squeakland February 2011

squeakland@lists.squeakfoundation.org

12 participants
28 discussions

Teaching in digital society vs industrial society
by Carlos Rabassa 21 Apr '11

21 Apr '11

I have just watched a most interesting video a friend pointed out to me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlAnkExQabY The ideas presented in the video seem to be correct and most interesting. Even more, it seems to me the opportunity of having all those XOs already distributed, we might have the perfect opportunity to apply these ideas. Of course, I am just a volunteer. I would really like to listen to the opinion of teachers, educators and other experts. Mi impression is that, as Mr. Toffler says, the problem he describes in the U.S., is not an exclusive problem of this country. We will see it in other countries as they go from industrial to digital societies. Who is the speaker in this video_ ¿Quién es el orador en este video? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Toffler Carlos Rabassa Volunteer Plan Ceibal Support Network Montevideo, Uruguay

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Re: [squeakland] Etoys on an interactive whiteboard?
by David Corking 02 Mar '11

02 Mar '11

On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 5:58 AM, Steve Thomas wrote (resending to list): > I tried it on a whiteboard and here is what I recall. > Getting the right click took a while to figure out. If you know the model # > and version of the software you can download the manual before you start > your tests. There should be a way as I recall to setup "multiple finger > touch" to "right click" and get the halo, but I also recall it required some > setup time and if time is limited there is a two touch method where I > touched something in the smartboard's palette that made my next touch a > right click. > One thing you will notice as well is that depending on the placement of the > projector you can block the image if you are in the wrong spot (between the > projector and a particular section of the screen you want to see/touch. > One of the difficulties I believe Bert had was being able to touch the thing > you want for small objects on a small screen. On a white board the "screen > size" is rather large and most objects were large enough that I do not > recall having that problem. > I may be able to get access to a Smartboard again for some more test. > Another thought you may want to try to give yourself more time is setup a > WiiMote Whiteboard http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/ all you need is a projector and a Wii Remote. If you > don't have a projector you can also use it on your monitor. Thanks for the tips, Steve. I most expect to encounter trouble with "hover" actions, such as balloon helps, and the "is under mouse" tile. I will experiment with the palette and with multi-touch for right click if I get time. I think the only use of right-click is to make halos appear, but I may be wrong. Maybe there is another interaction style someone can dream up for halos. The most exciting possibility to me is to see two or more students work on an Etoys world at the same time. Bert mentions multiple pointers in his video. (The classroom will be empty so I won't see students this time, but I do have two hands!) David

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Tour of Uruguay / Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguya
by Carlos Rabassa 28 Feb '11

28 Feb '11

Respondo a la reciente solicitud de ideas para proyectos relacionados con la próxima Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay: S042 - Entendiendo la Bicicleta https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1T3GCDPTim8S84WqPq-wYb8Gc_UOzshADn2… May I answer the recent request for ideas for projects related to the forthcoming Tour of Uruguay. E042 - Understanding the Bicycle https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=19Dug-0DCk2520Fsx0hl-dzZDJp3cWVDWBD… Carlos Rabassa Voluntario Red de Apoyo al Plan Ceibal Montevideo, Uruguay

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Fwd: [WikiEducator] Registrations open -- Free online course on Open Content Licensing for Educators
by Rita Freudenberg 28 Feb '11

