squeakland October 2011

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14 participants
23 discussions

File error on open and sound reverb problem again
by Mike Lee 12 Nov '11

12 Nov '11

Hi, The Lubuto Library Project to develop 700 Etoys lessons in Zambia is finally nearing completion after a year of work by teachers and students in Lusaka. There are 100 lessons in 7 Zambian languages plus 700 sound files that have to be associated with a button in the files. Now we have have enlisted a group of Washington, D.C.-area volunteers from the Special Libraries Association to help with a final finishing pass at the files. Though all the files were authored on OLPC XO laptops in Sugar using Etoys 3.x, we wish to do the final production on Etoys 4.1 on Mac and PC depending on what the volunteer has. The finished files need to open and function properly on Etoys 3.x and 4.x on all platforms. I have some initial questions regarding some problems working with the files across different versions of Etoys. 1) When I double-click to open the files from Zambia on Etoys 4.1 Mac, I get an error message that prevents the file from loading and makes it impossible to close Etoys without a force quit. I have seen this error before when I open older project files on new builds of Etoys on the XO. On Eotys 4.1 Mac, I can open the file from with Etoys. Here is a screen shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiouslee/6265581802/in/photostream And here is a sample file on Dropbox: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16590498/Citonga%201%20Afabeti%201.003.pr 2) The sound reverb problem persists. Opening up the Etoys 4.1 Score Player in the files authored in Etoys 3.x and clicking the Disable Reverb button doesn't work. Thanks in advance to whomever can provide some guidance. Mike

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Re: [squeakland] Kids using images and scripting
by karl ramberg 31 Oct '11

31 Oct '11

On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Kim Rose <kim.rose(a)vpri.org> wrote: > Hello, > > A quick bit of history and a reminder: > > Etoys was developed with the idea that the children would create *their own* > art -- to encourage drawing and not just cut/pasting other people's > clip-art. We'd love to see that encouraged although we realize there are > "powerful forces" working against us. Children have little self-esteem > regarding their drawing skills; they need encouragement, praise and > practice. > > Additionally, the original intent of Etoys was not to enable/encourage all > kids to be "programmers" but to get children to think more scientifically, > and less superstitiously, and in a more thoughtful manner all together when > thinking about the world we inhabit and how it works. > > Kim Rose I agree with much of this. But we must help the kids by showing them a way. Many kids will just give up as it's too much to discover and its to hard to do by them self. What I think is way forward is to help kids make the stuff they want. Tutorials and specially youtube clips showing how to make the kind of images they like will encourage them to make it them self. Art is hard and it's not obvious how to make it. Lot's of tricks and tools are used and it take some dedication. Etoys paint tools are good for most cases but can be a little crude and unforgiving. Crude by having only round and big brushes. And the very hard pixelated edges makes detail work hard. Non obvious color palette memory. There is no zoom to do details. Unforgiving in the sense that editing instances take time getting used to. You edit the original! You must remember to keep a copy or you lose your work ! Karl > > Viewpoints Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to > improving "powerful ideas education" for the world's children and advancing > the state of systems research and personal computing. Please visit us online > at www.vpri.org > > > > > > On Oct 31, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Steve Thomas wrote: > >> Changed subject from previous emails. >> On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Bert Freudenberg <bert(a)freudenbergs.de> >> wrote: >> On 31.10.2011, at 03:09, Ricardo Moran wrote: >> >> > Some kids told me they would want more graphics to choose in Etoys (like >> > the ones in Scratch). >> >> Why don't they use images they found on the web, or took using a camera? >> >> So I see a couple of issues: >> • Should we include a predefined set of images similar to Scratch? >> • Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera? >> • How can we get kids scripting (as opposed to just "playing with >> images" and creating cartoons) >> On item 1: Should we include a predefined set of images similar to >> Scratch? >> The argument I have heard against including images is that kids that: >> "Seeing graphics that they might not be able to create themselves easily >> can discourage them from make their own paintings." >> >> If that is the case, then why do are there so many kid created graphics in >> Scratch projects? I have, on admittedly limited evidence, seen kids getting >> stuck drawing, because they feel they can't draw well enough, which >> slows/stops them. >> >> On item 2: Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera? >> Good question, once I show kids that this can be done, they do it. So >> perhaps it is an issue of "discoverability"? >> There is a quick guide on Objects/Digital Images which is XO specific. But >> does not indicate how to import an image from the Web on XO. >> Also, the switching to journal/copy to clipboard, ... may be too many >> steps, which might discourage kids. >> >> On item 3: How can we get kids scripting, modeling, simulating (as >> opposed to just "playing with images" and creating cartoons) >> Great question, need to think about this some more. Not that playing with >> images, creating cartoons and using Etoys as a PowerPoint replacement are >> bad things, but how do we get them scripting, modeling, simulating as well. >> >> Stephen >> _______________________________________________ >> squeakland mailing list >> squeakland(a)squeakland.org >> http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland > > > _______________________________________________ > Squeakland mailing list > Squeakland(a)squeakland.org > http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland >

