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:
- object oriented class structure,
- microprocessor architecture and functionality,
- human meta cognition
- history of the computer/transistor,
- modelling logic gates and Boolean logic,
- syllogistic logic,
- 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
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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