#4546 NORM Never A: Request to include: Flipsticks

[Zarro Boogs per Child]

#4546: Request to include: Flipsticks
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 Reporter:  edstoner  |       Owner:  jg            
     Type:  defect    |      Status:  new           
 Priority:  normal    |   Milestone:  Never Assigned
Component:  distro    |     Version:                
 Keywords:  killjoy?  |    Verified:  0             
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 Flipsticks was developed for MaMaMedia

 Git source is at dev.laptop.org/git/mamamedia/flipsticks

 XO bundle is at
 http://www.worldwideworkshop.org/olpcwiki/images/5/58/FlipSticks-
 RC-1.3.xo.zip

 Motivation:

 A. Epistemological impact—to what degree does this activity positively
 impact learning?
 Flipsticks is a keyframe animation tool that lets you pose and program a
 stick figure to move.  It provides a fun context for learners (and
 beginning XO users) to explore basic functions of the XO laptop and to
 learn how to articulate many creative ideas.  You can save your Flipsticks
 animations to the Journal and share them with friends using the mesh
 network. You can export the first pose as a picture, then use it in other
 creative projects. Flipsticks can be integrated into many school subject
 areas such as creative writing, art, drama, geometry and computer
 programming. Students can make Flipsticks figures that relate to a subject
 the class is studying, and share them with peers.  It helps you develop
 spatial and analytical thinking skills and to express ideas that you might
 not have words for yet.
 B. Fun—is it fun? engaging?
 Yes. Flipsticks is a playful and highly entertaining learning activity
 that stealthily introduces users to concepts in keyframe animation
 geometry and computer programming. Pose the stick figure by clicking
 directly on him or by editing the angle and size of his body parts in a
 text list. Create and edit five keyframe poses then watch how the computer
 interpolates the in between positions for you. Save your animations in the
 Journal and share them over the mesh. Export the first frame as an image
 to be used in other drawings and puzzles you are building on the XO.

 C. Quality—is the activity sufficiently robust in its implementation that
 it will not compromise the integrity or supportability of the system? Is
 the overall quality of the implementation adequate to meet our standards?
 Can the community be engaged in the process of testing and "certifying"
 and maintaining the activity?
 Yes. Flipsticks is robust and has been coded specifically to work within
 the system requirements of the XO.  It has been in development since May
 and has been through four comprehensive rounds of testing by the
 development team, the OLPC team and OLPC community volunteers.

 D. Sugerized—to what extent has the activity been integrated into Sugar,
 including UI, Journal, security, internationalization, etc.?
 Flipsticks has been fully Sugerized to ensure that it runs well within the
 Sugar framework and UI. It provides incentive for creating images with
 other core tools, like Paint and Record and it offers a seamless process
 for incorporating those assets in an original cartoon. It leverages the
 Journal for keeping and resuming instance and for exporting ‘First Frame’
 images. It utilizes the mesh network for sharing animations.

 Does the activity require the folding in of additional libraries and
 resources? (This has impact on robustness—positive and negative—support,
 bloat, and the overall usability, aesthetics, and perception of quality of
 the machine.)
 Flipsticks does not require additional libraries or resources that are not
 already part of the Sugar framework.

 E. FOSS—is the activity and all of its dependencies free and open?
 Yes, Flipsticks is fully open and free.
 F. Extensible—is the activity something the community can extend? Does it
 span multiple needs? (And does it have—or the potential of having—an
 upstream community of support?)
 Yes. Flipsticks is designed to be expandable and transformable by the
 educator and developer communities. Educators can create new Lesson plans
 for it. Developers and aspiring developers can add new features and
 customize the code. It is completely open and ready for Community use and
 expansion.

 G. Uniqueness—does the activity add a unique feature to the core?
 Yes. Flipsticks is a unique keyframe animation tool for the XO. It
 incorporates a unique Export image option not seen in many other XO
 activities right now. Users can also share the creative output over the
 mesh, and it features integrated Lesson Plans, another unique and
 expandable feature.

 H. Expectations—does the activity meet the expectations of (children,
 teachers, parents, G1G1 audience, etc.)?
 Yes. Flipsticks is suitable for children, teachers and families worldwide,
 as well as G1G1 and other OLPC initiatives.

 I. Discoverable—is the core activity discoverable? (This is not to say
 that it shouldn't be hard work to fully exploit the power of an activity,
 but it should have a low barrier to entry.)
 Yes, Flipsticks presents a low barrier to entry; it is easy to make and
 save a simple animation by clicking on the stick figure. The option to
 modify the angle and size of individual body parts adds complexity and
 advanced play options for more sophisticated users. Features like sharing
 original creations over the mesh, and experimenting with a set of Lesson
 Plan ideas also extend the activity.

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Ticket URL: <https://dev.laptop.org/ticket/4546>
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