[Etoys] RE: Etoys Digest, Vol 5, Issue 12

[lynnvm at carolina.rr.com]

Question:

I am wondering if anyone is working with etoys and accessibility.  I'm a
school psychologist and some of the students I work with students  have
disabilities, so this is in area that interests me. (I am also a
computer/tech student).

Thanks!

Lynn Marentette

TechPsych 
Interactive Multimedia Technology

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Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 12:00 PM
To: etoys at laptop.org
Subject: Etoys Digest, Vol 5, Issue 12

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Today's Topics:

   1. Nitpicker asks: Can students build a narration using eToys?
      (Richard Karpinski)
   2. Re: Nitpicker asks: Can students build a narration using
      eToys? (Yoshiki Ohshima)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:10:18 -0800
From: Richard Karpinski <dick at cfcl.com>
Subject: [Etoys] Nitpicker asks: Can students build a narration using
	eToys?
To: etoys at laptop.org
Message-ID: <462E6A2A-8374-4D7D-9215-2AF168DCFDD8 at cfcl.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

If a laptop using student has collected a series of photos and hand  
drawn images and diagrams, then she might wish to use some tool to  
assist in constructing a slide show with vocal narration. Does eToys  
already support such an endeavor?

I would think that  such a tool would assist students working alone  
or with others to build a viewable class report. Even if the report  
(or narration) itself is then used to teach passive students, the  
process of creating it seems to fit with the constructivist (or is it  
constructionist) flavor of education preferred by the founders of  
OLPC. Not only will the builders learn about the subject of their  
report, they will gain experience in composing reports and in  
expressing themselves in useful ways. This is valuable and engaging  
educational experience.

Richard Karpinski, World Class Nitpicker
148 Sequoia Circle, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
dick at cfcl.com  Home +1 707-546-6760   Cell +1 707-228-9716

ps Put (or leave) "nitpicker" in the subject line to get past my spam  
filters.





------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:00:04 -0800
From: Yoshiki Ohshima <yoshiki at squeakland.org>
Subject: Re: [Etoys] Nitpicker asks: Can students build a narration
	using	eToys?
To: etoys at laptop.org
Message-ID: <uodowndor.wl%yoshiki at squeakland.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

  Hi, Richard,

> If a laptop using student has collected a series of photos and hand  
> drawn images and diagrams, then she might wish to use some tool to  
> assist in constructing a slide show with vocal narration. Does eToys  
> already support such an endeavor?

  In many different ways, yes!

   However, remember that when it comes to a specific task like this,
you cannot expect to have a polished result without having some
experiences.  We keep saying that "Etoys is not a productivity tool",
meaning that it doesn't come with nice fancy features, clip art, smart
menu, smart spell correction, smart scaling, etc, etc. to make the
task of creating "slide show with narration" really smooth.

  ... I was going to write how you would do step by step, but I guess
it is not what you would like, but just check the "Demon Castle"
tutorial which is currently bundled with the Etoys on the laptop.
Demon Castle uses BookMorph (or Book), which is surely accessible to
any user.  (And it has reasonably high production value.)

  To start to make something like that by yourself, click on the red
"Supplies" tab near bottom right corner, and drag out "Book" icon.

  Demon Castle doesn't have voice narration right now, but you can add
it by using the "Sound" tool in the Supplies tab.  Drag out "Sound"
from it, and press "Record" to start recording, and press "Stop" when
you finish it.  You can make the recorded sound segment into a tile,
and play it back.  You can script it so that it gets played when the
book page is turned and a particular page is visited, or when the user
press a button, etc., etc.  That would make pretty decent "slides with
vocal narration".

> I would think that  such a tool would assist students working alone  
> or with others to build a viewable class report. Even if the report  
> (or narration) itself is then used to teach passive students, the  
> process of creating it seems to fit with the constructivist (or is it  
> constructionist) flavor of education preferred by the founders of  
> OLPC. Not only will the builders learn about the subject of their  
> report, they will gain experience in composing reports and in  
> expressing themselves in useful ways. This is valuable and engaging  
> educational experience.

  Oh, yes.  Among various laptop.org mailing lists, this insight comes
up on etoys at laptop.org more than others^^;

  One thing we are doing is to make a sub-system (a bit more like a
productivity tool) to make tutorials and teaching materials of various
kind.  The hardware is almost there, and the software that hackers can
write up is getting shape.  However, materials for the learners and
teachers are largely missing.  We would like to provide good support
for students and "students-become-teachers".

  Thank you!

-- Yoshiki


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End of Etoys Digest, Vol 5, Issue 12
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