28 Feb '11

This is a free online workshop for educators, who want to learn more about open education resources, copyright, and creative commons licenses! Rita Begin forwarded message: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Wayne Mackintosh <mackintosh.wayne(a)gmail.com> > Date: Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 17:15 > Subject: [WikiEducator] Registrations open -- Free online course on > Open Content Licensing for Educators > To: WikiEducator <wikieducator(a)googlegroups.com>, > wikieducator-teacher-collaboration-forum(a)googlegroups.com, > heywire8-(a)googlegroups.com > > > Hi Everyone, > > Wow -- already 100 participants from 33 countries have signed up for > the Open Content Licensing for Educators workshop scheduled for 21 - > 25 March 2011. > > Register your seat today. See: > http://wikieducator.org/Open_content_licensing_for_educators/About -- > and use the enrolment key: "oer" (without quotations) > > We look forward to joining you in learning more about copyright, > creative commons licenses and OER. More info below. > > Cheers > Wayne > > About #OCL4ED > > Sponsored by UNESCO, the course materials were developed as a > collaborative project by volunteers from the OER Foundation, > WikiEducator, the OpenCourseWare Consortium and Creative Commons. The > course will provide prerequisite knowledge required by educators to > legally remix open education materials and help institutions to take > informed decisions about open content licenses. We encourage all BOTs > to consider adopting open content intellectual property policies at > their schools and this workshop will provide you with the information > you need to consider this important decision. > > The Open Content Licensing for Educators workshop is scheduled for 21 > - 25 March 2011 and will be presented asynchronously. Participants > will need approximately 1 hour per day which they can allocate > according to their schedules. The workshop is free and we welcome > participation from all educators world wide. > > Please forward this notification to your relevant line managers to > distribute the invitation. Registration details are provided below. > > With kind regards > Wayne > > > > > -- > Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. > Director OER Foundation > Director, International Centre for Open Education, > Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. > Founder and elected Community Council Member, WikiEducator > Mobile +64 21 2436 380 > Skype: WGMNZ1 > Twitter | identi.ca > ______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss(a)lists.flossmanuals.net > http://lists.flossmanuals.net/listinfo.cgi/discuss-flossmanuals.net >

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Etoys on an interactive whiteboard?
by David Corking 25 Feb '11

25 Feb '11

Can you help me set priorities for evaluating the possibility that a future Etoys version could be adapted for interactive whiteboards? In a few days time, I hope to get an hour in an empty classroom with one of these boards. I imagine that some of the difficulties will be similar to those Bert reported with touch screens. My plan is to use the time to start drafting a list of interface changes that will be needed before teachers and students can use Etoys comfortably on whiteboards. I will take Etoys to Go 4.1.1, and also * Bert's image for iSqueak http://etoys.squeak.org/experimental/etoys-touch-image-100620.zip * Steve's cuisenaire rods http://squeakland.org/showcase/project.jsp?id=10356 * Something with TweakUI, such as Croquet or Open Cobalt (I will also take Sugar-on-a-Stick but I don't expect it to work, as I'm told the Smartboard boards need a proprietary Windows driver.) I will try out * Halo buttons * Paint * Tile scripting controls * Navigator bar But I will also try to understand the whiteboard controls, as I have never used one. ** What else would you like me to include in my tests? What is the most important? ** My time is limited, so my tests will be brief, not thorough, and will omit many of the things I want to try. (I don't know who will design and implement the changes, but at least a list is one useful step.) Best, David

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Clean Water or Education
by Steve Thomas 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Folks, With so many needs in Haiti and limited funds, Bill Steltzer asked a mentor in Haiti if they should be doing a computer program in Haiti when they really need clean water, food and shelter. So with limited funds which do you choose? Clean Water or Education? Why not both? That is what we are trying to do with lesson plans on Water and Sanition. They include a lesson and an engineering challenge on building a Solar Still. The YouTube video poses the question and shows a powerful Etoys project done by a girl in Haiti just after the earthquake. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OJQzjrSIMM So please Step Up OLPC and support these fine effortts. T-Shirts are for sale.<http://bethstepsup.blogspot.com/2011/02/buy-buy-buy.html>Click here<http://bethstepsup.blogspot.com/p/step-up-olpc-t-shirt-order-form.html> to place an order! They cost $20 each plus shipping and handling. A steal when you realize that ALL proceeds benefit our program Stephen

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Desde la frontera Brasileño Uruguaya /From the Brazilian Uruguayan Borderline
by Carlos Rabassa 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

English text after follows Spanish text Compartimos un breve video dirigido por Andrés Álvaro Rodríguez, traductor público, que visitó en su bicicleta, más de mil de los monumentos de piedra que marcan la frontera entre Brasil y Uruguay: Frontera Uruguay Brasil - Arboles de Piedra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFiKvSqZV_0 Deseamos compartir también este otro brevísimo video sobre una porción muy especial de la frontera: Ciudad de Rivera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMHCPlsD9Jw&feature=related que, como dice el video, llama la atención de los visitantes ya que no ven las habituales líneas de personas y vehículos que se aprestan a cruzar. La línea está en medio de las ciudades de Santa Ana do Livramento, Brasil y Rivera, Uruguay. El video muestra el monumento que marca la frontera, ubicado en la Plaza Internacional, mantenida por ambas ciudades. English text May we share a short film directed by Andrés Álvaro Rodríguez, public translator who has visited, riding his bicycle, over one thousand of the stone markers showing the borderline between Brazil and Uruguay: Brazil/Uruguay Borderline - Stone Trees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFiKvSqZV_0 We also wish to share this other short video showing a very special section of the borderline: City of Rivera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMHCPlsD9Jw&feature=related As the video says, visitors are surprised because they don´t see the usual lines of people and vehicles waiting to cross other international borders. The borderline goes through the middle of two cities, Santa Ana do Livramento, Brazil and Rivera, Uruguay. The video shows the monument marking the border, located at the International Square, maintained by both cities. Carlos Rabassa Voluntario Red de Apoyo al Plan Ceibal Montevideo, Uruguay