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Kids using images and scripting
by Steve Thomas 31 Oct '11

31 Oct '11

Changed subject from previous emails. On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Bert Freudenberg <bert(a)freudenbergs.de>wrote: > On 31.10.2011, at 03:09, Ricardo Moran wrote: > > > Some kids told me they would want more graphics to choose in Etoys (like > the ones in Scratch). > > Why don't they use images they found on the web, or took using a camera? So I see a couple of issues: 1. Should we include a predefined set of images similar to Scratch? 2. Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera? 3. How can we get kids scripting (as opposed to just "playing with images" and creating cartoons) *On item 1*: Should we include a predefined set of images similar to Scratch? The argument I have heard against including images is that kids that: "Seeing graphics that they might not be able to create themselves easily can discourage them from make their own paintings." If that is the case, then why do are there so many kid created graphics in Scratch projects? I have, on admittedly limited evidence, seen kids getting stuck drawing, because they feel they can't draw well enough, which slows/stops them. *On item 2:* Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera? Good question, once I show kids that this can be done, they do it. So perhaps it is an issue of "discoverability"? There is a quick guide on *Objects/Digital Images* which is XO specific. But does not indicate how to import an image from the Web on XO. Also, the switching to journal/copy to clipboard, ... may be too many steps, which might discourage kids. *On item 3:* How can we get kids scripting, modeling, simulating (as opposed to just "playing with images" and creating cartoons) Great question, need to think about this some more. Not that playing with images, creating cartoons and using Etoys as a PowerPoint replacement are bad things, but how do we get them scripting, modeling, simulating as well. Stephen

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About Skeleton
by Ricardo Moran 29 Oct '11

29 Oct '11

Hi, The squeak list is currently discussing about a spreadsheet morph, and that just reminded me about how cool is Skeleton actually. So I'm wondering why it is not in Etoys? I found an old discussion stating that it could be a nice extension to Etoys but the biggest issue being the slow loading of external code. I have to agree with that being a problem but I think we might reconsider just include it in the image as with Dr Geo. I know we already have a bloated image full of half finished projects but from what I briefly tested Skeleton seems to work out of the box. And it doesn't add a *huge* amount of new code. See this simple comparison with DrGeo: (PackageInfo named: 'Skeleton') systemCategories size. 2 (PackageInfo named: 'Skeleton') classes size. 38 (PackageInfo named: 'Skeleton') methods size. 654 (PackageInfo named: 'Skeleton') linesOfCode. 4765 (PackageInfo named: 'DrGeoII') systemCategories size. 10 (PackageInfo named: 'DrGeoII') classes size. 214 (PackageInfo named: 'DrGeoII') methods size. 1863 (PackageInfo named: 'DrGeoII') linesOfCode. 17154 Another issue, I guess, is that if Skeleton gets included someone will have to maintain it, but from what I've seen the latest version dates from 2006 and it still works today. So maybe it won't be that big of an issue. Anyway, if you want to test it: http://www.languagegame.org:8080/ggame/11. Cheers, Richo

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Slow down turtle graphics rendering?
by R.D. Latimer 18 Oct '11

18 Oct '11

Etoys renders very fast, which is good. But is there a way to slow down the graphic rendering so students could see it unfold? I have a simple spinSquare project: drawSquare script repeat 4: forward 150 turn 90 spinSquare script repeat 36: drawSquare turn 10 I only need to run the script once, with the ! , I'm not using the clock timer to continually display. The design pattern of the spinning squares happens instantaneously. Can I slow this rendering somehow? like with an internal 'wait' or 'pause' for a fraction of a second. Thanks, Randy Latimer

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Re: [squeakland] are french translations exisitng
by Harness, Kathleen 18 Oct '11

