[IAEP] The last Sugar XO

[Edward Cherlin]

On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 10:41, Yamandu Ploskonka <yamaplos at gmail.com> wrote:
> Yesterday I spent way too much time trying to figure out the different press
> articles and opinion pieces in the internet around the delivery of the
> "ceibalita" # 396.727, the "last" in Uruguay
>
> the main thing: Congratulations!

Indeed.

> the main thing: it's not enough
>
> It is clear that the LATU team headed by Ing. Brechner has done an almost
> incredible job, and even though there are excellent teachers there "giving
> us lessons" internationally, even though there are highly dedicated
> volunteers, the use of these machines in the classroom is not a solved
> matter.
> Even if the most extreme opinions (both ends) are fruit of political
> interests, it is getting more and more clear that there is a lot of work to
> be done to make the XOs really a useful feature of the classroom
>
> I say we need to focus on what is easy, to gain buy in by the majority of
> teachers
>
> when using the XO in class is easier for the teacher than giving class
> without the XO, we will have won

Then we know how to win. I am proposing a guide for teachers on how to
help students learn the XO, Sugar, and everything else with a minimum
of effort and a maximum of results. Then, as Brian Berry has pointed
out, we will need 10,000 topic modules with lesson plans, for every
school subject at every age, translated into more than 100 languages.
I have a plan for that, too, which I will tell you about later.

Let's start with the XO and Sugar. When we can get teachers and
students comfortable with all of the features of the XO and Sugar in
general, and with certain essential activities, we will be able to
turn them loose on the Internet on any topic consisting primarily of
information. The harder topics are skills such as math, the arts, and
languages, where it is not enough to know. You must be able to _do_.
But put that aside, for the moment, along with the learning modules.
Let us think about what is required to get basic understanding and
competence on an XO with Sugar.

I have been collecting the principal obstacles, which are listed at
http://wiki.sugarlabs.og/go/The_Undiscoverable. We need to think about
the order imposed by dependencies, and put together a sequence of
lessons covering all of these. I'm ready to get to it, and you are
welcome to join in.

> I may be wrong, and opinions are welcome
>
> meanwhile, my article
> http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/uruguay/last_xo_laptop_olpc_uruguay.html

Thanks. I've started reading it.
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>



-- 
Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://www.earthtreasury.org/