Squeak ideas for a classroom/clubhouse

[Jahanzeb Sherwani]

Hello all,

I'm a research associate at LUMS University, Pakistan, and am working on a
research project here where we're trying to use low threshold/high ceiling
software environments to enable schoolkids to create and learn, and have
fun while doing so. I'm interested in giving the fifteen kids (aged 7 thru
14) the flexibility to create whatever it is they want to create: graphics,
music, games, stories, building their houses or other aspects of reality --
such that their learning is made personally meaningful (along the lines of
Papert's Constructionism) in ways that are rarely found in education in the
Third World. However, we'd also like to give them challenges that will
bring out the most learning (such as learning about feedback through the
cars, as shown in the elementary school gallery by BJ). Our main reason for
choosing to do such a project is to enable the kids to think outside the
hold of a curriculum that holds little to no relevance to their daily lives
or the world around them, and to help them do stuff that's educational,
fun, and personally relevant. 

I was initially using Alice2 as the major environment to work in, although
I'm running into quite a few problems (namely, it's not running on the
school's PCs for some reason!) so I've been looking at other options, and
discovered Squeak (which many at the MIT Media Lab recommended when I
visited a month ago), and I believe it perfectly fits the bill.

I managed to go over parts of the mailing list archives before asking these
questions, so I hope you'll forgive me if they were already addressed
before. My questions are:

1) How does one act as a facilitator in such an open setting with Squeak,
so as to allow diverse views of what each wants to do, but still make sure
that there is some learning (and not just air guitaring) going on? There is
so much you can do with Squeak (no ceiling), but how does one try to nudge
it along lines that will lead to good learning -- or is that a
contradiction in terms?

2) How does one introduce the medium as something that is infinitelly
malleable, and that it is ok to add/change something if you don't like it?
For instance, the lack of a 'move sideways' tile (like the 'forward by')
tile means that kids will have to start off controlling their
game-characters with a move forward/backward, turn left/right instruction
set, and so can't start off by making a Pac-Man type game (which needs to
move left/right, and not turn). Should I create a 'move sideways' tile
beforehand, or try to help them make it themselves as they require it?

3) The main reason I pushed to have classes of diverse ages was that the
young ones will be able to learn from what the elder kids are doing, and
will also get a sense of self-respect by working on the same environment as
elder kids. Should we be giving different problems to the younger ones to
solve, or not? Could anyone on the mailing list (who has experience with
such age ranges in such classes) tell me about their own experiences, if
possible?

4) The social relevance of education is something that is touched upon most
by Paulo Freire, who said that imported curricula aren't adequate because
they lack relevance to the sociocultural environment, particularly in
developing countries. Does anyone have any experience in addressing these
concerns best through the use of environments such as Squeak?

Our twice-weekly sessions with the kids in their school labs begin this
Tuesday, so whatever you could tell me before then would be extremely helpful.

Jahanzeb Sherwani

ps I agree that Open Croquet looks quite amazing (although quite slow on my
P3 which was to be expected)! Are there any mailing lists for it yet?