Changes

After more than a decade of working on the Sugar Learning Platform, I have been reflecting on the specific tools and affordances we have deployed to engage learners in computational thinking and fluency. These tools including multiple media-rich programming environments (e.g., Turtle Blocks and Music Blocks) and also mechanism for debugging, collaboration, expression, and reflection. I continue to be motivated by the pioneering work of Seymour Papert, Marvin Minsky, and Cynthia Solomon, who first brought multimedia computing to elementary schools in the late 1960s with the goal of engaging children in the mastery of many of the heuristics and algorithms we associate with computational thinking. And Free/Libre Software continues to provide scaffolding for deep and personal expression through programming and for surfacing personal responsibility, a sense of community, and unbounded expectations of Sugar users turned Sugar developers.

After more than a decade of working on the Sugar Learning Platform, I have been reflecting on the specific tools and affordances we have deployed to engage learners in computational thinking and fluency. These tools including multiple media-rich programming environments (e.g., Turtle Blocks and Music Blocks) and also mechanism for debugging, collaboration, expression, and reflection. I continue to be motivated by the pioneering work of Seymour Papert, Marvin Minsky, and Cynthia Solomon, who first brought multimedia computing to elementary schools in the late 1960s with the goal of engaging children in the mastery of many of the heuristics and algorithms we associate with computational thinking. And Free/Libre Software continues to provide scaffolding for deep and personal expression through programming and for surfacing personal responsibility, a sense of community, and unbounded expectations of Sugar users turned Sugar developers.

Where have we fallen short? Much has changed since we began Sugar development in 2006. Sugar predates smartphones and Apps, Chromebooks and Google Docs, MOOCs and on-line resources such as the Kahn Academy. Edtech is become big business: selling Apps and content is more lucrative and facile than the hard work of engaging teacher and learners in authentic problem-solving. There is a strong temptation to make things as simple as possible so as to reach the broadest possible audience. But some things are inherently complex. Apps might be fun, but the hard part of “hard fun” is in reaching towards complexity. Children should not miss out on the learning that takes place when learning to use tools. At Sugar Labs we are attempting to go where the learners are by providing as much of Sugar as we can as a Web app, on Android, or on iOS, i.e., Sugarizer. At the same time, I am encouraged by the growth of the Maker Movement and are working hard to support Sugar on platforms popular with that movement, e.g., Raspbian.

Where have we fallen short? Much has changed since we began Sugar development in 2006. Sugar predates smartphones and Apps, Chromebooks and Google Docs, MOOCs and on-line resources such as the Kahn Academy. Edtech is become big business: selling Apps and content is more lucrative and facile than the hard work of engaging teacher and learners in authentic problem-solving. There is a strong temptation to make things as simple as possible so as to reach the broadest possible audience. But some things are inherently complex.  

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