[IAEP] Teaching with computers / Enseniando con Computadoras

[forster at ozonline.com.au]

Carlos,
you ask:
* Are we willing to take that risk waiting for Sugar or should we propose alternative solutions to the authorities?

* What is more important,  free software or the education of the children who are attending school today?

My answer is that we should consider alternative solutions and that children are more important than software.

I think in discussions on this list we should concentrate on solutions which are actionable by people on this list, otherwise its just 'letting off steam' but not making things better.

Alternatives to Sugar: Windows and the Mac OS are not options. Sugar and Gnome are. Sugar shares most of its code and some of its bugs with Gnome. I use both on the OLPC, neither is perfect, they both have advantages in different learning situations. Children should have access to both, but this is an issue for the deployments, not a useful topic to discuss on this list beyond noting that we think children should have both.

Paid software developers would be good, but this is not actionable by those on this list.

I do have a suggestion which is actionable by those on this list: bug fixes are more important than new features.

Tony
 
> David, Alan,
> 
> Thanks.  These two short messages,  clearly explain the problem about which we worry so much.
> 
> We couldn�t have asked for more authorized opinions.
> 
> The full development of free software,  until it reaches the stage in which most users can use it without problems,  takes lots of time.
> 
> In my modest opinion,  we have in Uruguay a fantastic opportunity that will not last forever.
> 
> The people and the government are still quite enthusiastic about Plan Ceibal.
> 
> This enthusiasm needs a constant flow of good news in terms of results,  to stay alive and strong.
> 
> All that has been invested to date,  all the good results we have already seen and are seeing every day,  are too much to risk losing.
> 
> So the question is
> 
> �Are we willing to take that risk waiting for Sugar or should we propose alternative solutions to the authorities?
> 
> �What is more important,  free software or the education of the children who are attending school today?
> 
> 
> Carlos Rabassa
> Volunteer
> Plan Ceibal Support Network
> Montevideo, Uruguay