[squeak-dev] Squeakers & Etoys

> Hi everyone,
>
> Scott Wallace & Rita Freudenberg pointed me to the recent thread on  
> squeak-dev about Squeak, Etoys, and the future.  Quite a good  
> read.   Even missed a lunch meeting because I was so caught up with  
> it.
>
> For the last six months, I've been helping to create Squeakland  
> Foundation, the spin-off from VPRI to champion Etoys and education.  
> As a group, we've talked quite a bit about the issues raised in this  
> thread.
>
> Who's we?   http://squeakland.org/about/people/
>
> Until now, we've been mostly getting our act together, planning  
> Squeakfest Brasil and Squeakfest USA (squeakfest.org), and creating  
> new educational materials.   VPRI has been a big part of this  
> process, spending considerable time & money helping us become self-
> sufficient, along with helping us retain the spirit that led to the  
> creation of Squeak and Etoys.  Our goal is to become much more  
> collaborative in our decision-making, with both educators and  
> developers.
>
> So let's start now ... here's the view from Squeakland.  Please  
> respond with as much passion and rancor as you like.   We want to  
> hear all sides.
>
> In my opinion ...
>
> ** Etoys has been extremely successful.  There are many, many  
> examples of inspiring work around the world.
>
> I came to VPRI's attention because of my work at Waveplace, where  
> last year we trained many teachers and kids in some difficult  
> places, like Haiti and Nicaragua.  I've lived and breathed Etoys,  
> teaching adults & kids, experiencing first hand what it's like to  
> have a whole room hitting the same stumbling block at the same  
> time.  But here's the thing ... with the right mentoring they *get  
> through* the stumbling blocks and reach the "light bulb" moment when  
> they experience mastery and become hooked.
>
> Our first-hand experience has been overwhelmingly positive.  But  
> never mind words ... what's missing from this talk are the children  
> themselves:
>
> Have a look here:  http://waveplace.com/locations/nicaragua/movie.jsp?id=80 
>    (six minutes)
>
> or here:  http://waveplace.com/locations/nicaragua/movie.jsp?id=94   
> (thirty seconds)
>
> The look on the girl's face in the longer video (around 5:32) really  
> tells the whole story for me.  Transformation.
>
>
> ** Etoys is more than visual programming for kids.   Squeakland's  
> focus is to teach *with* Etoys.
>
> Towards that end we've begun work on a full-spectrum course that  
> uses Etoys to help teach what teachers already need to teach:  
> language arts, social studies, science, math, etc.  We want to help  
> the whole school, not just the computer lab.
>
> More here:  http://wiki.squeakland.org/display/sq/Squeakland 
> +Courseware
>
> and here:  http://www.etoysillinois.org/library.php
>
>
> ** Etoys is very effective for younger children (6 to 12 years old)
>
> Our recent focus has been largely for this age range, as we believe  
> Etoys has benefits over Alice and Scratch.  It's also the age when  
> the most profound transformations can occur, when creative problem  
> solving can be reinforced in ways that last through a child's whole  
> education.
>
>
> ** Squeakland Foundation can help teach both Squeak and Etoys
>
> When choosing the name for the new organization, we purposely kept  
> "Squeak" in the name because we believe in the transition from Etoys  
> to Squeak, and foresee a future where the efforts of Squeakland will  
> help teach & inspire Squeak as well.  We see Squeak as a natural  
> extension of Etoys ... many educators and administrators have  
> expressed interest in this.   Yes, Alice and Scratch are suited to  
> teaching programming to middle schoolers and high schoolers, but so  
> is *Squeak*, with the right focus and training materials.  We'd like  
> to help paint this picture ... the "what next?" when kids outgrow  
> Etoys.  Please help us.
>
>
> ** Etoys could use improvement
>
> We're well aware of the stumbling blocks for new users of Etoys.  A  
> colleague once described Scratch as "low entry, low ceiling" and  
> Etoys as "high entry, high ceiling".   Much of our discussions have  
> centered around lowering the barriers to entry, which includes user  
> interface fixes, better tutorials, better documentation, etc.
>
> When I first met Alan Kay, I told him Squeakland needed a better  
> website.  He quickly responded, "Maybe you could help us with  
> that."  (How could I say no?)
>
> Now I put it to you ... "maybe you could help us with Etoys" ... we  
> genuinely need your help.   Your work will help inspire children  
> from around the world, like the little girl in the Nicaragua movie.
>
> Please let us know you're out there by clicking "contact" on  
> squeakland.org.
>
> You can also look over our evolving wiki & issue tracker & newsletter:
>
> http://wiki.squeakland.org
>
> http://tracker.squeakland.org
>
> http://squeakland.org/news/newsletter/
>
>
> If something seems to be missing, it's because we're waiting for you.
>
> Thank you for your time,
> Timothy
>
> --
> Timothy Falconer
> Squeakland Foundation
> http://squeakland.org
> 610-797-3100
>
>
>
>
>

> * We'd love to have you all attend this year's Squeakfest (Aug  
> 10,11,12 at UCLA).   You'll get to see educators, hear great  
> experiences, and see a class of children being taught.  We're also  
> holding a technical track for Squeak developers.
>
> More than this, we'd gladly make room for a roundtable or two about  
> the very issues discussed here in squeak-dev.   Squeakfest is a great  
> place to get together and talk about Squeak, particularly since it's  
> being held near VPRI and will have many of the Squeak pioneers in  
> attendance.  Come help us make (new) history.