers,
and some office help, at least.

o What else?

-- 
Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name
And Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, The Truth my destination.
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/User:Mokurai