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Elogios y Quejas
by Carlos Rabassa 21 Feb '11

21 Feb '11

Hola todos! Hace algunos meses, tratando de buscar usos de las XO para sugerir a todos los usuarios escribí, sin mayor repercusión, sobre enseñar a nuestros niños y al resto de la población a usar sus computadoras conectadas a internet para aprender a practicar dos costumbres que aparentemente no muchos practican en nuestro país: - Decir GRACIAS! cuando alguien nos ayuda o atiende bien en una oficina pública o privada o en un comercio. - Quejarnos cuando ocurre lo contrario. Hoy volví a pensar en el tema al leer una entrevista con el próximo presidente de la Cámara de Diputados, que promete grandes novedades en este sentido para que los ciudadanos puedan comunicarse con sus representantes. Dos ejemplos más o menos recientes de nuestras quejas y elogios: Elogio: Recientemente no encontrando uno de nuestros productos favoritos en el supermercado, un arroz muy barato y muy bueno, lo comentamos con la cajera que de inmediato llamó a la supervisora quien no vaciló en darnos el correo electrónico del supermercado para plantear nuestra solicitud. Confirmamos nuestra solicitud usando el correo y aprovechamos para agradecer la intervención de ambas, cuyos nombres aparecen en sus plaquetas de identificación. Nos explicaron luego que la gestión para conseguir nuestro arroz está en marcha y que nuestro elogio las hizo destacar positivamente a ambas en su trabajo. No nos costó nada. Nos ayudó a compensar el mal humor que nos producen los que nos dan motivo para quejarnos. En algún tiempo más volveremos a comer nuestro arroz favorito. Queja: Somos usuarios muy frecuentes del transporte colectivo de Montevideo. Como jubilados viajamos cuando no tienen demasiados pasajeros. Nos parece que nos ofrecen un servicio excelente. Por ese mismo motivo, sentimos la obligación de hacerle saber a los responsables nuestras opiniones como usuarios para que no se estropee el servicio y siga mejorando. Aprovechando la publicidad de CUTCSA sobre su sitio web y correo para comentarios, les hice muchos elogios y también algunas quejas y sugerencias, relativas a lo que nos molesta a los pasajeros. Una de mis quejas fue oída: Me sentía muy humillado al tener que mantener mi equilibrio parado delante del guarda inmóvil y más joven que yo, para pagar mi boleto. Expresé mi queja en forma algo literaria pero muy sincera. Les dije más o menos esto: Me siento como deben haberse sentido muchos indígenas latinoamericanos hace algunos siglos, haciendo ofrendas monetarias al representante del invasor, sentado en su trono. Al mirar hacia adelante para adivinar la próxima frenada y no caerme, veo en el espacio sobre el parabrisas del ómnibus las banderas de España y Galicia y la cruz de Santiago de Compostela. La bandera uruguaya, a pesar de ser un ómnibus moderno, aparentemente no se conocía aún en esta colonia, cuando colocaron las otras tres, con amplio espacio para una cuarta a la izquierda, como indica la tradición (o la ley??), No sé si se han fijado que las banderas desaparecieron totalmente. En algunos casos las remplazaron por una escarapela que combina varios de nuestros símbolos nacionales. También, en los ómnibus nuevos que se van incorporando, la altura del trono del guarda ha sido reducida al punto de que en muchos casos sus pies pisan el mismo suelo que pisamos los plebeyos, los clientes, trabajadores, jubilados y turistas en su gran mayoría, que pagamos el boleto que contribuye a pagar entre otros costos el sueldo del guarda. Termino transcribiendo parte de la larga entrevista que leí hoy con el nuevo presidente de la cámara. Tal vez sería bueno si los que tengan los contactos y/o los conocimientos, actúan rápidamente antes de que se haga la licitación de que habla la entrevista para asegurarse que quien escriba las especificaciones para la transmisión de las sesiones de la cámara tenga presente la existencia de las XO. Sería muy bueno si de alguna manera los niños y sus familiares pudiesen ver estas transmisiones. Sería un complemento fantástico de la eventual visita de la clase al Palacio Legislativo. Comienzo a transcribir .... -¿Qué implica eso? -Fortalecer el cordón umbilical entre el ciudadano y el Parlamento. La gente no tiene tiempo de ver las sesiones. En los primeros días de marzo llamaré a licitación para instalar cámara de televisión y se transmitirán las sesiones por Internet. Tal vez también por la televisión. -¿Qué más implica el gobierno electrónico? -El gobierno electrónico permitirá gestiones del ciudadano ante la cámara mediante la computadora. El artículo 30 de la Constitución dice que todo habitante tiene derecho de petición ante cualquier autoridad. ...No podemos dejar que la gente ya no se queje. El Parlamento debe recibir las quejas y responder. ... Carlos Rabassa Voluntario Red de Apoyo al Plan Ceibal Montevideo, Uruguay

