[IAEP] http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Education_Team#Commentary

[Caroline Meeks]

On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 6:14 PM, David Farning <dfarning at sugarlabs.org>wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 4:43 PM, Caroline Meeks<solutiongrove at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > I think you are both right.
> > Dennis, I definitely agree that having older students from Middle and
> High
> > Schools going back to their elementary schools and helping to train
> teachers
> > is a great strategy.  We would love help in implementing that strategy.
>  We
> > are also talking about partnering with the National Center for Open
> Source
> > in Education (NCOSE) on this strategy. Definitely need help if this is
> where
> > you are passionate.
> > This year we would love to have Middle and High School computer and
> > community service clubs trying Sugar, creating videos, creating software,
> > working with elementary school students and their old teachers!
> > Dave, you are right too. We are no where near ready to be telling any
> > teacher that they HAVE TO or even SHOULD use Sugar.  We have tons of
> promise
> > but right now we should be working with those teachers who already see
> that
> > promise and want to partner with us to achieve it.
> > My strategy and goal is to have 100% of the kids 5-12 using Sugar at
> home,
> > in school and at out of school programs and day care.  That requires
> > significant teacher outreach, but not 100% of teachers.
>
> Ahhhh cool idea.  I was a bit worried when I saw an earlier post that
> you intended to to have a 100% participation rate at GPA.  Looking at
> _teacher_ participation in terms Pareto distribution, those last few
> teacher are going to be costly.
>
> But by looking at teachers, after school programs, daycare, and
> parents, it seems much more feasible to achieve 100% participation
> within a student population.
>

So far all the adults in the school we have talked to have been very
enthusiastic.

The GPA uses a team approach. Each grade level seems to have at least 6
adults, teachers, adults that work 10-6 for after care, reading and special
education specialists, interns, student teachers.  Also the Science teacher
handles science for all grades.  So 100% of students using Sugar for
learning will not require anywhere near 100% of the teachers.




>
> david
>
> > Thanks,
> > Caroline
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 4:52 PM, Dennis Daniels <dennisgdaniels at gmail.com
> >
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Great in theory but I've used Moodle for over three years in public
> >> and private schools.
> >>
> >> Teachers did not go to Moodle until the admins told them to(public
> >> school: hand tied/ private school: use Moodle or your fired). We had a
> >> teacher who fought using electronic attendance for a year! And the
> >> admin(public school) could do nothing about it.
> >>
> >> There are over 6.4 million teachers in the US (2004 census)... the
> >> number of Moodle users in the States?
> >>
> >> Teachers will not do anything differently unless admins and parents
> >> tell them to... and even then Unions will ride in and say, "That's not
> >> in the contract." I've seen it, I've heard it.
> >>
> >> To get change in the schools it is not going to come from the teachers.
> >>
> >> If SUGAR is going to work then it's going to come from the 'lucky'
> >> kids showing off their cool Sugar projects, parents hearing/seeing
> >> about it, going to the admins/ school boards, demanding change or
> >> taking their kids to 'better' schools.
> >>
> >> with regards,
> >> Dennis
> >>
> >> lost and found:
> >> +15047567321
> >> +18586833669
> >> GoogleTalk: dennisgdaniels
> >> skype : dennisdaniels
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> EOF
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 15:22, David Farning<dfarning at sugarlabs.org>
> wrote:
> >> > On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 2:50 PM, Dennis Daniels<
> dennisgdaniels at gmail.com>
> >> > wrote:
> >> >> It was suggested that I post a link to my commentary about Sugar and
> >> >> education to this list.
> >> >> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Education_Team#Commentary
> >> >>
> >> >> A quick poll before I go on... how many actively participating
> >> >> teachers on this list or the wiki? From what countries?
> >> >> --------
> >> >> The views expressed are my own and a byproduct of my energies to try
> >> >> and get teachers to incorporate computers into their curriculum for
> >> >> over four years. I built an LTSP lab sometime ago for my English
> >> >> class(I'm a certified English teacher in California.)
> >> >>
> >> >> That lab was an eye-opener for me.Though admins and parents and
> >> >> students loved what was happening in the class, the improved scores,
> >> >> the better writing, higher order thinking etc...  _Not a single
> >> >> teacher accepted my offer_ at my school, or any other!, to help them
> >> >> get their own computer lab running.  Admins couldn't convince OR
> force
> >> >> teachers to take what was free e.g. my offer to help build the LTSP
> >> >> labs.
> >> >>
> >> >> Sugar will get very little traction in schools without a seriously
> >> >> hard look at your biggest obstacle/opponent: the teachers.
> >> >
> >> > Moddle has a very effective method of dealing with reluctant teachers;
> >> > they don't worry about them!  Moodle works very hard to insure that
> >> > Moodle is effective even if only one teacher in a school uses it.
> >> > Then, they let the kids do the selling:)  If 25 kids successfully used
> >> > Moodle in the third grade, those 25 kids become 4th graders and bug
> >> > their new teachers to use Moodle.
> >> >
> >> > david
> >> >
> >> >> I need help in getting Sugar to be cool for kids and the easiest way
> >> >> _in my experience_ is to make it easy for kids to show off... make
> >> >> screencasting a FUNCTIONING and EASY to USE tool that can be launched
> >> >> from every activity.
> >> >>
> >> >> Please, if you're going to flame back, try to attack the argument
> (and
> >> >> parts of it may be flawed) and not me.
> >> >>
> >> >> thanks,
> >> >> Dennis
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
> >> >> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
> >> >> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
> >> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
> >> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
> >
> >
> > --
> > Caroline Meeks
> > Solution Grove
> > Caroline at SolutionGrove.com
> >
> > 617-500-3488 - Office
> > 505-213-3268 - Fax
> >
>



-- 
Caroline Meeks
Solution Grove
Caroline at SolutionGrove.com

617-500-3488 - Office
505-213-3268 - Fax
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