[OLPC library] Lesson plans needed

[Edward Cherlin]

On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 2:02 PM, Tom Boonsiri <tom.boonsiri at gmail.com> wrote:
> Amen on the evaluator's feedback, but did it really take an evaluator to
> bring that to everyone's attention? For everyone who has participated in the
> past 2 yrs+, I don't think it's news that we've failed to include educators
> into the fold. By all means, we are all educators in some sense just by
> participating in this project but we don't have the experience to
> effectively judge what an effective lesson plan should be. I applaud OLE
> Nepal for really striving to bring educators into the working group but I
> really think we need to suspend all application development efforts until
> we've identified more structure to the educational content to be delivered
> on the platforms. It needs to be much more than just another "cool" app
> churned out from a code jam.
>
> How will OLPC's XO supplement a formal curriculum? This needs to go beyond
> simply supplying a working internet connection. I think we'd all like to see
> an application and accompanying lesson plan that children will vest interest
> but also provide an opportunity to let kids run wild with the concepts and
> integrate their ideas with the rest of the community. I encourage the rest
> of the application developers to focus on the outline of a lesson plan prior
> to any software development. Right now projects are being hosted with rough
> definitions but no educational substance. I implore that as a requirement
> all developers should post a lesson plan along with the details of their
> application. This will really encourage those to seek the assistance of
> educators. We still have time to make this process less backwards with
> respect to our educational goals. It's one thing to hack 48 straight hours
> but I question the worth of that code at the end of the Jam. I don't intend
> to criticize but hopefully help others realign their efforts more closely
> with the educational goal.
>
> On another note, I've been working on a Health Educational bundle that will
> include both hardware, software, and hardcopy materials for distribution.

Would you be willing to pitch it to the National Education
Association? It should work with ordinary PCs with readily available
digital oscilloscope boards, USB-connected instruments, and data
acquisition software, such as National Instruments sells. In fact, we
should recruit them as a partner.

http://www.nea.org/classroom/sendyourlesson.html
Publish Your Lesson Plan on NEA.org!
NEA Members, send us a lesson plan, and we'll publish it on NEA.org.
If it works for you, it might work for someone else!

We have to open the discussion with American teachers about what OLPC
in Birmingham, Alabama, or New York City or Illinois means for the
future of their profession.

> I've pitched the idea to OLPC Peru, Thailand, Nepal, and Arjun will be
> asking India's pilots on my behalf. Here's a snippet of our Introduction and
> to those who are interested, feel free to email me or the below email to
> follow-up:
>
> "OLPC Golden State strongly believes in the educational mission
> of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization.  We not only feel that it's
> a great platform to allow children to provide greater access to information
> but an opportunity to analyze the information in their environment.  The
> analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input which is built into the microphone
> jack is a unique feature that enables the students to explore and quantify
> various natural phenomena. OLPC Golden State realizes the many applications
> of this sensor interface and has focused on the health-related focuses,
> specifically the natural biorhythms in our human body.
>
>  We've developed this health education bundle and its hardware peripherals
> under the assumption that educators and students have no background in
> biology.  As a result, we've constructed a wonderful package to give
> students a thorough introduction of biology and anatomy and to finish with
> an understanding of how technology can be applied to observe the human body.
> The lesson was constructed to answer some very basic questions: "What is a
> vital sign? (What makes me alive?)"  A historical perspective is even
> included to development of that definition. We've also included two
> different technical approaches to answer the same question to demonstrate
> how technology has progressed and teach children that there are various ways
> to resolve the same problem.  We ultimately hope that the students leave
> this lesson plan with an answer to that original question and an
> understanding that everything they do has an effect on their body but
> perhaps a better question: "What will it take to ensure my vital sign stays
> strong?"
>
> This lesson plan is age appropriate for 11-18 yr olds.  Our lesson plan
> includes both worksheets to be supplied to the students for background as
> well as outlines to guide the instructor's delivery of the lesson plans.
>
> If you require any HW support or would like to inquire about the procurement
> of the hardware accessories to support this lesson plan, please e-mail us
> at: olpc.goldenstate at yahoo.com."

-- 
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