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Line 5: − + − [[File:Gci-sugarlabs-2015.png]]+ − 2. We have seven [[Oversight_Board/2015-2016-candidates|candidates]] for the seven open Sugar Labs oversight board seats. I am not sure how the election committee plans to proceed -- stay tuned.+ − === In the Community ===+ + + − 3. Josh Burker continues to do great Turtle Blocks projects in his [http://joshburker.blogspot.com/2015/11/turtle-blocks-club-progressing-from.html workshops] and with his [http://joshburker.blogspot.com/2015/11/3d-printed-variable-star-ornaments.html 3D printer].+ − 4. A few weeks ago I was asked by Luis Galindo to make suggestions for the COP21 workshop in Paris. In his email, he included some wishes from students in Japan and Canada: "I need a way to produce no single waste in a class room!" and "I need a way to use human energy to power the entire physical classroom. For example, a stationary bicycle that powers a light bulb. Where each desk in the classroom allows kids to move while they work, and create enough energy to power the lights, charge their laptops (assuming they have some), or more."+ − My initial response was to suggest that he get his hands on a couple of OLPC XO 4s and some solar panels; he would be very close to achieving the stated goals of both students. How did we manage to get so much right in the design of the XO and Sugar: repairable (by the kids themselves), designed for a long lifetime of operation; maximizing materials that can be recycled; no toxic materials in the device (the very first laptop that could claim to be entirely lead-free, since it was the very first laptop to use a LED backlight); they form their own local network to make a collaboration and communication space and again, no need for external infrastructure or power (or exposing children to potential privacy violations). And Sugar is full of tools for doing Science. (One feature still unique in the marketplace is the ability to use the microphone port as a sensor port.+ − Maybe the students can do what so few ministers of education was able to do and re-imagine the classroom using a device we designed and build 10 years ago (time flies)? + − As a challenge, I suggested that we need a way to measure energy consumption, waste, communication, or collaboration in the classroom as a baseline for determining the impact of the classroom of the future? Given the Paris climate summit, maybe it is time for the world to finally pick up on some of the OLPC/Sugar contributions.+ − Alas, the workshop was cancelled due to the November 13 attacks.+ − 5. As I mentioned in my [[User:Walter#Sugar_Stable.2FSugar_Future|position statement], I am in the process of launching a new college for industrial design. I am instilling Free/Libre Software as a core principle of the college and I hope to be able to make Sugar be at the core of the educational technology section of the school. More on that effort soon.+ − === Tech Talk ===+ − 6. James Cameron recently announced the release of OLPC OS 13.2.6 for XO-1, XO-1.5, XO-1.75, and XO-4 (Sugar 0.107 on Fedora 18, with a few activities upgraded). See [http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Release_notes/13.2.6 the Release Notes] for details.+ − 7. Please visit our [http://planet.sugarlabs.org planet].+
Sugar Labs/Current Events (view source)
Revision as of 12:47, 17 December 2015
, 12:47, 17 December 2015→Sugar Digest
== Sugar Digest ==
== Sugar Digest ==
1. [https://developers.google.com/open-source/gci/ Google Code-in] begins 7 December. We have more than 20 mentors from the community and about 250 tasks defined across 5 categories: documentation, quality assurance, outreach, user interface, and coding. This year we have a balance between Python and JavaScript tasks. We'll be adding new tasks over the course of the next 7 weeks, so please let me know if you have Sugary things that need doing. Please do help spread the word to talented 13-17 yr olds.
1. Will Rico pointed me at a solicitation from Information Week for the "Hottest trends for education IT leaders in 2016 and beyond". I could not resist firing off a rant about Free/Libre Software.
In a word (actually two words), Free Software. Aside from the obvious economic benefits -- no usurious licensing fees from the likes of Apple, Pearson, Adobe, etc. -- Free Software is a vehicle for changing the culture of learning by directly empowering local communities, teachers, and students.
Forty years of observation suggests that engaging children in using computers and in programming software to run on computers is a powerful means to drive learning. The process of writing and then repairing (also known as “debugging”) a program, which Solomon described as “the great educational opportunity of the 21st Century”, provides a basis for active learning through heuristic problem solving. Free Software enables and encourages students and teachers to engage in real science and engineering and to take responsibility for the tools and practice in their classrooms.
It goes beyond programming, however, because it sends a message to the learner (yes, teachers are learners too) that they do not have to accept the world as it is handed down to them. Rather they can e the instruments of change in all aspects of their lives.
Of course, this is not the message that your audience of IT leaders wants to hear because it directly undermines their ability to lock in school districts and since with Free Software the end user has the ability to dictate change, the highly profitable practice of planned obsolescence is not viable.
Nonetheless, Free Software in education is on the "long arc" of education reform that will foster a generation of problem solvers and critical thinkers.
regards.
-walter
PS: The recent sea change in Washington regarding arts education is further evidence that we are once again respecting open-ended problem solving in our schools. Young minds unleashed.
2. [https://developers.google.com/open-source/gci Google Code-in] has begun. After the first 10 days of competition, 137 tasks have been completed by 61 youths, ranging from a video introduction of Sugar to three seven-year-olds to numerous updates to Sugar activities to a flurry of suggestions for improvement to our website. We have more than 250 open tasks but we welcome more task suggestions. Tip of the hat to our 24 mentors, whom have been very patient answering questions on IRC and reviewing student work.
3. We have [[Oversight_Board/2015-2016-candidates|eight candidates]] for the seven open Sugar Labs oversight board seats. I am not sure how the election committee plans to proceed -- stay tuned. Also, it has been brought to my attention that some of you never received the membership renewal survey. Please contact the membership committee for details (membership AT sugarlabs DOT org).
=== In the Community ===
4. Thane Richard from [https://outernet.is Outernet] contacted me a while back out his project, Lighthouse, a free library from space. Seems like a nice match for Sugar Labs and any number of the OLPC deployments.
5. Carol Smith, who has been running Google Summer of Code fo rthe past six years will be moving on to other responsibilities within Google. Carol has been a great supporter of Free/Libre Software and Sugar Labs and will be missed. The good news is that Stephanie Taylor, with who has been running Google Code-in will be taking her place. To both of you, best wishes in your new positions.
=== Sugar Labs ===
=== Sugar Labs ===
6. Please visit our [http://planet.sugarlabs.org planet].
== Community News archive ==
== Community News archive ==