[IAEP] [Sugar-devel] Deployment feedback braindump

[Tomeu Vizoso]

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 20:03, Martin Langhoff<martin.langhoff at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Daniel.,
>
> excellent post - skipping to the "let's make it deployable" part, I
> have to say I agree with all you say. - Some comments below
>
> On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Daniel Drake<dsd at laptop.org> wrote:
>> Secondly, this just won't work for deployments in general. Deployments
>> are really difficult. You don't have enough people, so everyone is
>
> Yes. I am looking now at all the barriers to a deployment team, and to
> teachers in a crowded classroom. My mantra going forward is going to
> be:
>
>  - am I knocking down a barrier to deploymeny?
>  - am I simplifying teacher's life in the classroom?
>  - am I giving an average 6~8 year-old a better learning opportunity?
>  - am I significantly cutting the learning curve?
>
> If it's not in very concrete terms on that list, then skip to the next task :-)
>
>> In many of these places it is really difficult to find
>> people with the required computing skillsets, and even if they exist
>> they aren't likely to accept the piddly salary offered by your
>> cash-strapped NGO or govt organisation.
>
> Yes.
>
>> *really* challenging them (and sometimes, excluding them).
>
> Most of thetime - excluding them.
>
> ...
>> Now moving onto some things more directly related to deployment
>> experience. As I stated in my questions above, I'm not sure, but I'm
>> really hoping that sugar is just as dedicated as it always was to
>> provide a really really simple UI for 6 year old children. Everything
>> is so much harder in a classroom, and every small problem encountered
>> causes significant disruption.
>
> Yes. Even if 1 XO doesn't work or one child gets "lost" in a process,
> it distracts ~4 users, because humans are social, and the chatter of
> "won't work for me" stops progress. It only takes around 5% of users
> having minor trouble to get 50% of the class distracted.
>
> And at that point you have to give up on the XOs and turn to the blackboard.
>
> Every little obstacle counts.
>
>> How about the first boot experience - typing in your name and choosing
>> colours? (...)
>
> Sugar 0.84 makes that into every activity... it won't save unless you
> give it a name for the document.

Just in case it isn't known, you don't really have to give a name, you
can just click the Keep button or press the return key.

> Can we disable that? Maybe not in the
> official SoaS but can there be a knob somewhere to revert it?

Entered a ticket about it: http://dev.sugarlabs.org/ticket/1156

If you think this is important for deployments and make the case
clear, there's good chances someone will volunteer to write a patch.

Thanks,

Tomeu

>> We've all heard the problems of children deleting activities by now.
>> I've also seen kids click the "disable wireless" box and then wonder
>> why they can't get online. I think that this highlights 2 things --
>
> That's been added for G1G1 and power user / developer userbase -
>
>> Simplifying the user experience is *key* -- sugar has already taken
>> many leaps in this area, let's keep this as a high priority, and make
>> sure that this is communicated.
>
> Can I propose Daniel for president?
>
> ...
>
>> Sugar is obviously geared to constructionist learning which is
>> generally carried out differently from normal learning using books,
>
> Actually, having books is crucial for social constructionism too --
> read it as much as your curioisity drives you to, revisit it as often
> as you like. And then do the social things you'll naturally do with
> what you discovered...
>
> In short, listen to the man.
>
>
>
>
> m
> --
>  martin.langhoff at gmail.com
>  martin at laptop.org -- School Server Architect
>  - ask interesting questions
>  - don't get distracted with shiny stuff  - working code first
>  - http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Martinlanghoff
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