squeakland April 2003

squeakland@lists.squeakfoundation.org

104 participants
293 discussions

My contribution to recent comments/questions, etc. ("Gary Fisher" <gafisher@sprynet.com>)
by michael＠squeakland.org 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Original message bounced. Forwarding it, please make sure to use the subscribed address for posting to this list. Or please join the list if you haven't done so already. ------------------------ From: "Gary Fisher" <gafisher(a)sprynet.com> To: <squeakland(a)squeakland.org> References: <7807A9C83D51004B82410A0147EDED2602754306@tdsbex32> Subject: Re: My contribution to recent comments/questions, etc. Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 08:07:07 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Dear Sheine; Books cannot contain knowledge; at best, they may contain information, but in isolation even that is usually not reliably transmitted by a book. The dialog of Socrates and Phaedrus is relevant here -- how much better to learn, to acquire knowledge, from someone who, like Socrates himself, could present not just information but understanding. And yet, most of us would have no knowledge of that dialog had the information not been recorded in a book. The learning of music follows a similar course. I could read a thousand scores, but without a living, knowledgeable (and patient) teacher the best I could learn might be to mechanically and imperfectly reproduce the patterns of sounds others have made, and that only on the most constraining of instruments. Written materials might impart sufficient information to play a scale on a piano, for instance, but it is hard to imagine doing the same on a violin without a violinist as a guide. (To refer to the likely result as a raucous Squeak might put me in danger of overextending my analogy. Dialog with a fifth grader who understands (contains real knowledge of) Squeak would be infinitely preferable to trying to apprehend that knowledge with book in one hand and mouse in the other, but the world's supply of such fifth graders, or of any knowledgeable teacher, with the time and patience to sit at one's side and impart that knowledge is at this point still rather limited. Yet to simply fire up Squeak and dive in, while perhaps sufficient for the highly motivated child, is just not productive for those of us whose creative learning abilities have already been damaged. Books such as those already mentioned are helpful in organizing the information needed to develop a knowledge and understanding of Squeak; while no substitute for practice and at best an imperfect adjunct to "live" instruction, such books can at least help us over the real and imagined hurdles until we know which questions to ask. I very much look forward to the upcoming books mentioned by Kim, especially with the knowledge the authors will in all likelihood be available on one or more of the Squeak lists to help turn some of that information into understanding. Gary

1 0

New updates available on Squeakland
by m.rueger＠acm.org 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Hi all, there are new updates available on Squeakland. To load updates, just load any of the projects on the squeakland.org. The smallest possible one is http://squeakland.org/project.jsp?/projects/EToy-Template.001.pr You will then be prompted to update. The installers have not been updated yet, so you need to update your plugin after the installation. After your system has loaded these new updates, you'll find: 1) "Strings" (or phrases) of tiles can be grabbed by *either* the first or second tile in the string. Prior to this update, if you wanted to add "sketch's x" or "sketche's heading" to a script, you would have had to select those tiles by the "x" tile, or the "heading" tile. Now, you can select the tiles by the "sketch" tile, or if you have named your object, the name of that object, to add to your script. 2) We've created a new "v" button and added it to the top an object's viewer. Clicking this button will allow you to create a variable. This option was previously found in the tiny menu beside the object's name in the viewer. Also note, we have changed the vocabulary from "add a new instance variable" to "name for new variable". Once the variable has been created the it will appear in a "variables category" in the object's viewer. 3) We've chosen to have a single option for obtaining the paint tools. To obtain paint tools, click the paintbrush button on the gold Navigator bar. We have removed the paint palette icon previously found in the Supplies flap. 4) We've added a "trail style" option to the "pen use" category in an object's viewer. Trail styles include lines, arrowheads, and lines and arrowheads. Setting an object's penDown to "true" and selecting a "trail style" allows for the pen to be a simple line, arrowheads, or lines with arrowheads. 5) Misc fixes: - When the user renames a script, script-firing buttons will now automatically be relabeled, unless they have already manually been edited, and will be fixed up so that they properly fire the renamed script. - When the user asks to remove an instance variable, a check is now made to see if any scripts belonging to the object currently use that variable -- if so, permission to remove the variable is denied. If not, a further check is made to see if there are any extant scripts in *other* objects that may reference that instance variable, and if any are found, a warning is put up. Michael

3 2

Squeak books in the U.K.
by jaford＠watford53.freeserve.co.uk 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Hi, If there are any U.K. 'Squeakers' looking for Squeak books, particularly Mark Guzdial's 'Squeak: Object Orientated Design with Multimedia Applications' - don't bother with the U.K.. I did a search and the cheapest second hand in the U.K. was 28 pounds (plus postage - 34 new). In the U.S. I found one for 17 dollars + 9 postage - about 17 pounds total at bookemporium.com in Bloomington (they had several copies). I ordered one from them and was prepared to wait a few weeks. It came in three days (beat that Parcel Force)! The book was like new and the CD unopened. Regards: Jim Ford