18 Oct '11

Dear Manfred, May I suggest you get in touch with Hilaire Fernandes who will see this note via the Squeakland lists. He is French and has taught Etoys extensively in K-12 schools. He translated the Quick Guides for the Navigator Bar, Paint Tools, and Halo Handles. The curriculum materials in EtoysIllinois.org for the K-5 Technology Passport and the CS4K5 can be translated, they are free for educational use. My best wishes for success and please let me know if you have other questions. Regards, Kathleen ________________________________________ From: Manfred Schikore [manfred.schikore(a)t-online.de] Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 4:24 AM To: Harness, Kathleen Subject: are french translations exisitng Dear Kathleen we as association "Learning From Cultures e.V." (www.learning-from-cultures.org) are on the way to install the use of XO-laptops in Cameroon. Since the main language is there french do You know of existing translations for curriculae? Or explaining text like "Laptop in the XO-Classroom"? thanks for Your assicstance Manfred Schikore +49 - 521 - 136 8888

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Charts (was: New Graphing Tools)
by Ricardo Moran 17 Oct '11

17 Oct '11

Hi guys, I'm trying again with the graphing tools. It's been a while since I worked on this (sorry about that) but I really want to see them integrated. So now I'm following Bert's suggestions and I'm trying with a less general approach: I'm not introducing a new scale on top of the existing one, instead I just added a "current object" slot on the number lines, and a "current object position in chart" slot that transforms from squeak's pixel to the number line scale and viceversa. The implementation is much simpler than before but it's more uncomfortable IMHO. I think it would be best to have two "transform" functions accepting a number as argument and returning it transformed from one scale to the other. Unfortunately, it seems Etoys doesn't support this kind of functions nicely, all the examples I could find (such as #color:sees:) seem to be a little hacked and I wasn't sure if following that path was the right way to proceed. I think the best would be for you to test it and tell me what you think. I'm attaching a project with the new number lines. Thanks! Richo P.S. I also renamed the project to Charts as Bert suggested

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Setting color by number?
by R.D. Latimer 16 Oct '11

16 Oct '11

Hi, how can I set a color to either one numerical value or an rgb combination of red, green,blue components? Also, if I have an object created in the project, but the object is not showing, how can I recover it's viewer? Thanks, Randy Latimer

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Etoys - arrays/lists?
by R.D. Latimer 12 Oct '11

12 Oct '11

Is there a way to create an array or list of numbers - many numbers, like 100 or 1000 or more? >From the Illinois website it looks as though a Holder is the only way to do this, copy in a Text object for each array/list element. This method doesn't seem to be the way to store large numbers of values into an array or list. This may mean also that there are no list accessing means, like to check if a particular value is in a list. Thanks for any help, Randy Latimer

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Concurso de Ciencia para estudiantes entre 14 y 18 años
by Carlos Rabassa 12 Oct '11

12 Oct '11

Se anunció recientemente un Concurso de Ciencia para estudiantes entre 14 y 18 años de todos los países del mundo. Este es el sitio del Concurso: http://www.youtube.com/spacelab?feature=inp-pr-space Copio y traduzco, de este sitio, la descripción general que se da sobre el concurso: ============= Traduzco: YouTube, Lenovo y Space Adventures están haciendo un concurso para encontrar un experimento espacial asombroso, con premios extraordinarios para los ganadores. Lean la guía "Cómo Participar", las Reglas Oficiales y las Preguntas Frecuentes para entender completamente lo que necesitan hacer para participar en este concurso. Los finalistas de cada grupo etario (14-16 y 17-18) y de cada región global (Las Américas, Europa, Medio Oriente, África y Asia-Pacífico) participarán en una votación por parte del público en YouTube y serán juzgados [los experimentos propuestos] por nuestro panel de expertos internacionales. Las entradas para participar deberán recibirse no más tarde del 7 de Diciembre. ============= Copio: YouTube, Lenovo, and Space Adventures are running a competition to find an amazing space experiment with some extraordinary prizes for the winners. Read the How to Enter guide, the Official Rules, and the FAQs to fully understand what you need to do to enter the competition. The finalists from each age group (14 - 16 and 17 - 18) and each global region (The Americas, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific) will be put to the public vote on YouTube and judged by our international panel of experts. Entries must be received by December 7th. ============= Carlos Rabassa Voluntario Red de Apoyo al Plan Ceibal Montevideo, Uruguay

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squeakland October 2011