[Sugar-devel] [IAEP] Sugar Digest 2012-09-18

[Kevin Mark]

--- On Wed, 9/19/12, S. Daniel Francis <francis at sugarlabs.org> wrote:

> From: S. Daniel Francis <francis at sugarlabs.org>
> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [Sugar-devel] Sugar Digest 2012-09-18
> To: "Kevin Mark" <kevin.mark at verizon.net>
> Cc: "James Simmons" <nicestep at gmail.com>, "iaep" <iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org>, "Sugar-dev Devel" <sugar-devel at lists.sugarlabs.org>, community-news at lists.sugarlabs.org
> Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 11:27 PM
> Hi Kevin,
> 
> 2012/9/19 Kevin Mark <kevin.mark at verizon.net>:
> > Hearing from the kids who are making Sugar activities
> and more contributions, I'm really wanting to
> > know what teaching environment made this possible?
> 
> Summing my case all the cases I listened about, we usually
> learn by our self.
> Thinking about why Sugar, well, we could make desktop
> applications,
> but a free and decent way to share a program is difficult to
> find and
> there's not always a community where we can share what we
> make.

While I can't speak for Sugar Labs, this sound like a very good problems to address. "Scratch" has a website to 'upload' its programs. I would really love to see a way to help young sugar activity hacker have a place for them to 'hack' on their games/activities. Maybe Activities.sugarlabs.org or some website in .uy? And maybe a forum? (I'm not someone to do this sadly but would think that the very capable people around the sugar community would find this idea motivating)

>  Also I
> think Sugar needs activities, unlike desktops, where
> practically all
> is already made.
> 
> Just Edward suggested us to tell our stories, but at the
> moment I'll
> not get into many details and only answer your questions.
> 
> > Are there activity hacking classes?
> In Uruguay there is only one activity hacking teacher:
> Flavio Danesse.

OH wow. I have recently started to 'hack' on JAMedia and JAMediaTube. So I know his work. I wonder if making videos of his lecture would be something he could do and the kids could watch?

> He is an IT teacher, and every year he organizes a workshop
> where he
> teaches volunteer students to program in Python. The group
> "Python
> Joven", in English "Young Python"..

If you and others can make 'clubs' in your area, that would be great, maybe they can setup a web 'forum' for everyone to exchange ideas.


> 
> Currently, his students contributing here are Agustin
> Zubiaga and
> Cristhofer Travieso, they told me about another student who
> develops
> applications for Android.
> 
> > Is this kind of experimentation part of a turtleart
> class?
> For my part I can say "yes and no"... When I received my XO
> with Sugar
> I liked very much TurtleArt, but the teachers don't teach it
> very
> often, I had to look for documentation.

Oh, that is sad, I'm surprised to read that.


> 
> >Have kids 'goggled' about programming on their own time
> and wanted to know about programming?
> Now you are right, I learn practically all 'googling'.
> Flavio's
> students told me they also learn(ed) a big part of what they
> know
> searching and investigating by them self.
> I think it's better because we can learn what we are
> interested in,
> also if it's not related with Sugar.

yes that is true. learning what you want (being an auto-didact) is powerful.

> 
> > Are there computer programming classes and teachers
> that have assignments that ask the kids to explore?
> 
> Programming is not often a subject at the school.
> I know about optional workshops, like Flavio's. My parents
> are
> teachers, and about three-four years ago, when I was ten
> years old, I
> used to go to the highschool where my parents worked and I
> listened to
> a workshop about web design (basic HTML development) and
> graphic
> design (with GIMP). That workshop was not a way to get
> young
> programmers, but it removed me the fear of seeing a source
> code as
> something strange or made for be understood by non-human
> people.

Yes, many people have a fear of this 'scary' stuff. It something everyone who wants to learn about programming has to face. Turtleart and Scratch was suppose to help.

> 
> Cheers.
> ~danielf
> 
> P.S: Sorry, I don't speak English very well.

Thanks you very much for your answers. I think you write English very well!
-Kevin aka kevix