1 0

Squeak books in the U.K.
by Brucestro＠aol.com 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

I just bought the same book in the US by searching on Amazon.com and buying it used. Maybe not all of the used book sellers listed ship outside the US, but I'll bet some do... I only paid US$17 plus shipping. My copy is like new too and although the CD had been opened, it's fine. Good luck! Bruce Strothenke

1 0

Just a few more comments....
by sheine.mankovsky2＠tdsb.on.ca 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Thanks very much to Gary Fisher for taking the time to reply to my comments to the "to book or not to book" conversation. Both the Maine laptop initiative and the Book and the Computer online journal have received some "ink" here. I'm sending the URL's by way of reminder. I threw in another article that I recently came across. http://www.honco.net/ http://www.mainelearns.org/ http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2003/mar03/mar24/4_thurs/news1thursday. html I now have a video and a CD of the Paper/Kay talks in Toronto on February 27-03. I had a request for a video from someone on this list, but I "misplaced" his note. Please send me another note, and I will get a copy to you. Cheers. Sheine

3 2

One more on the Maine laptop project.....
by sheine.mankovsky2＠tdsb.on.ca 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

http://www.eschoolnews.org/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4310 Have a great weekend! Sheine

1 0

Just a few more comments....
by sheine.mankovsky2＠tdsb.on.ca 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

I checked the Fields site today. They have posted a note that the archived talks will be available soon. I expect, from what Kim said, that it should be early next week. I'll check again next week. My "stuff" remains Plan B:) In retrospect I'm pleased I arranged to have both a CD and a video. Sheine > -----Original Message----- > From: Ken Kahn [SMTP:kenkahn@toontalk.com] > Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2003 8:55 PM > To: squeakland(a)squeakland.org > Subject: Re: Just a few more comments.... > > Hi. > > I have a broadband connection so I should be able to see the archived > version of the talks but I can't get them to work. If the talks aren't > archived then I would love to have a copy of the video and CD. If they are > archived perhaps we can figure out what is going wrong before you go > through > the trouble of sending them out. > > Ken Kahn > 49 Fay Ave > San Carlos, CA 94070 > > Thanks. > > Best, > > -ken > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mankovsky, Sheine" <sheine.mankovsky2(a)tdsb.on.ca> > To: <squeakland(a)squeakland.org> > Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2003 3:49 PM > Subject: Just a few more comments.... > > > > Thanks very much to Gary Fisher for taking the time to reply to my > comments > > to the "to book or not to book" conversation. Both the Maine laptop > > initiative and the Book and the Computer online journal have received > some > > "ink" here. I'm sending the URL's by way of reminder. I threw in > another > > article that I recently came across. > > > > http://www.honco.net/ > > > > http://www.mainelearns.org/ > > > > > http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2003/mar03/mar24/4_thurs/news1thursda > y. > > html > > > > I now have a video and a CD of the Paper/Kay talks in Toronto on > February > > 27-03. I had a request for a video from someone on this list, but I > > "misplaced" his note. Please send me another note, and I will get a > copy > to > > you. > > > > Cheers. > > > > Sheine > > > > > > > > > > > > >

