From Sugar Labs

Mission

The "Start the large and wide-ranging discussion..." might better be something like "Work to tame Help to digest the large and wide-ranging discussion..." to be more inviting to practical actions. --FGrose 16:32, 6 March 2009 (UTC) (The mood of the discussion changes with time and tenure.)--FGrose 21:28, 1 July 2009 (UTC)

what goals children have, and their families, and their communities?

This trumps everything else, for no matter how perfect is the learning platform, resources, theory and practice brought in from somewhere else, it all will be irrelevant, resented, and eventually fail to achieve anything, as long as it misses fulfilling what people want (and gaining their full buy-in and commitment).

Until Sugar makes people feel it is getting them there, it will be the greatest ever idea that didn't make it (followed closely by the XO). Yamaplos 18:13, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

goals

I agree with the principle above totally -- make sure those using the system are authoring it and guiding it as well; make sure you target tangible needs. But this may have nothing to do with the statistical average of 'what the world wants'. The world on average wants more sweets and more entertainment. Should Sugar be an entertainment platform then? +sj +

What should educational goals be? Here are some individual motivations.

A good job

• -> What the whole world wants is a good job. [1] [posted by Yamaplos]

  This is too vague. Marketable skills? An understanding of how to travel cheaply to the nearest urban center, where the worst jobs are still 'comparatively' 'good'? Preparation for good mulit-generational careers? Some of the most stable jobs require the least specialized knowledge. +sj +

Personal wealth

• A popular and misleading goal. Many fast ways to become wealthy are not good for one's community. Is it helpful to make this a focus of education? +sj +

Community growth

• This is a good and tricky goal. It includes a grasp of how to solve long-term challenges in one's community. This is close to the top of my own list. +sj +

An understanding of how to get things done with large networks of people

• Another interesting one. May not be important, may come more naturally in small communities than to people in one-family homes. +sj +

The fear and adulation of others

• Popular in some places and times. While it may have its place, I don't think it's a very good educational goal. +sj +

Tools to confront, think about, and critique the world around you.

• This is what I consider to be a fundamental aim of education. gabe+ 15:42, 2 April 2009 (EST)