[IAEP] [Sugar-devel] unique activities . . . for Oceania XO's, or other regions.

[Frederick Grose]

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 8:23 PM, Sean Linton <sean at lpnz.org> wrote:

> Hi
>
> I will look into creating a ticket. Thanks for your help most appreciated,
>
> As far as Sugar/OLPC is world wide, and the places the computers go to have
> their own pedagogies, have people encountered issues regarding the embedded
> pedagogy within this technology. The thing to remember maybe that OLPC also
> contains a learning environment which has its own consequences, which on one
> level is a neutral learning environment -  that assumes universal
> recognition of symbols and on screen aids.
>
> Even if the embedded pedagogy of OLPC is an experiential
> learning environment in itself this doesn't mean that an
> inherited pedagogy will begin to disappear (that 'social missions' are
> competing) maybe just that it is a sign of what can be expected, and needed
> to prepare children for growing into adults in the 21st century.
>
> One way these two backgrounds (or pedagogies) may complement each other,
> and I think OLPC and Sugar are already on the way to doing this is by trying
> to  balance creating a neutral learning platform and encouraging virtual
> learning environments. Virtual learning environments are powerful because
> they may contain cultural metaphors, however they can also feel limiting
> where the user is bound by what is already familiar. The strengths of a
> neutral learning environment include a sense that what is possible is not
> already defined. How broad do people think the metaphors contained with the
> activities should be? Can anyone relate to the metaphor as an effective way
> of making sense of a new experience, perhaps with a specific activity?
>
> Sean
>
>  On 4 February 2011 00:21, Aleksey Lim <alsroot at activitycentral.org>wrote:
>
>> On Thu, Feb 03, 2011 at 10:32:28PM +1300, Sean Linton wrote:
>> > Hi:
>> >
>> > One of the things I would like to know is that even at the current level
>> of
>> > deployment the OLPC project doesn't get attacked for eroding the
>> indigenous
>> > cultures of places when with some careful planning and insight it could
>> > contribute to the opposite. The sort of thing I am thinking about is for
>> > example where you have the TamTam activities, which have a pretty good
>> > representation of instruments from around the world built in to the
>> activity
>> > already, but at this stage are not tailored to different regional
>> > environments. I am thinking about the difference in using that program
>> for a
>> > child whose local music culture is represented by the program, and a
>> child
>> > whose musical instruments are not included in that program.
>> >
>> > At one level the activity is useful for either child - the first can see
>> > that his or her culture is part of this world wide project and that is
>> > really neat, and the second child is at least given the opportunity to
>> see
>> > what other instruments from around the world are like. So either way it
>> is
>> > an education for who ever is using it, but with out that renewal of the
>> > traditional instruments and the unique backgrounds (culture) being
>> brought
>> > into the light of this empowering technology I feel there is a danger
>> that
>> > the result is a monoculture. To counter this one other thing that I can
>> see
>> > being accomplished with the OLPC project is the ability to create audio
>> > content, and distribute it locally. In this situation although we don't
>> have
>> > 'place specific instruments' loaded as a part of the music iconography
>> of
>> > the OLPC, we at least have the ability to couple with community radio,
>> or
>> > other audio frameworks to promote locally generated content.
>> >
>> > One thing I have heard is that OLPC, in a way, creates this situation of
>> the
>> > 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Maybe you have heard this too? I think as
>> long
>> > as a focus of the project is making a contribution to building
>> communities
>> > through learning and networking the technology itself is less like a
>> piece
>> > of the pie and more like mixing dish.
>> >
>> >
>> > It would be great to see the Canadian
>> > 'drumbeats<http://www.olpccanada.com/content.php?id=12>'
>> > activity ported to all the places where the computers are, and that all
>> of
>> > those places could create their own version of that interface, drawing
>> on
>> > indigenous knowledge and experience of sound. However if for example
>> > 'drumbeats' is what makes OLPC in Canada unique, and that unique
>> identity is
>> > being expressed through this activity then it makes less sense to try
>> and do
>> > it in other places because that would be back to creating a sameness
>> which
>> > is contrary to the aim of renewal of indigenous music. My feeling is
>> that
>> > the identity created by 'drumbeats' is in the content and not in the
>> fact
>> > that it is unique to Canadian machines, and for that reason think it
>> would
>> > be great to see some more discussion on how to better equip this
>> technology
>> > to provide insights into more specific / less generic backgrounds.
>>
>> > It would be good to establish some more contacts who are on the same
>> page
>> > with this, I have also heard similar thoughts expressed by someone in
>> Nepal.
>>
>> In case of TamTam and Nepal, people provided images and sounds of some
>> Nepalese instruments, and they are in TamTam :)
>> The only step is needed - creating request on
>> http://bugs.sugarlabs.org/newticket?component=TamTam
>>
>> >
>> > all the best,
>> >
>> > Sean
>>
>

Aleksey
>
>
Reposting to  "It's an Education Project" (IAEP), where there might be
additional engagement on your questions.
                           --Fred
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