2010 DML proposal

This is for http://dmlcompetition.net.

Anywhere, anytime learning with Sugar on a Stick

Summary

Sugar is...

...a learning platform designed for children.

...used more than 1500000 learners in Peru, Rwanda, Nepal, US, and 50 other countries.

...Free Software.

...learning through rich-media expression, collaboration, and reflection.

We propose to refine, promote, and distribute Sugar-on-a-Stick USB devices in order to enable learners and educators everywhere access to the Sugar learning platform.

Description

Sugar is a graphical user interface and a collection of software applications—activities—that gives children a rich environment for learning. It has three attributes that together make it unique: simplicity, collaboration, and reflection.

The Sugar interface is very simple. It has a “low floor” so that even children as young as 2- and 3-years old can start to use it. At the same time, it puts no limit to what they can achieve: children can use Sugar to reach to very complex ideas. They are not bound by its simplicity; rather they use its simplicity as a catalyst for growth. Sugar presents no “ceiling” to the learner.

Sugar has built-in mechanisms for collaboration that make it very easy for children and teachers to work together on projects, to share ideas, and to engage in critical dialogs. With Sugar, learners balance the exploration of knowledge with expression of their own ideas.

Sugar maintains a portfolio of everything a child does; it is a record of both what learners make and how they made them. A child, parent, or teacher can monitor progress as a means of assessment.

Sugar-on-a-Stick is a LiveUSB image of Sugar. Learners are provided with a bootable USB-device, ensuing access to Sugar in their homes, school and after-school environments, and community.

Students work with Sugar whenever and wherever they have access to computers. Sugar-on-a-Stick turns any computer into each child's own personal computer, with a continuity of software, collaborative connections to their peers, and work in progress.

We propose:

1. to make Sugar-on-a-Stick available in sufficient quantities to enable running pilots as we move from bet to a production-quality distribution; and distributing Sugar to educators;
2. to promote Sugar-on-a-Stick while continuing to focus efforts on development, maintenance, support, and deployment.
3. to develop a teacher-training program to complement Sugar-on-a-Stick distributions.

To learn more, please visit http://sugarlabs.org