A couple of basic questions...

[Christopher Sawtell]

On Thursday 22 November 2001 09:36, Leo Burd wrote:
> Hello everyone!
>
> I'm starting to use Squeak at the Computer Clubhouse
> (http://www.computerclubhouse.org/), a network of after school centers
> where kids from 8-18 come to learn about technology, interact with other
> kids and develop personally meaningful projects.
>
> Would you please help me with the following questions?
>
> * How would you present Squeak to teenagers?  How would you describe the
> tool? Is it a programming environment, a multi-media tool, an operating
> system, a make-your-own-game environment, or what?

It's all of those things including being an "or what", with the possible 
exception of being an operating system, but I think there is a project to 
create a "No O/S Squeak", but I don't know much about it.

For a sound-bite noun-phrase i'd say it's "The unique work of a team of 
visionary geniuses. While its learning curve is a vertical cliff face, 
Smalltalk is without question, the most productive programming language ever 
created. There are several Smalltalk implementations of which Squeak is but 
one. It has many many features which the others, being firmly aimed at 
commerce, don't have".

> * Do you have examples of activities that I could develop with teenagers?
> Most of the examples that I've seen so far are either targeted to younger
> kids, or are too centered around school curriculum.

Teachers can't stop being teachers can they? :-)

> I'm also trying to
> find examples that make creative use of video and photographs.  At the
> Clubhouse, kids play a lot with Director and Photoshop.

Have you been able to have a play with the Alice stuff?
Just amazing. Write a program to create an animation. The collection of 
objects which are in the Objects.zip file is sufficient to have hours of fun.
I suspect that if your machine is sufficiently powerful, sound could be 
added, but have not got that far myself.

> * Is there any way to cut, paste and move projects around?  I'd like to
> reorganize my top project.  It's got too many subprojects within it!
The 'safe' long way round is to write to a project file externally, delete 
the project, go to the new 'home' and reload.

The 'quick way' is to drag 'n drop the project icon on the squeak flap on the 
left, use the projects... entry in the menu to go to the new place where you 
want the project to be, and lift it off the flap / tab on the left into the 
main screen area.

> * What is the difference between the 'pick up' and 'move' halos?
Not much, the black 'crane' button allows you to move the object anywhere.
When using the brown button you are restricted to the current container 
(playfield).

> * Is there any simple way of image snapshots of different components of the
> screen?  I may create some quick reference sheets for Clubhouse members.
> Pictures of Squeak components would be great...
When you save a project a thumbnail .gif snapshot of your project desk is 
created automatically.

Is that what you wanted to know? ( I don't quite understand the question )

Sincerely etc.,

Christopher Sawtell.