[Etoys] Impressions on B1 Machine

[Alan Kay]

Hi Andrew --

Here are two white papers about Etoys. The first gives the gist of 
what they are and how they are used for education. The second is a 
discussion about how media can be made in simple ways in Etoys.

http://www.squeakland.org/pdf/etoys_n_learning.pdf

http://www.squeakland.org/pdf/etoys_n_authoring.pdf

There is quite a bit more available http://www.squeakland.org 
including a book "Powerful Ideas in the Classroom". And quite a few 
example projects and projects done by children.

There are a number of separate chapters to this book available at: 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Etoys_projects . This wiki page hasn't been 
added to the external wiki yet. The chapters can be downloaded by 
clicking on the captions of the pictures. (Eventually) clicking on 
the pictures will download the actual example projects.

As I mentioned in a previous note, it would be a very good thing for 
there to be more continuity in how scripting is done with children 
aged 3-5, 6-8, 9-11 (Etoys is aimed specifically at this age range 
but works OK for a few years either side), 12-14, 15-18. Each of the 
age ranges needs somewhat different treatment, resources and UI.

I have been trying to get the Python community to do a special 
children's environment, either along the lines of Etoys or better 
(but not worse), partly on the grounds that the XO is Python-based, 
and that the Python community is larger out in the world, and thus a 
Python based system is likely to be more changeable and fixable by 
the receivers of XO. From the standpoint of our rallying cry 
"Children First", this would be a very good result.

However, I have also suggested to the Python community that they take 
the time to see how and why the underlying Squeak environment is so 
integrated, complete and portable. This should provide some ideas 
about how to make Python more like a felicitous place to live as well 
as being a useful toolbox.

Cheers,

Alan

At 09:02 PM 12/24/2006, Andrew Clunis wrote:
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>On Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 12:07:08PM -0800, Yoshiki Ohshima wrote:
> >   Viewing source code was under discussion.  The implementation
> > langauge of Etoys, again, is different from the standard language on
> > OLPC, so it wouldn't serve as a prototype or mockup.  That said, Etoys
> > already have built-in development facility that expose all source code
> > in the system.  One may get some idea from there.  (Is somebody going
> > to write a Python development environment for children?)
>
>Yup, I am. :)
>
>http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Develop
>
>Now, I think it is important for Develop and Etoys to share some common
>idioms, but reconciling the Squeak development model with the
>Python/Sugar one is kind of tricky.  That, and I've not quite figured
>out Squeak yet...
> >
> >   Thank you!
> >
> > -- Yoshiki
> > _______________________________________________
> > Etoys mailing list
> > Etoys at laptop.org
> > http://mailman.laptop.org/mailman/listinfo/etoys
>
>- --
>Regards (and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays),
>Andrew Clunis
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