[Educators] OLPC and astronomy

[Edward Cherlin]

I am sorry to take so long in replying.

In addition to the astronomy software for OLPC XOs (such as Star
Chart, http://activities.sugarlabs.org/en-US/sugar/addon/4300 ) and
the possibility of attaching a telescope, we would like to develop
interactive learning materials on every aspect of science, the history
of scientific discovery, scientific method, and the tools of science,
such as data acquisition, modeling, and data analysis. We have
conventional XO and Sugar materials at FLOSS Manuals
(http://en.flossmanuals.net/, including Make your own sugar activities
and Etoys Reference Manual, where I am a contributor), and we are
looking into the use of HTML5 (discussion on the Sugar-Devel mailing
list, where you would be welcome), or possibly EPUB3, for integrating
software into the learning process. Etoys Book and Stack
constructions, based on Apple's Hypercard, are also options being
discussed on various Squeak mailing lists. The Sugar Labs program that
I manage, Replacing Textbooks, is dedicated to those ideas and others
of their kind.

http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Replacing_Textbooks

We could discuss a range of topics related to astronomy at every age
level, with many possibilities for presentation. Here is one on
Galilean gravity, based on ideas from Alan Kay, in a Libre Office
document file. (I don't do Windows. ^_^)

http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/images/0/0e/Gravity.odt

I am a big fan of Astronomy Picture of the Day, and of its Spanish
translation, Observatorio: Una imagen diaria del Universo
(http://observatorio.info/ ). Hoy hay nombres nuevos por los satélites
de Pluton, descubiertos en 2011 y 2012 por el Telescopio Espacial
Hubble.

On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 4:23 PM, José Raeiro <zeraeiro at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I studied astrophysics and I would like to help with whatever I can.
> I'm also a science educator and gave several talks, courses, etc. I
> taught a 5-years course at the Popular University of Porto.
>
> Is there any astronomy tool in the standard software pack that comes with OLCP?
>
> I can help on the creation of content or I can work together with
> coders to produce an astronomic software tool.
>
> I believe a planetarium would be essential to this project, since most
> of the target-public live in dark skies.
>
> I would also like to discuss the creation of a $20 telescope in the
> same philosophy of OLPC.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> José Raeiro
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-- 
Edward Mokurai (默雷/निशब्दगर्ज/نشبدگرج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Replacing_Textbooks