eToys team,
eToys, I love it. It is so powerful. However, for some people it can be quite intimidating to get a blank screen when they click on "Make A New Project."
The Demo is nice but it for example doesn't say "click on the right (circle) button to get the icons for manipulating the object" The Tutorial and the Gallery of Projects, children see them as games not as things they can make or modify.
The use of eToys may not seem that intuitive from the perspective of teachers or students who have just received an XO laptop and it is the first laptop or even computer they have ever touched.
I have given to the teachers in printed form * powerful ideas in the classroom * eToys quick guide * eToys manual and the three together are ~200 pages long.
And some won't try it by themselves until someone sits with them and goes through it. Maybe more so if they are rural primary teachers. Some might be inclined to just learn the basics and stay there.
How can we go about it so they feel curious about trying it, and keep on learning on their own or with their peers or their students? I'm thinking on how can we do it, that it doesn't need a full time person introducing it, or if so, how can it be in a short short time.
Best regards,
Carla