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985 bytes added ,  14:30, 4 August 2009
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If I may add, as a teacher, the vast numbers of teachers, at least in the US and Russia, that I have encountered, are not sufficiently interested/ skilled/ convinced that the tools you are offering, no matter how 'free and great' they may be will be of any use unless it is super simple.  
 
If I may add, as a teacher, the vast numbers of teachers, at least in the US and Russia, that I have encountered, are not sufficiently interested/ skilled/ convinced that the tools you are offering, no matter how 'free and great' they may be will be of any use unless it is super simple.  
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IRC chat lines? For teachers? You've got to be kidding... How many teachers do I know that don't how to SMS or even know what SMS means? IRC? You are speaking to a teeny tiny tiny fraction of teachers via that channel... But then again, most teachers don't want to hear what you are saying anyway...
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IRC chat lines? For teachers? You've got to be kidding... How many teachers do I know that don't how to SMS or even know what SMS means? IRC? You are speaking to a teeny tiny tiny fraction of teachers via that channel... Teachers are like most people, overworked, underpaid, and very conscious of _not wanting to create more work for themselves_. The way Sugar is being communicated _sounds like Sugar is more work_... but then again, most teachers don't want to hear what you are saying anyway...
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Most teachers are just concerned with getting through the, very difficult, day. To get this project onto the minds of teachers then it must come from parents and students and admins telling teachers that this is what must happen. Teachers, for the most part, are unionized. They DON'T have to do anything once attaining tenure. I've personally offered to many teachers to set up LTSP networks for them and NOT ONE ever accepted the offer though the evidence of superior performance, better cognition and behavior, and superior skill set of the LTSP students versus all the other students was clearly evident. Most teachers _have no reason to change_, no matter how good something may be... if it is not prepackaged and EASY...  
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Most teachers are just concerned with getting through the, very difficult, day. To get this project onto the minds of teachers then it must come from parents and students and admins telling teachers that this is what must happen. Teachers, for the most part, are unionized. They DON'T have to do anything once attaining tenure. Unions will protect the most incompetent do nothing teachers right up to sexual or physical abuse of a child. Constructivist Cognitive development is far down the list of a third year teacher. They may have come thinking they'll do the right thing... after the third year, it's all about survival for the school year...
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I've personally offered to many teachers to set up LTSP networks for them and NOT ONE ever accepted the offer though the evidence of superior performance, better cognition and behavior, and superior skill set of the LTSP students versus all the other students was clearly evident. Most teachers _have no reason to change_, no matter how good something may be... if it is not perfectly prepackaged and EASY enough to give to a kid to do if they've finished their homework early...
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student: "Ms. Johnson, I've finished my homework..."
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Ms Johsnon: "OK, Johnny, see those laptops over there? Set them up with Sugar for tomorrow's class".
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If Sugar is NOT that easy, then you'll only ever get a few hardcore teachers to use Sugar or any other computer platform. Essentially, if a teacher knows how to use a computer, they won't be working as teachers for very long...
    
To get Sugar in a class in the US, at least, is going to come from private schools, and parents who are savvy enough to understand the arcane language of most of this site...The opening line on this [http://en.flossmanuals.net/Sugar/Installing page] would leave most teachers scratching their heads. The writer's of that document expected what, someone who knows what 'OLPC-XO laptop' or 'Gnu/Linux' or any of that means? They want step 1, 2, 3 done. Don't scare them off with a lot of technical background and geekified mumbo-jumbo!
 
To get Sugar in a class in the US, at least, is going to come from private schools, and parents who are savvy enough to understand the arcane language of most of this site...The opening line on this [http://en.flossmanuals.net/Sugar/Installing page] would leave most teachers scratching their heads. The writer's of that document expected what, someone who knows what 'OLPC-XO laptop' or 'Gnu/Linux' or any of that means? They want step 1, 2, 3 done. Don't scare them off with a lot of technical background and geekified mumbo-jumbo!

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