Kids using images and scripting

Hi, Karl,

Illustrator Ed Edemberley has a fairly simple way of making many animals and more using simple shapes that work well with the basic shapes of the Etoys paint palette.

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/main.aspx?section=db

Check it out....

 -- Kim

On Oct 31, 2011, at 11:18 AM, karl ramberg wrote:

On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Kim Rose <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hello,

A quick bit of history and a reminder:

Etoys was developed with the idea that the children would create *their own*
art -- to encourage drawing and not just cut/pasting other people's
clip-art.  We'd love to see that encouraged  although we realize there are
"powerful forces" working against us.  Children have little self-esteem
regarding their drawing skills; they need encouragement, praise and
practice.

Additionally, the original intent of Etoys was not to enable/encourage all
kids to be "programmers" but to get children to think more scientifically,
and less superstitiously, and in a more thoughtful manner all together when
thinking about the world we inhabit and how it works.

Kim Rose

I agree with much of this.
But we must help the kids by showing them a way.
Many kids will just give up as it's too much to discover and its to
hard to do by them self.
What I think is way forward is to help kids make the stuff they want.
Tutorials and specially youtube clips showing how to make the kind of
images they like will encourage them to make it them self.

Art is hard and it's not obvious how to make it. Lot's of tricks and tools
are used and it take some dedication.

Etoys paint tools are good for most cases but can be a little crude and
unforgiving.

Crude by having only round and big brushes. And the very hard
pixelated edges makes detail work hard.
Non obvious color palette memory. There is no zoom to do details.

Unforgiving in the sense that editing instances take time getting used
to. You edit the original! You must remember to keep a copy or you
lose your work !


Karl

Viewpoints Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving "powerful ideas education" for the world's children and advancing
the state of systems research and personal computing. Please visit us online
at www.vpri.org





On Oct 31, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Steve Thomas wrote:

Changed subject from previous emails.
On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Bert Freudenberg <[hidden email]>
wrote:
On 31.10.2011, at 03:09, Ricardo Moran wrote:

Some kids told me they would want more graphics to choose in Etoys (like
the ones in Scratch).

Why don't they use images they found on the web, or took using a camera?

So I see a couple of issues:
      • Should we include a predefined set of images similar to Scratch?
      • Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera?
      • How can we get kids scripting (as opposed to just "playing with
images" and creating cartoons)
On item 1: Should we include a predefined set of images similar to
Scratch?
The argument I have heard against including images is that kids that:
"Seeing graphics that they might not be able to create themselves easily
can discourage them from make their own paintings."

If that is the case, then why do are there so many kid created graphics in
Scratch projects?  I have, on admittedly limited evidence, seen kids getting
stuck drawing, because they feel they can't draw well enough, which
slows/stops them.

On item 2: Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a camera?
Good question, once I show kids that this can be done, they do it.  So
perhaps it is an issue of "discoverability"?
There is a quick guide on Objects/Digital Images which is XO specific. But
does not indicate how to import an image from the Web on XO.
Also, the switching to journal/copy to clipboard, ... may be too many
steps, which might discourage kids.

On item 3: How can we get kids scripting, modeling, simulating  (as
opposed to just "playing with images" and creating cartoons)
Great question, need to think about this some more.  Not that playing with
images, creating cartoons and using Etoys as a PowerPoint replacement are
bad things, but how do we get them scripting, modeling, simulating as well.

Stephen
_______________________________________________
squeakland mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland

_______________________________________________
Squeakland mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland