[IAEP] Sugar Labs - Directions of Growth

[Caroline Meeks]

Yikes I meant to link to:

http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_on_a_Stick/TODO#Sugar_on_a_Stick_Improve_Deployability

Sorry

On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 10:36 PM, Caroline Meeks <caroline at solutiongrove.com
> wrote:

> Ok first pass at putting in more details here:
>
>
> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_on_a_Stick/TODO#Using_a_CD_helper_takes_a_lot_of_prep_time_before_and_after_class
>
> Please edit, add your ideas and links to previous discussions.
>
> Bill do you have details you can add about Collaboration issues?
>
> My next step is to try to figure out a next step on all of these :)
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Caroline Meeks <
> caroline at solutiongrove.com> wrote:
>
>> Yes, I need details. This list needs to go on a wiki page and I and others
>> need to gather all the tickets, wiki pages and other work that has already
>> been done as well as my evidence for why these things are problems. None of
>> this is new and most of them we have a theoretical idea of how to solve.
>>
>> Its on my todo list.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Caroline
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 9:55 AM, Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 8:54 AM, Caroline Meeks<solutiongrove at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > I'd like to build on this from the 100 ft level and Sugar on a Stick.
>>> >
>>> > I've been with kids this summer and when Sugar is working on the
>>> computer in
>>> > front of them the experience is great. Lots of learning, great
>>> engagement,
>>> > kids are willing to take on challenges.
>>> >
>>> > This fall I'd like to see lots of other people working with Sugar and
>>> small
>>> > groups of students.
>>> >
>>> > Based on my experiences this summer there are some technical/logistical
>>> > barriers I'd like to break down before I recruit teachers/parents/day
>>> care
>>> > workers to try Sugar on a Stick in group settings.
>>> >
>>> > Here are what I think the barriers are:
>>> >
>>> > Very hard to customize your spin and then copy it for a hundred kids.
>>>
>>> Can you break this down further? Are you suggesting it is hard to
>>> create a customized key? to replicate the key for 100s of children? or
>>> there is a need to customize keys per child? (a wholly new requirement
>>> AFAIK for which it would be useful to here a use case).
>>>
>>> > Sticks are dieing a lot! Like 1 or 2 every class.
>>>
>>> It would be helpful to see real data here. I certainly haven't seen
>>> these sorts of failure rates.
>>>
>>> > Backup and recovery
>>> > What is a reasonable expectation for the role of the XS in Sugar on a
>>> Stick
>>> > deployments in the next 6 months?
>>>
>>> If possible, we need a simple backup strategy independent of XS since
>>> the population of XSs will lag behind...
>>>
>>> > Collaboration is unreliable and thus frustrating.  Its working fairly
>>> well
>>> > in the wired network at the GPA lab, but no other use case seems to
>>> work
>>> > reliably.
>>>
>>> In fact, once we had properly configured the customization process not
>>> to mangle the public keys, collaboration at GPA seems to be quite
>>> reliable and not at all frustrating. There are some issues with
>>> workflow around sharing that is part of a separate discussion thread.
>>>
>>> Regarding wireless collaboration, we do need to better diagnose the
>>> various failure modes we have been seeing. But this has not been part
>>> of the SoaS pilot experience at GPA or LGF.
>>>
>>> > Using a CD helper take a lot of prep time before and after class. A
>>> floppy
>>> > helper would reduce it.  A VM solution might also reduce it.
>>>
>>> Some of this can be handled with better workflow. The CD can be
>>> rejected once the USB is booted, so it doesn't have to include a
>>> power-on / reject / power off cycle at the end of the class.
>>>
>>> > I'll try to expand on these in the next week and come up with a plan of
>>> > action for each.
>>> >
>>> > What are the other critical things we need to do in the next month or
>>> two
>>> > that will allow teachers/parents/daycare workers to try Sugar on a
>>> Sick?
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 6:17 PM, David Farning <dfarning at sugarlabs.org
>>> >
>>> > wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> Over the last couple of weeks we have been talking about how to grow
>>> Sugar
>>> >> Labs.
>>> >>
>>> >> Without looking at specific solutions, I would like to think about
>>> >> framing Sugar Labs growth in three directions:
