[Squeakland] ideas to promote squeak in telecenters in Brazil

[Eric Eisaman]

Hello Marta,

To effectuate the development of programming skills, I suggest starting with
the Squeakland tutorials such as the "Drive a Car" tutorial and progressing
with a paralleled study of:

   1. object oriented class structure,
   2. microprocessor architecture and functionality,
   3. human meta cognition
   4. history of the computer/transistor,
   5. modelling logic gates and Boolean logic,
   6. syllogistic logic,
   7. and developing similar programs within multiple programming
   environments

This list, I'm sure has the potential to be seen as overwhelming if not
overkill for such young people however, it has been my experience that even
elementary grade children experience the authenticity of the art of
programming much earlier when their personal practice with very
basic programming has begun to embrace some of the majorly connected concept
clusters. In fact my last statement can be validated while examining meta
cognition. You might first decide upon which learning strands/connected
concept clusters to include in your study then develop, with the aid of
research and others, clear levels of vertical articulation within each of
the strands. Having a clearly defined hierarchy of learning levels within
each learning strand will inform you in your continued lesson planning as
well as inform other teachers of these students as to how they can better
support the development of these young people. This type of planning and
communication can effectively bridge a lot of gaps between tech-savvy and
not so tech-savvy individuals and institutions.
If this reply lacks enough concrete detail and you would prefer elaboration
and/or exemplification of my comments, don't hesitate to reply back.

Yours in Education,

Eric Eisaman



On 5/21/07, Marta Voelcker <marta at pensamentodigital.org.br> wrote:

> Dear Squeakers,
>
> As one of the researchers from the University that is running the OLPC
> pilot project in Porto Alegre, Brazil, I was introduced to squeak, last
> February, when I could bring an XO home during a weekend.
>
> But now,  my work  is related to promote capacity building to the staff
> of  organizations that run TELECENTERS.
>
> Telecenters, in Brazil, are rooms with an average of 12 computers(PCs)
> with access to Internet inside NGOs or grassroots organizations, located in
> low-income communities in Brazil.
>
> I am the coordinator of a Foundation that promotes capacity building to
> the staff of these organizations, to implement curses in telecenters. Our
> methodology has the same line of constructionism...
> We have been working "IT Basic knowledge"  through project-based learning,
> now we want to start using Squeak.
>
> In Brazil, schools work on shifts. Children go to school in the morning
> (8:00 to 12:00) or in the afternoon (2:00 to 18:00). If the child goes in
> the morning, during the afternoon he or she might get a vacancy in an after
> school program offered by an NGO or grassroots organization, or religious
> organization. Government helps supporting these organizations to implement
> this after school programs. Those organizations are frequently receiving
> refurbished computers and building partnerships to create their telecenter.
> Than, they come to us, asking for guidance about what to do with the
> telecenter.
>
> So, we have telecenters as informal educational environment to work with
> children and teenagers. We don't need to relate our work to school
> curriculum, we can promote any kind of curses, workshop, guided playtime...
> any thing!
>
> We have about 45 of these NGOs equipped with telecenters in Porto Alegre,
> already working with us (from a total of 150 NGOs partners from other
> cities).
>
> Our motivation is strongly related to develop programming skills on
> children and teenagers.
>
> We are thinking about to start with a group of age around 10 and another
> group around 15. We would choose one  telecenter and plan to  work there (
> instead of train their staff).
>
> But what would we teach? Should we keep thinking in project-based
> learning? When we use  other software we frequently start working
> with  identity construction, and after some exploration of the software, the
> group starts a project...
>
> But to understand the basis of squeak, the "drive a car " project seems so
> important!!!
>
> Well, sorry guys to be so long in this Sunday night! Seems that to write
> to you already made some goals clear to me!
>
> Ideas, experiences and suggestions are welcome!
>
> regards,
>
> Marta Voelcker
>
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