[Sugar-devel] activites known not to either work at all or not on certin platforms

[David Van Assche]

ok? I guess this will be contreversial but it must be said and acted
upon (much more importantly)

Im gonna try and make this easy:

SoaS - the latest fedora core based
I tried to impress my 9 year old gescwister... (related one)
Speak - it will not even launch.... why is it then on a disitributed stick?

ubuntu -
no read
no write
no jiggzawpuzzle
etoys
scratch
epathi
measure
anything tam tam based
until very recently even browse
pdf reader of any kind
measure
distance
slider
video chat
abc flower (thing doesnt even exist)

ok, that is about 50% of the failed testtube babies...


what is the solution:

we test the damn tings before release.... we do what greg
dekoenigsberg quite elegantly suggested. a 3 tier solution:

1. make an educator mailinglist.... we get every educator we know on
the list. We start off the discussion with what is really needed...
the simple stuff... the stuff u guru coders can whip up in days:
Examples:

1. typing tutor... all it should do is allow kids to follow whatever
the teacher is directing. speed of typing is recorded? accuracy; graph
based report; printable to parents... stars given to best pupils...

guys these are real world scenarios... not invented by devs.. asked
for by teachers qnd not surprisingly thinking why it does not yet
exist.

2 same for maths... times tables/division/addition/substraction....
groupings of kids, reports, printibale to both parents ant teachers...


2. (gdk) guys this is what teachers want... I reallly hate to say
this; but the stuff right now on sugar apart from speak, which when
working every teacher loves, is an absolute waste of educators time...
yes the activities can be properly used... but basics first! mailing
list to get the, involved; we mention the activities that we (welll
actually they) have come up with, we discuss very briefly;

3: (gdk)then make a moodle/wiki page where educators and devs get
together to create the tools that we actually need (the ones that will
really chqnge the world)

I hope no one takes this is as a critcism of the effort put into
creating activities till now; but people... lets frocus... lets sugar
mean something for teachers

David (nubae) Van Assche