>>> >> 1. Improve and stabilize the learning platform.
>>> >> 2. Grow towards the student.
>>> >> 3. Increase reach and impact.
>>> >>
>>> >> Growing in these directions will help Sugar Labs accomplish its
>>> >> mission.  But, hand in hand with growth we must think about how our
>>> >> structure as a community based projects affects that growth.
>>> >>
>>> >> The two most important factors driving growth in a community project
>>> are:
>>> >> 1.  A _product_ that is valuable enough for others to test, use, and
>>> >> improve.
>>> >> 2.  A _project_ that encourages users to test, use, improve, and
>>> >> participate in the project by sharing their improvements with the
>>> >> project.
>>> >>
>>> >> 'Users' is a wide term.  In the case of Sugar Labs, it can range from
>>> >> individuals, to companies, to national governments.  Anyone who takes
>>> >> a Sugar deliverable and builds on it to help someone learn is a user.
>>> >>
>>> >> To take a step back, we can think of adding value to Sugar Labs.  But,
>>> >> what is value? There are many definitions of value in a project such
>>> >> as Sugar Labs:
>>> >> Quality of code.
>>> >> Number of users.
>>> >> Number of headlines.
>>> >> Compliance to specific teaching pedagogies.
>>> >> ....
>>> >>
>>> >> The notion of  value that I tend to looks at, from a 50,000 feet, is
>>> >> 'How does Sugar Labs create a large pool of users -- who benefit
>>> >> enough from using Sugar -- that they, and others, are willing to
>>> >> invest in improving Sugar'?
>>> >>
>>> >> As a rough model we can think of value as Educational Excellence(X),
>>> >> Technical Excellence(Y) and Reach and Impact(Z).
>>> >>
>>> >> Growth towards educational excellence represents extending the core
>>> >> product towards the learner.  Possible steps include:
>>> >>
>>> >> Stable learning platform.
>>> >> Easy distribution mechanism -- the shift from ./configure; make; make
>>> >> to [rpm|apt-get] install .... was huge.
>>> >> Easy deployment process.
>>> >> Creation of base learning activities/content.
>>> >> Creation of specific learning curriculum to meet specific teaching
>>> needs.
>>> >>
>>> >> Going down this list, the groups involved involved tend to shift from
>>> >> developers to practicing educators.  We need to think of growing to
>>> >> include educators rather than crowding out developers.  As we move
>>> >> towards the right along the x-asis, each prior stage grows and
>>> >> improves along the y-axis
>>> >>
>>> >> In the larger context of adding value to the project, we can
>>> >> think of project visibility and desirability along the z-axis .  As
>>> >> the product grows towards the user and the quality of the product
>>> >> increases, the
>>> >> marketing team is able to increase the visibility and desirability
>>> >> (z-axis) of the product and project to more and more people.
>>> >>
>>> >> Another way to look at this, is to examine how a tree grows:)
>>> >>
>>> >> Tree growth is most easily measured in how much taller or wider the
>>> >> tree become as a result of linear grow of the trunk or branches. In
>>> >> addition to growing in length, new branches grow off of the trunk or
>>> >> existing branches.  As the length and number of the branches increase,
>>> >> the trunk and branches increase in width to provide both physical
>>> >> support and enough pores to transport water from the root to the
>>> >> leaves and transport energy from the leave to the roots.
>>> >>
>>> >> In this analogy, the length of the branches can represent market
>>> >> penetration.  Sugar must become useful enough to penetrate deeply into
>>> >> the learning occurring at individual schools.  As Sugar penetrates in
>>> >> to individual schools, those efforts can be "branched" to migrate
>>> >> sugar into additional schools.
>>> >>
>>> >> Finally, the education, deployment, development, and support teams
>>> >> must grow proportionally to support the deployments while pulling the
>>> >> ideas and
>>> >> improvements from the schools back up stream.
>>> >>
>>> >> david
>>> >> --
>>> >> David Farning
>>> >> Sugar Labs
>>> >> www.sugarlabs.org
>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> 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
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>> > IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>> > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>> >
>>>
>>> -walter
>>> --
>>> Walter Bender
>>> Sugar Labs
>>> http://www.sugarlabs.org
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> 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
>



-- 
Caroline Meeks
Solution Grove
Caroline at SolutionGrove.com

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