I think back to the various work (especially Piaget, Vygotsky, and Papert) that investigates learning as a social phenomenon.<div>The XO Laptops and Sugar derive directly, in my humble opinion, from these principles, especially Papert's concept of Constructionism.</div>
<div>The issue for me, then, is not schools versus laptops (or some other technology), but how these devices and their software can be used to shape the learning environment itself. </div><div>I have seen classrooms in my school change (in terms of student independence) as a result of the students being deeply engaged with the XOs and Sugar. This change has been reflected in both the students and their teachers. </div>
<div>I think more focus should be spent on this ecosystem of learning.</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Gerald<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 8:51 PM, Blake Elias <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:blakeelias@gmail.com">blakeelias@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">It's not that Ministries of Education should *stop* their core<br>
activities, but another possibility to consider before *starting*.<br>
<br>
A physical school where children can learn and work together is<br>
wonderful. In some situations where it's a struggle to build a<br>
physical school, where it really may be a dichotomy between<br>
buildings/laptops because of the expense, maybe they want to make<br>
digital collaboration their main goal instead of building with brick<br>
and mortar.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Blake Elias<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Edward Cherlin <<a href="mailto:echerlin@gmail.com">echerlin@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> What he said. I hate false dichotomies. They abound in discussions of<br>
> education and in the politics of education, indeed in any situation<br>
> where the more extreme the position, the more likely it is to be<br>
> heard.<br>
><br>
> On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 18:04, Ian Thomson <<a href="mailto:IanT@spc.int">IanT@spc.int</a>> wrote:<br>
>> Personally, I think the whole approach is wrong. You will never convince<br>
>> Ministries of Education to stop their "core" activities just because<br>
>> there are laptops.<br>
>><br>
>> The better approach is to show how laptops can enhance education in<br>
>> schools.<br>
>> This should not be an "either/or" approach. We can do both.<br>
>><br>
>> As a simple example, children can leave the school earlier after<br>
>> suitable teaching and complete work on the laptops at home or other<br>
>> locations. This will free up the school to take a second shift of<br>
>> students.<br>
>> Teachers can restructure their teaching to have groups working together<br>
>> to learn, so freeing them up to take more students.<br>
>><br>
>> Ian Thomson<br>
>> ICT Outreach Section<br>
>> Economic Development Division<br>
>> Secretariat of the Pacific Community<br>
>> B.P. D5 - Noumea Cedex - 98848<br>
>> New Caledonia<br>
>><br>
>> Phone +687-265419<br>
>><br>
>> Fax +687 26 38 18<br>
>> <a href="http://www.spc.int" target="_blank">http://www.spc.int</a><br>
>><br>
>> -----Original Message-----<br>
>> From: <a href="mailto:iaep-bounces@lists.sugarlabs.org">iaep-bounces@lists.sugarlabs.org</a><br>
>> [mailto:<a href="mailto:iaep-bounces@lists.sugarlabs.org">iaep-bounces@lists.sugarlabs.org</a>] On Behalf Of Bernie Innocenti<br>
>> Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 8:36 AM<br>
>> To: Timothy Falconer<br>
>> Cc: <a href="mailto:olpc-haiti@lists.laptop.org">olpc-haiti@lists.laptop.org</a>; grassroots OLPC;<br>
>> <a href="mailto:olpc-open@lists.laptop.org">olpc-open@lists.laptop.org</a>; Squeakland List; Maho 2010; IAEP;<br>
>> <a href="mailto:ht2011-winter@waveplace.org">ht2011-winter@waveplace.org</a><br>
>> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [realness] a school is not a building<br>
>><br>
>> On Sun, 2010-12-05 at 15:18 -0500, Timothy Falconer wrote:<br>
>>> Hi all,<br>
>>><br>
>>> A favor: help me make this case (or refute it) as we prepare once<br>
>>> more for Haiti ... "spend money on training & laptops instead bricks<br>
>>> and mortar".<br>
>>><br>
>>> <a href="http://waveplace.com/news/blog/archive/001035.jsp" target="_blank">http://waveplace.com/news/blog/archive/001035.jsp</a><br>
>><br>
>> It's a beautiful thought that touches deep into my hacker spirit, but<br>
>> the conclusion seems weak: what is it that we are advocating for? Remote<br>
>> learning? Home-schooling? Having classes under a tree? It's unclear.<br>
>><br>
>> The point that you were making with the military canteen vs cooking at<br>
>> home metaphor is that compulsory education doesn't follow individual<br>
>> inclinations. Then, the conclusion should state the proposed solution<br>
>> for this problem.<br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
>> // Bernie Innocenti - <a href="http://codewiz.org/" target="_blank">http://codewiz.org/</a><br>
>> \X/ Sugar Labs - <a href="http://sugarlabs.org/" target="_blank">http://sugarlabs.org/</a><br>
>><br>
>> _______________________________________________<br>
>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)<br>
>> <a href="mailto:IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org">IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org</a><br>
>> <a href="http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep" target="_blank">http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep</a><br>
>><br>
>> _______________________________________________<br>
>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)<br>
>> <a href="mailto:IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org">IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org</a><br>
>> <a href="http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep" target="_blank">http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep</a><br>
>><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin<br>
> Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.<br>
> The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.<br>
> <a href="http://www.earthtreasury.org/" target="_blank">http://www.earthtreasury.org/</a><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)<br>
> <a href="mailto:IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org">IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org</a><br>
> <a href="http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep" target="_blank">http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep</a><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)<br>
<a href="mailto:IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org">IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep" target="_blank">http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep</a></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>