1 0

My contribution to recent comments/questions, etc.
by sheine.mankovsky2＠tdsb.on.ca 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Congratulations, Jim on your fabulous progress. And you're just a techie:) It took me about five years to get our local public school board to: --find out how and find the person who woul create a link to Squeakland from our website, www.tdsb.on.ca and get it done ( I have a webpage, nothing fancy, but it's there) --find out how to start anything re the use of Squeak in an education bureaucracy, very big one at a time when the organization is in turmoil and resources are being ripped out of it by the provincial government --get senior staff to give their nod and two staff--a vice-principal and a superintendent, in my Ward--who saw Squeak for what it is, and were interested, had the authority to make decisions, and authority to allocate resources --get their stellar assistance/over committed time to organize said workshops for about 60 staff --rope in a personal friend who was on the verge of retiring to help with the workshops voluntarily who personally recruited Sebastian Hergott (can't say enough good things about Sebastian Hergott) and created a Squeak forum for kids/others to "play" in, totally voluntarily to this day (that would be Jane Matthews) --get senior staff in my Ward to encourage staff to download Squeak and use it, or at least give kids the opportunity to. (recently I heard that a third teacher is using Squeak and has joined our forum) --support Seymour Papert and Alan Kay's talks in Toronto sponsored by the Fields Institute on Research in Mathematical Sciences. They paid, I promoted the event across the country, through e-mail mainly. --support a live webcast of the event, including e-mailed questions, the archive of which we all eagerly await --the webcast made it possible to invite the world. Folks who attended got a Squeak CD, courtesy of our technical department --host Alan and Seymour to work with kids using Squeak at Don Mills Middle School. All were energized beyond belief. I enjoyed the events as vacation public library board and the Ontario Science Centre to begin to interest them in using Squeak in their programming for kids, and --get the support of another trustee to whom I will be forever indebted who will happily support my motion to the Board to adopt a formal commitment to continuing the Squeak trial. Incidentally, our board has been taken over by the Province of Ontario and so this motion, if passed, will be "advice" to the provinicially appointed Supervisor I did all of this as a volunteer because I believe in what Alan, Kim, et al are doing to make this a more beautiful, better and peaceful world for our children. You're doing great in an environment that is as unfriendly to learning as ours, despite the good intentions and commitment of a lot of people. Mega congratulations again. Congratulations to your colleague for assisting you. Drop me a line at sheine.mankovsky(a)tdsb.on.ca if you think I can be of any help. Sheine P. S. Re the print manual, still a no. Tutorials on-line and people to collaborate/consult with on a forum such as this one are still my choice. Still a "manual", just a lot richer. And we'd never have had the opportunity for this connection had you been limited to the black on the page! > -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Ford [SMTP:jaford@watford53.freeserve.co.uk] > Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 7:52 PM > To: squeakland(a)squeakland.org > Subject: Re: My contribution to recent comments/questions, etc. > > On Sun, Mar 23, 2003 at 12:08:08AM -0500, Mankovsky, Sheine wrote: > > I'd like to add a few comments with respect to the contributions folks > have > > made in the last little while. First, on the matter of a book (text) to > > "help" teachers use Squeak in the classroom, I would suggest that it's > not > > useful to go that route. The computer is the book. > > Yes - but you can miss an awfull lot of nuggets of meat, tucked away in > corners you never new existed. There's nothing quite like playing with a > system (computer software/video recorder/car) until you think you know all > about it, then sitting down with the manual (away from the computer) only > to rush back 5 mins later saying 'Wow, I didn't know you could do that!' > > As I've stated elsewhere, I'm not a teacher but a secondary school Science > Technician (and have also been a Primary School Governor). From my > observations in the U.K., schools are ridgidly constrained by 'The > Curriculum', which is targetted towards pupils passing their G.C.S.Es. > and > 'A' Level examinations. Most teachers are so focussed towards this that > they have no time for anything that is not in The Curriculum. Furthermore, > the timetable is totally geared towards 'Delivering The Curriculum', such > that > there is no room for any flexibility or introduction of new ideas. With > regard to computer related technology, most teachers horizons stretch no > further that M.S. Word - with the more adventurous ones using Excel (and > calling it a database). The pupils spend most of their time in I.T. > cutting > and pasting the same piece of text from Encarta or downloading the same > clipart, for their projects. Creativity - sorry it's no longer in 'The > Curriculum'! > > I've managed to interest one of out Network Technicians in Squeak and am > encouraging him to install it on the School Network. If this happens, I'll > try to start a lunchtime 'club' to introduce pupils to Squeak. I'll get no > encouragment from the teachers - after all as I've said before - what > could > I possibly know about anything, I'm only a technician! > > Regards: Jim Ford

1 0

Archived version of Papert/Kay talks
by Kim.Rose＠viewpointsresearch.org 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

-- Hi, folks - I know many of you hope to view the "Papert/Kay talks" delivered by Seymour and Alan at OISE in Toronto on February 27th from an archived file on the Web. We've just checked status on the availability and here is the info I received: The technical aspects are being completed now and it should be up before the end of the week. It will be posted to the Fields website at http://www.fields.utoronto.ca/programs/mathed/ So, if you are interested, I suggest you check this url the first part of next week. Happy viewing! Kim

2 1

UI rules for the Mind and not for an Object Class ;)
by darius＠inglang.com 18 Apr '03

18 Apr '03

Hello everyone, > yet another rule to be learned (amongst too many rules already) > children very quickly learn what to do in the UI, even with inconsistencies in the UI Is there, can there be, should there be a place to collect together these rules or inconsistency between rules for us adults to learn? In a wiki web page or a text morph in the Squeak/eToy distribution images perhaps? > However, my belief is that the only difficulties > that should be in a child's learning environment are ones that all of > us have put there to help the child -- there shouldn't be any > gratuitous difficulties from bad design Here, here. As in "The Humane Interface" by Jef Raskin Summary here: http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Main/HumaneUserInterface Cheers, Darius

7 10

Jump to page:

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

squeakland April 2003