[sugar] sugar and the digital age (was Re: notes from the field - Mongolia)

[Tomeu Vizoso]

Hi Elana,

d) Although I think building a tagging tool around kids natural ways
of thinking is really exciting, most teachers/schools/gov'ts are
really concerned that this OS isn't preparing kids for the digital age
properly. Most people feel it is important the computer meet some
simple expectations that are common and understandable practices on
any OS - like having files that can be saved and accessed in a simple
place for example.

could you elaborate on what means for teachers/schools/govts to
prepare kids for the digital age? It may be that we are not giving
enough importance to that requirement (?).

[All: this topic is very broad and maybe controversial, please try to
keep the threads focused and spawn new ones when needed]

Greg, as OLPC's product manager, are we missing anything on that aspect?

Thanks,

Tomeu

[elana langer]

there is a very common feeling amongst policy makers and teacher that
the XO doesn't really prepare students for the field of IT. There was
a pilot project done in Mongolia that was run by the Japanese gov't
where they introduced Linux to 4 towns. The students went on to study
at the Mongolian IT college and apparently "failed" all their courses.
The outcome was that these students were not prepared for "real IT".

Personally I feel that this is bogus and that it is the notion of IT,
education and learning that need to be examined at the university
level as well - however - just as I have learned when trying to reform
educational methodologies there is a need to meet the norm half way
(at least) and work from within - it would be nice if the OS could be
designed in a similar gentler manner.

Teachers, parents, gov't officials and many others are concerned that
the computer doesn't conform to their expectations of a computer. Bear
in mind that there was a lot promised in this computer like
collaboration and mesh and the crank (everyone asks about the damn
crank) that are still in development and all get lumped into the
understanding of the OS.

Essentially, in the minds of these people, fluency on windows, being
able to do power point presentations and surf the web is what being
prepared means. - I think if we could make some things a little more
straightforward like saving, storing and accessing files (in the way
PC users and Mac users can sort their way out in the opposite OS
pretty intuitively) it would help bridge the gap to traditional
expectations.

el.

Post by Tomeu Vizoso
Hi Elana,

d) Although I think building a tagging tool around kids natural ways
of thinking is really exciting, most teachers/schools/gov'ts are
really concerned that this OS isn't preparing kids for the digital age
properly. Most people feel it is important the computer meet some
simple expectations that are common and understandable practices on
any OS - like having files that can be saved and accessed in a simple
place for example.

could you elaborate on what means for teachers/schools/govts to
prepare kids for the digital age? It may be that we are not giving
enough importance to that requirement (?).
[All: this topic is very broad and maybe controversial, please try to
keep the threads focused and spawn new ones when needed]
Greg, as OLPC's product manager, are we missing anything on that aspect?
Thanks,
Tomeu

[Bert Freudenberg]

Post by elana langer
there is a very common feeling amongst policy makers and teacher that
the XO doesn't really prepare students for the field of IT. There was
a pilot project done in Mongolia that was run by the Japanese gov't
where they introduced Linux to 4 towns. The students went on to study
at the Mongolian IT college and apparently "failed" all their courses.
The outcome was that these students were not prepared for "real IT".
Personally I feel that this is bogus and that it is the notion of IT,
education and learning that need to be examined at the university
level as well - however - just as I have learned when trying to reform
educational methodologies there is a need to meet the norm half way
(at least) and work from within - it would be nice if the OS could be
designed in a similar gentler manner.
Teachers, parents, gov't officials and many others are concerned that
the computer doesn't conform to their expectations of a computer. Bear
in mind that there was a lot promised in this computer like
collaboration and mesh and the crank (everyone asks about the damn
crank) that are still in development and all get lumped into the
understanding of the OS.
Essentially, in the minds of these people, fluency on windows, being
able to do power point presentations and surf the web is what being
prepared means. - I think if we could make some things a little more
straightforward like saving, storing and accessing files (in the way
PC users and Mac users can sort their way out in the opposite OS
pretty intuitively) it would help bridge the gap to traditional
expectations.

Well, the XO already goes way more than half-way towards the popular
notions of how computers should work. Almost all the software stack is
identical to what you find on an arbitrary desktop. Demanding that it
should go even more towards what is currently hip in this very
immature field of "IT" doesn't sound too compelling if the goal is to
empower future generations to use computers as malleable tools for
thought, rather than as enslaving magical devices for office work. I'm
glad at least some aspects of the system question the current status
quo. Kudos to the Sugar developers for not giving in to the crowd's
pseudo-wisdom.

- Bert -

[Martin Dengler]

Post by Bert Freudenberg

Essentially, in the minds of [teachers, parents, gov't officials],
fluency on windows, being able to do power point presentations and
surf the web is what being prepared means.

Indeed. I think at least some consideration should be given to a
filesystem view leaking through to the Journal. And, or even: but,
those who believe that power point presentations are an important
part of being prepared are often quite convinced by power point
presentations or similar superficial attempts, so significant changes
to core UI might not be necessary to reassure them. Even an activity
to copy files might be able to assuage their fears about the journal,
and those are easy enough to make (though see other discussions about
how the about-to-be-deployed journal is quite decent at the basic
to-and-from-USB file transfers).

Post by Bert Freudenberg
Kudos to the Sugar developers for not giving in to the crowd's
pseudo-wisdom.

Hear, hear*

Post by Bert Freudenberg
- Bert -

Martin

*