[Squeakland] Squeak 'non-starter' in [U.K.] schools?

[Christopher Sawtell]

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 06:49, Nancy Head wrote:
> Here are a couple of strategies that maybe we can use to get Squeak into
> more classrooms (including our own):

Here are a couple of ideas
Strategy #0
OK This idea is just a little bit off the wall, I know that, but what about 
the idea of making a LiveCD which you just shove in the CD slot & (re)boot 
the machine. For example like the Knoppix Linux distribution. Presto Squeak 
running. No fuss with installation or downloading plugins only to have it 
fail because it wont work with the browser for some reason or other. Seeing 
as the distribution medium has the capacity of hundreds of megabytes, it can 
be loaded up with a suitably tuned up version of the full Squeak environment 
and virtually as many applications and projects as you wish, in much the same 
way as the disk with the Guzdial & Rose blue book is loaded up. I know this 
could be done with Linux as the underlying o/s, other systems could be used 
I'm sure, but probably not for the same cost. However I have no idea how to 
make said disk multi platform, or indeed if it's possible. Hardware gurus 
might like to comment.

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
http://morphix.sourceforge.net/modules/news/

Strategy #0.5
Distribution of the disk. 
Please don't jump down my gullet on this idea. Have a good laugh instead.
Get a consortium of a breakfast food manufacturer, a media giant, and a 
computer company to sponsor a decent sized press run of the above CDs and get 
them out into the general population via the Cocoa Pops, or whatever, 
packets. The sponsors will get the warm fuzzies they need from knowing that 
they have enhanced the knowledge base of the population as well as boosting 
the sales of their products for far less money than the cost of a TV ad 
campaign. CDs in bulk cost but a few cents, whereas TV ad campaigns cost 
millions of dollars.

This company might, remotely, be interested in helping you with a pilot in a 
small country. Dick Hubberd is a decent fellow who makes delicious breakfast 
cerials

http://www.hubbards.co.nz/

Mailing Address
 Hubbard Foods
 P.O.Box 24-395
 Royal Oak, Auckland
 New Zealand
email at hubbards.co.nz
 Phone : +64 9 634 2510
 Fax : +64 9 634 6070


> Strategy #1
> Find areas of the curriculum that are already getting national attention
> and piggyback on that. For those concerned with literacy, focus on ways to
> use Squeak to target those goals. If the big concern is math, focus on
> that.
>
> Some buzzwords in education are "multiple intelligences," "project-based
> learning," can you think of others? Squeak directly addresses things that
> classroom teachers are already trying to do.
>
> Use the national curricula, media "hot topics" and professional "buzzwords"
> as "hooks" on which to hang an argument for using Squeak locally.
>
> Strategy #2
> Arguments for computer science education are articulated in ACM's Draft K12
> Model Curriculum (http://www.acm.org/education/k12/curriculum.html). Much
> of this proposed US curriculum is based upon the Ontario, Canada,
> Curriculum standards for Technological Education
> (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/curricul/secondary/grade1112/tech/te
>c h.html). These standards can be referenced as to inform others of the
> value of computer science education.
>
> If not seen as valuable for everyone, maybe the public can begin to see
> that K12 (general education age 5-18) schools are emphatically not meeting
> the needs of the student "computer experts" (who often enter the university
> lacking the skills they need to be successful in their chosen program of
> study).
>
>
> Perhaps others will be able to add to this list. The result might make a
> nice addition to the squeakland site as a resource we can use in persuading
> our local tech folks to allow Squeak to be loaded on computer systems, and
> then in explaining to our curriculum folks how we're meeting required
> curriculum standards with the tool.
>
> Nancy
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: squeakland-bounces at squeakland.org
> > [mailto:squeakland-bounces at squeakland.org]On Behalf Of Darius Clarke
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 8:03 PM
> >
> > To say that "Squeak won't get taught" is like saying "books & magazines
> > won't get taught", or "overhead projectors & transparencies won't get
> > taught", or "surfing the web won't get taught". The same could be said
> > of any teaching medium. The medium is not really ever _in_ the
> > curriculum. More efficient use of the medium might be in it, such as
> > video editing, library use, referencing magazines in bibliographies,
> > etc. but not the medium themselves. Their use is already assumed.


-- 
Sincerely etc.,
Christopher Sawtell