Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn on HB5000

[Edward Cherlin]

On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 5:28 PM, Bobby Powers <bobbypowers at gmail.com> wrote:
> Has anyone looked into the Encyclopedia of the Earth / Earth Portal?
> http://www.eoearth.org/
>
> They have several ebooks and online textbooks, and peer-reviewed content (to
> edit, you have to apply, and all changes to the public pages must be
> approved by topic editors is my understanding).  It could be a solid way to
> get more content that is less collaborative in nature (as textbooks and some
> hard science reference material typically is) onto the machines.  Just my
> 2¢.

See also http://www.librarianchick.com/ for a catalogue of free
electronic textbooks and other learning materials from many sources.

> yours,
> Bobby Powers
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 12:49 AM, Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > I talked with Ryan Croke of Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn's
> > office today. They are keen on this project, and would like to arrange
> > for us to assist in getting the program designed for the best possible
> > outcome. HB5000 is moving rapidly through the House, and will then go
> > to the Senate, which is likely to turn it over to the Education
> > Committee for public hearings. We should organize to bring our XOs and
> > our children to Springfield for the hearings.
> >
> > Among the questions:
> >
> > Schools will be allowed to choose from among the available laptops.
> > The program should capture the differences in outcomes between schools
> > using different hardware and software, using appropriate measures LG
> > Quinn's office agrees. Nicholas Negroponte is strongly opposed to
> > "bake-offs", but the world doesn't work the way he wants.
> >
> > We need to work with the legislature, the Education authority, and
> > with schools on appropriate integration of laptops into curricula, and
> > provide at least draft versions of electronic textbooks on all
> > requested subjects. Much of what we want to do has yet to be designed.
> > In fact, the software that we want to build the textbooks on has in
> > some major cases yet to be designed. How much can we promise for the
> > start of the next school year in September? That depends very strongly
> > on who steps up to do it.
> >
> > It is very important in pilot projects to do good experimental design
> > before hand so that the results contain usable information, not merely
> > data. We need to talk to people who know something about these issues,
> > who also understand what we are trying to measure.
> >
> > What training can be put together for the summer before? We need to
> > demonstrate the meaning and value of learning by doing through
> > collaborative discovery, aka Constructionism. Then we need to provide
> > the toolkit for teachers to apply it, and provide feedback mechanisms
> > so that their experience and insights steadily improve the process.
> >
> > This program requires dedicated resources, and management, on our side
> > and several others. That means that we need to look for funding.
> > Anybody know a good grant writer?
> >
> > No Child Left Behind creates perverse incentives that can interfere
> > with the program. Can we get waivers from the Federal Government for
> > the trials?
> >
> > --
> >
> >
> >
> > Edward Cherlin
> > End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
> > http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
> > "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay
> > _______________________________________________
> > Devel mailing list
> > Devel at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel
> >
>
>



-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay