Spreadsheets

[Steve Fullerton]

Hello,

Sketchpad is great, but I think that for an initial OLPC application, one
has to focus on the future integration and subsequent transition from human
instructor-based learning to computer-based learning.

I would think that the most simple mathematics will always be taught by a
human teacher because that human teacher to the child is a logical extension
(if not the same) to their human parent.  At that age (1-6) the human cannot
be replaced by a computer full-time --- however, the human can be
supplemented and enhanced through an OLPC software tool.

Sketchpad would be a perfect tool to facilitate/accelerate the transition
from human to a machine-based learning paradigm (ages 6-12), thus freeing up
the human resource to concentrate on the nurturing phase.  In developing
countries, educated human resources are very often a very scarce commodity.
Isn't this a fundamental justification for OLPC?

On 5/31/07, Don Hopkins <dhopkins at donhopkins.com> wrote:
>
>  I would love to see something like Geometer's Sketchpad (based on ideas
> from Ivan Sutherland's original Sketchpad) on the OLPC.
>
> http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketchpad
>
> "Sketchpad was a revolutionary computer program written by Ivan Sutherland
> in 1963 in the course of his PhD thesis. It helped change the way people
> interact with computers. Sketchpad is considered to be the ancestor of
> modern computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs as well as a major
> breakthrough in the development of computer graphics in general. Ivan
> Sutherland demonstrated with it that computer graphics could be utilized for
> both artistic and technical purposes in addition to showing a novel method
> of human-computer interaction."
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometer%27s_Sketchpad
>
> "The Geometer's Sketchpad is a popular commercial interactive geometry
> software program for exploring Euclidean geometry, algebra, calculus, and
> other areas of mathematics. It was created by Nicholas Jackiw. It is
> designed to run on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 or later and Mac OS 8.6 or
> later (including Mac OS X). It also runs on Linux under Wine with few minor
> bugs.
>
> Geometer's Sketchpad includes the traditional Euclidean tools of classical
> Geometric constructions; that is, if a figure (such as the pentadecagon) can
> be constructed with compass and straight-edge, it can also be constructed
> using this program. However, the program also allows users to employ
> transformations to "cheat," creating figures impossible to construct under
> the traditional compass-and-straight-edge rules (such as the regular
> nonagon)."
>
>     -Don
>
>
> Steve Fullerton wrote:
>
> A very simplified spreadsheet on the OLPC machine would be nothing more
> than a teacher's blackboard that is interactive.  E.g. the child can
> experiment/interact with the blackboard.  Traditionally, numbers are written
> on the board; solutions are given.  The ability of the student to manipulate
> these would be a great advance.  The bridge from rote learning to
> experimental learning.
>
> This is something we are thinking about at UCSD.
>
> On 5/31/07, Yoshiki Ohshima <yoshiki at squeakland.org > wrote:
> >
> >   Michael,
> >
> > > There are no plans for an official OLPC spreadsheet activity. At
> > > least, none that I have heard of (or could imagine). Largely because 6
> > > year olds shouldn't have access to it.
> >
> >   Can you explain why they shouldn't?
> >
> >   Spreadsheet is a good way to experiment numbers and (usually)
> > provides simple rules to manipulate them.  Thinking about patterns and
> > relationships, it can be a pretty good tool.
> >
> >   A built-in graph feature would be a plus, but it is also good way to
> > make them "draw" a graph by usign each cells as pixels.  Making a
> > graph feature should give them better understanding what a graph is.
> >
> >   (For the making graph part, many kind of graphs can be done in Etoys
> > (and TurtleArt) by using the pen feature.  Etoys has a "holder" object
> > that can hold a sequence of numbers as text, so you can do very
> > rudimentary spread sheet like thing by yourself...)
> >
> > -- Yoshiki
> > _______________________________________________
> > Devel mailing list
> > Devel at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel
> >
>
>
>
>


-- 
Regards,

Steve

Steven C. Fullerton
email: fullerton.steve at gmail.com
cell/voice mail: 619.339.9116
website: www.scfmetrics.com
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