[OLPC library] Lesson plans needed (was Re: Release 8.2.0 -- pls add critical features (Greg Smith))

[Edward Cherlin]

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 12:48 AM, Bryan Berry <bryan.berry at gmail.com> wrote:
>>This is Alan Kay's domain, among others.
>
> Alan may have expertise in this area but there also lots great working
> teachers that know as much or more about constructionism in practice as
> its academic icons. They are the folks to work w/.

Yes, I meant to say that Alan is one of the experts, not _the_ expert.

>>> 2) The parents don't see the learning activities as anything more
> than
>>> games.
>
>>Has anybody taught any of the programming language tutorials to the
>>children?
>
> All the teaching in the schools will have to be done by the teachers at
> the schools. We don't want to just drop in a special teacher for a week.
> We have to make this part of the system. The way to do this is to train
> the existing teachers and tie the programming lessons to the national
> curriculum. This is a time-consuming process and we are working on it.
>
> Schools are not 'greenfields' where we can start work from a blank
> slate. We have to work w/ what we have.
>
> Also, parents won't see EToys as any more serious than E-Paath, and
> perhaps less so. it will take time to change their perceptions.

It is hard to judge in text, but you sound defensive. I wasn't
attacking you or the Nepalese, just inquiring.

To return to my original theme, we need a global program to create
21-st century curricula, textbooks, and lesson plans that all fit
together and make use of what we know about how children learn, and
the available software, and we have to find appropriate paths from
here to there that are practical under current political, cultural,
and other conditions. Any suggestions for creating, organizing, or
contributing to such an effort are welcome. Any work done in one
language for one country is welcome, and we'll try to get resources
for making it available to others. Any further suggestions are
welcome.
-- 
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