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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Tabitha,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>i very much appreciate your feedback on the FileMix
activity. Actually, two of the four options in FileMix require only the ASCII
keyboard, not a MIDI controller. (This is the same in my other two activities,
Our Music and SunMoonMusic.) The MIDI versions give better results and are much
more intuitive to use, however.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Regarding your other observations, I am certainly
guilty as charged. I'm well aware that most activities (understandably) use a
minimum of on-screen text. (Though my other activities are not as extreme as
FileMix, they too are text-intensive.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In these cases, I think the explanations are
required; without them, there is no sound - only frustration. Clearly, FileMix,
in particular, is appropriate only for older children.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>All three activities are specified as being
English-language only. This is surely a crucial limitation. I accepted this
limitation as text (individual words) is closely related to visual
display and screen layout, both vertically and horizontally.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I have two redeeming thoughts about this personal
decision:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>1) English is widely used as a second
language;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>2) Text instructions can hopefully be explained by
the teacher, and once grasped, can readily be absorbed and internalized by
students. From that point, the students can be creative and explore the limits
on their own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>A final observation: Though young learners
(including my granddaughter, aged 9) take well to graphics and unbridled
creative activity, as an *adult* (read: senior citizen) learner, I much
appreciate instructions and some guidance to keep me from despair and
frustration.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As an example: it is clearly indicated (via text)
in FileMix which of the four options require MIDI controller and which don't. If
this info *weren't* immediately available to the user, one would *certainly*
abandon the activity.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Art Hunkins</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tabitha@tabitha.net.nz href="mailto:tabitha@tabitha.net.nz">Tabitha
Roder</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=olpc-nz@lists.laptop.org
href="mailto:olpc-nz@lists.laptop.org">olpc-nz@lists.laptop.org</A> ; <A
title=testing@lists.laptop.org href="mailto:testing@lists.laptop.org">OLPC
testing</A> ; <A title=sugar-devel@lists.sugarlabs.org
href="mailto:sugar-devel@lists.sugarlabs.org">sugar-devel@lists.sugarlabs.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=simon@sugarlabs.org
href="mailto:simon@sugarlabs.org">Simon Schampijer</A> ; <A
title=walter.bender@gmail.com href="mailto:walter.bender@gmail.com">Walter
Bender</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, October 09, 2010 2:19
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Sugar-devel] Testing Summary:
Auckland NZ - 9 October 2010</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>Testing Summary: Auckland NZ - 9
October 2010<BR><BR>Who: Abhishek, Charlotte, Fabiana, John, Leslie, Robin,
Tabitha, Tom<BR><BR><BR>Tested activities on XO-1.0s<BR><BR>Filemix-2<BR>Could
not test as seems we have to have a midi controller to plug in.<BR>We were a
bit surprised to open a Sugar activity and see loads of text on the screen.
Can this be presented better? What if you can't read all that or there is no
local translation?<BR>Thanks testers<BR>Tabitha<BR>
<P>
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