[Its.an.education.project] Further training

[Josue Freitas]

Microsoft if planning to release a game for Xbox 360.

Boku: Lightweight Programming for Kids
Matthew MacLaurin, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Research, Redmond

Boku uses a novel, high-level programming paradigm within a 3-D gaming world
on the Xbox 360R to introduce children to creative use of the computer.
Boku's programming model is extremely simple as it does not use a textual
language or wiring diagrams. Kids use simple behavior cards to enable a
small virtual robot to navigate its world and achieve specific tasks. The
goal is to provide a gentle introduction to some of the foundational
elements of creative programming to children who may not yet be ready for
the complexity of classical computer languages. The user is exposed to
behavior arbitration, generality, representation of an abstract state,
real-time experimentation and feedback, simulation, sensors, physics, and
message passing. The programming environment is integrated in an attractive
gaming world and controlled entirely via an Xbox 360 game controller.

http://research.microsoft.com/aboutmsr/techfair/default.aspx#Boku


> -----Original Message-----
> From: its.an.education.project-bounces at tema.lo-res.org 
> [mailto:its.an.education.project-bounces at tema.lo-res.org] On 
> Behalf Of Edward Cherlin
> Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 2:19 AM
> To: Bryan Berry; its.an.education.project at tema.lo-res.org
> Subject: [Its.an.education.project] Further training
> 
> To what extent have you taught the Nepalese teachers about 
> using programming exercises in lessons? This can be done in 
> many ways, and I have some knowledge of the literature and 
> researchers in this area.
> Others in the OLPC community presumably know more than I do about it.
> 
> The basic technique for introducing programming is to have 
> programs that are interesting to use, but simple enough so 
> that children can make small changes to get interesting 
> behavior. This is known to work in third grade, and I 
> conjecture that we can move it to earlier grades using 
> appropriate cases. In fact, I believe that pre-literate 
> children could be introduced to iconic graphical programming 
> systems based on appropriate research. Does anybody know of 
> research on such a system?
> 
> --
> 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 
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