[sugar] naming

[Martin Sevior]

On Wed, 2008-10-08 at 18:06 -0400, Yamandu Ploskonka wrote:
> <snip>
> >  I hope that this naming
> > problem (lack of naming, lack of tagging, laborious naming process,
> > poor default names, buggy name updates, etc.) can be nearly if not
> > completely cleared up in the next major release.
> >
> > - Eben
> >   
> 
> I appreciate your agreement as to easier to use alternatives.
> 
> I am afraid that part (or the origin?) of the naming/tagging problem is 
> philosophical / ideological / aesthetic.
> 
> There is a major current of "icons only" confectioners :-), folks who 
> believe the typical user  is illiterate, that cannot read text 
> accompanying the icons, i.e pre-schoolers.  Or they suppose localization 
> will be easier, as icons don't need translation?  Or is it just the look 
> of the thing overriding its use?
> 
> Then there's those of us who believe in usability and shout "fertilizer" 
> to cutesy-pooh post-modern fashion statements that block actual 
> results.  (oh my, I will be tagged for flaming...)
> 
> Anyway, another one:  a NEED (yes, I mean to shout it) is that 'file' 
> names or whatever you call them BY DEFAULT carry the author / child / 
> machine ID, so that when that file ends up in the teacher's machine, he 
> can figure out which one of the 35 'Write Activity' that were submitted 
> is Roberto's. 
> 
> Now, this is one of the serious, serious missing links when it comes to 
> using the XOs for actual schoolwork.  Teachers assign homework.  Kids do 
> it.  In a contemporary-ideal setup :-( these pieces of work are sent to 
> the teacher for evaluation.  This has maybe a 50-50 chance of working if 
> the teacher can follow up and figure who's who.  Otherwise, it will 
> never fly.  (oh yes, the /untrained/ teacher could train kids to name 
> and tag files)
> 
> Yes yes, in an _ideal_ world teachers do not evaluate schoolwork...
> 
> Another religious issue there, should XOs be used for contemporary 
> schoolwork?
> 

While we could certainly do this automatically via metadata tags, from
an Educational point of view, what is wrong with students putting their
name to to their work?

ie.  "The Purpose of Humankind"
      Martin Sevior, Grade 3E

?


> Yama