[OLPC library] Curriculum for developing world OLPC - 3D Maya -> Scratch -> 3DOrbiter - Application based learning

[Brown, Henry, DoIT]

Kids need goals to understand basics.
My son began using Maya at three years old. He built snails, snail space ships, etc.
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525
He also works in Scratch, Alice, C, Unreal.
My 12 yr old will is now playing with orbiter, runescape, MATLAB.
http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/
He is also handicapped.
So he is not always as fast as normal kids.
 
The kids I worked with in South America, Carribean, Navajo and Apache reservations have
the ability to learn far more.
They simply need the examples (cartoons) to motivate them. 
Then the software tools to investigate them (scratch).
OLPC can target these needs only if the cartoon software can allow the beginners to excel.
I have seen this work in computer camps I have created in Santa Fe, NM, Window Rock, AZ and in Gallup, NM.
 
Wood Gormley Elementary - Making your own Video Game - Computer Camp
 
11/5,7,12,14/07 (3:00 -4:30 PM)- 12 5th and 6th graders
 
Students (5th and 6th grade) were sent home with application two weeks before camp.
Each class started with kids eating a snack and a short discussion.
The students were awarded a 256 MB flash drive upon completion of camp.
Students finished an evaluation form on the last day.
 
Kids enjoyed programming first in Scratch www.scratch.mit.edu for two days.
They were then allowed to view and use Alice www.alice.org and Unreal Demo.
The Unreal Demo was an unpopulated landscape of Unreal and documented in:(no violent characters)
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Unreal-Technology-Level-Design/dp/0672326922
 
Math skills:
Day 1 - Kids were able understand the basics of  2D (x,y) game design with Scratch.
They learned cartesian coordinate system for Scratch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_coordinate_system
Day 1-2 - They also were exposed to simple variables and algebra to move Sprites.
Day 3 - Loops and conditional satements
Day 3-4 - Alice taught 3D (x,y,z) skills and Object Oriented programming
 
Programming skills: Scratch
Stepwise refinement
Algorithm design
Collision detection
Loops (repeat until, infinite)
Conditional statements (if then)
Boolean logic
 
Programming skills: Alice
(all skills above)
Methods
Object programming
 
Media skills:
Basic drawing
Image overlays
 
Special thanks to Kathleen Brown from SFCC and Pat Nordby from SFPS.
Kathy Brown provided organizational support.
Pat Norby contributed technical support and flash drives.
Henry Brown instructed and contributed technical expertise and curriculum.
 
Special thanks to all Wood Gormley staff. The principal and librarian supported us daily.
 
Kathleen Brown
Instructor - Business and Technology Division
Santa Fe Community College
kfinn at sfccnm.edu
 
Pat Nordby
Santa Fe Public Schools
pnordby at sfps.info
 
Henry Brown
henry.brown at state.nm.us
cell 795-3680
office 505 827-2509

 
 
 
 
Henry Brown
henry.brown at state.nm.us
cell 795-3680
office 505 827-2509

________________________________

From: Ivan Krstic [mailto:krstic at solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu]
Sent: Tue 1/29/2008 5:47 PM
To: Edward Cherlin
Cc: Brown, Henry, DoIT; arjunsarwal at gmail.com; library at lists.laptop.org
Subject: Re: [OLPC library] OLPC+Polywell Fusion power+EMS/SCADA = Off grid power for rural areas = Better healthcare



On Jan 29, 2008, at 11:54 PM, Edward Cherlin wrote:
> Schoolchildren can investigate claimed tabletop fusion systems.


How about we start with some basic literacy, numeracy, and exploratory 
programming tools and, you know, get to tabletop fusion by working our 
way up?

--
Ivan Krstic <krstic at solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu> | http://radian.org


______________________________________________________________________
This inbound email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
______________________________________________________________________




Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including all attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited unless specifically provided under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of this message. -- This email has been scanned by the Sybari - Antigen Email System. 



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/library/attachments/20080130/b6af2a71/attachment.htm