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Marcando Pi para notificar emergencias en Buenos Aires
by Carlos Rabassa 18 Feb '11

18 Feb '11

Carlos Rabassa

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CS4K5 Etoys
by kharness＠illinois.edu 16 Feb '11

16 Feb '11

Hello Everyone, I am happy to announce a new set of Etoys projects and lesson plans for elementary students. I hope you will find them useful and enjoyable. CS4K5 Programming with Etoys http://etoysillinois.org/library.php?tags=CS4K5 The CS4K5 Etoys curriculum introduces programming to elementary students. There are six to eight projects for each grade level. The project topics are based in typical grade level subjects from science, math, art, music, and language arts. The lesson plans are referenced to the Common Core Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, Bloom’s Taxonomy/Cognitive Domain, and the National Educational Technology Standards. The projects are not a curriculum for mathematics or for Language Arts but rather are intended to give children interesting opportunities to apply and to extend their knowledge in these and other subjects. The Etoys environment, script tiles, tools, and techniques are introduced in moderate steps from one year to the next so students build knowledge, skill, understanding, and confidence. Etoys is a playful environment and so are the projects. Two examples: http://etoysillinois.org/library?sl=821 CS4K5 Grade 1 Bugs Students will: Draw a bug and script it to turn, go forward, and bounce. Copy the bug and find that the copies will have the original scripts. Learn and apply a vocabulary of quantity, locations, and time: top and bottom, directions (up, down, left, right), and concepts such as more than half, less than half, above the line, below the line, one minute, one second, half a minute/thirty seconds. Estimate when most/least insects are in one area of the screen stop the script, and count them. Add a clock from Supplies. Add a random number generator tile to a turn and/or forward tile and observe how the insect moves differently. http://etoysillinois.org/library?sl=1719 CS4K5 Grade 5: Pentatonic Music Students will: modify the size and color of an ellipse from Supplies. Make a script with the forward tile. Use the Sound tiles to assign a frequency to the ellipse. Choose specific frequencies for the sound tiles. Use conditional statement: if obtrudes. Use a conditional statement to control when a script is paused. Use a random number to change the heading. Make copies of the ellipse modify their color, size and script. Use a playfield to limit the motion. Experiment with different lengths and widths for the playfield. Experiment with forward by values to control the polyphony. Experiment with starting location of shapes to control the polyphony. Experiment to control the location so the shapes never touch simultaneously, or so they do touch simultaneously every cycle. Add a title. Add a flap if additional information is needed. The end result is chance music of indefinite length based in the pentatonic scale. Students can, and do, play with these projects long after they finish making the project. They have made a toy. EtoysIllinois is based in the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Overview Info: No prior programming knowledge is needed. The Quick Guides are referred to when the lesson mentions a tool, tile, menu, or technique. The lessons require one 40 minute Etoys class per week. There is no homework. The lesson plans are available as word documents and as PDFs. The projects are informative and entertaining books, games, and puzzles. The projects are intended to be enjoyed long after the programmer finishes creating them. Some projects take 4-6 class periods to complete; children will persist. The projects are designed to give students time to experiment and to make decisions. Student projects based on these lessons can be found in the EtoysIllinois.org Library Collection. I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes for success to you and your students. Regards, Kathleen Harness February 16, 2011

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squeakland February 2011