[IAEP] [Sur] Teachers ask programmers / Maestros preguntan a Programadores

[Walter Bender]

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 8:33 AM, Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com> wrote:
> 2011/11/29 Carlos Rabassa <carnen at mac.com>:
>> Texto en Español sigue al texto en Inglés
>> While trying to improve my reflexes and mouse control,  playing this game
>>
>> http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf3/circle-the-cat.html
>
> A fun game.
>
>>
>> a question I heard from so many teachers over the past three years,  came
>> back to my mind once again:
>>
>> Why couldn´t all educational applications be as simple to use as this one?
>
> At least part of the problem is that some ideas are complex. That
> doesn't mean that the tools need to be needlessly complex, but
> sometimes too simple is a problem as well. Let's take Circle the Cat
> as an example. It would, IMHO, be a much richer learning experience if
> you could design your own rules for the cat. (I will include this
> feature when I make the Sugar version.) But that will lead to more
> complexity, undoubtedly.

I made a rough pass at an activity (used a turtle instead of a cat):

http://activities.sugarlabs.org/en-US/sugar/downloads/file/27763/turtle_in_a_pond-1.xo

The graphics need some work and I need to make it a but more obvious
how to customize the strategy, but you can write your own strategy for
the "turtle".

enjoy.

-walter
>
> -waltetr
>>
>> I didn´t have to buy it or install it.  I didn´t have to select among
>> several versions to choose the one suitable for my computer.
>> I was never able to answer this question.  Perhaps someone among you could
>> explain us what´s wrong with our reasoning.
>> I´m sure something is wrong.  Otherwise all applications would be as easy to
>> use as this one.
>> Please bear in mind I am writing from Uruguay where a very large number of
>> schools have their own server connected to internet.  Also there is a
>> program well under way to make sure every school child can connect to
>> internet either from home or from a 3-block radius from home.
>> Not being an expert,  I imagine programs like this one of the cat reside on
>> the server to which we connect to play.
>> This could open the competition to write applications to every programmer in
>> the world who has the required knowledge.
>> Teachers with ideas for good educational applications could write them
>> themselves or find a programmer willing to do it.  The teacher could select
>> the programmer without restricting the choice to those willing to work as
>> unpaid volunteers under the rules of SugarLabs.
>> This way,  educators,  the only experts in education,  would be the judges
>> of which applications have educational value.
>>
>>
>> Texto en Español
>> Mientras trataba de mejorar mis reflejos y control del ratón,  jugando este
>> juego
>>
>> http://www.members.shaw.ca/gf3/circle-the-cat.html
>>
>> volvió a mi mente una vez más, una pregunta que muchos maestros me hicieron
>> durante los últimos tres años:
>>
>> ¿Por qué todas las aplicaciones educacionales no pueden ser tan sencillas de
>> usar como esta?
>>
>> No tuve que comprarla o instalarla.  No tuve que elegir entre varias
>> versiones una adecuada a mi computadora.
>> Nunca pude contestar esta pregunta.  Tal vez alguno de ustedes pueda
>> explicarme la falla de mi razonamiento.
>> Estoy seguro algo está equivocado.  De lo contrario todas las aplicaciones
>> serían tan fáciles de usar como esta.
>> Por favor tengan en cuenta que estoy escribiendo desde Uruguay,  donde un
>> gran número de escuelas tienen su propio servidor conectado a internet.
>>  También hay un programa ya en etapa avanzada de implementación,  para
>> asegurar que todos los niños pueden conectarse a internet,  sea desde sus
>> casas o desde lugares a no más de tres cuadras de las mismas.
>> No siendo un experto,  imagino que los programas como este del gato,
>>  residen en el servidor al cual nos conectamos para jugar.
>> Esto podría abrir la competencia para escribir aplicaciones a cualquier
>> programador en el mundo,  que tenga los conocimientos necesarios.
>> Los maestros con ideas para buenas aplicaciones educacionales,  podrían
>> escribirlas ellos mismos o encontrar un programador dispuesto a hacerlo.  El
>> maestro podría seleccionar al programador sin restringir la búsqueda a
>> aquellos dispuestos a trabajar como voluntarios sin paga bajo las reglas de
>> SugarLabs.
>> En esta forma,  los educadores,  los únicos expertos en educación,  serían
>> los jueces para decidir que aplicaciones tienen valor educativo.
>> Carlos Rabassa
>> Volunteer
>> Plan Ceibal Support Network
>> Montevideo, Uruguay
>> www.tiny.cc/AprendoILearn
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Walter Bender
> Sugar Labs
> http://www.sugarlabs.org
>



-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org