Changes

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...

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...

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...

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 concerns for a third year teacher. They probably have tenure by then. They may have come into teaching, full of energy and ready to make changes, thinking they'll do the right thing... after the third year, it's all about survival for the school year ahead...

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...  

I've personally offered to many teachers to set up [http://wiki.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/WebHome LTSP networks] for them and NOT ONE ever accepted the offer though the evidence of students' 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...  

  student: "Ms. Johnson, I've finished my homework..."

  student: "Ms. Johnson, I've finished my homework..."

  Ms Johsnon: "OK, Johnny, see those laptops over there? Set them up with Sugar for tomorrow's class".

  Ms Johsnon: "OK, Johnny, see those laptops over there? Set them up with Sugar for tomorrow's class".

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...

If Sugar is NOT that easy, then you'll only ever get a few hardcore "fighting for the good cause" teachers to use Sugar or any other computer platform. Essentially, though, 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 United States, 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! And all that talk about downloading and burning .ISOs and formatting USBs... please. Your target audience (the teachers) is terrified of computers and technology.

If this project wants deeper acceptance in the community then show that it is CHILD'S PLAY to get it working. Show a kid setting Sugar on a Stick. But even that will get adults to say something like... "Oh, those kids today, I could never do that!" I've heard that, from teachers!

If this project wants deeper acceptance in the community then show that it is CHILD'S PLAY to get it working. One click install and walkaway. If you have to stay with SOAS, then get a video of a kid performing the process of setting up Sugar on a Stick. But even that will get adults to say something like... "Oh, those kids today, I could never do that!" I've heard that, from teachers!

Most importantly, to get Sugar traction in schools, make it easy for kids to publish their genius works via video and etc. Get screencasting as part of nearly every activity. Hook on to youtube's [http://code.google.com/apis/youtube/overview.html API] or [http://www.vimeo.com/api vimeo's API] or something like that so that kids will show other kids how __cool__ they are... Adults want Sugar because it should make their kids smarter better problem solvers, more likely to survive the hard world, etc. The real trick is to _make kid's want Sugar_. It can be done a lot of ways but the biggest reason for kids is because it can help them generate/build/maintain/ grow/improve their 'cool' factor among their friends at their schools. How? By posting their latest SUGAR success on a publicly available media channel i.e. youtube, vimeo, etc. for all their very hip and connected friends to see online.  

Most importantly, to get Sugar traction in schools, make it easy for kids to publish their genius works via video and etc. Get screencasting as part of nearly every activity. Hook on to youtube's [http://code.google.com/apis/youtube/overview.html API] or [http://www.vimeo.com/api vimeo's API] or something like that so that kids will show other kids how __cool__ they are... Adults want Sugar because it should make their kids smarter better problem solvers, more likely to survive the hard world, etc. The real trick is to _make kid's want Sugar_. It can be done a lot of ways but the biggest reason for kids is because it can help them generate/build/maintain/ grow/improve their 'cool' factor among their friends at their schools. How? By posting their latest SUGAR success on a publicly available media channel i.e. youtube, vimeo, etc. for all their very hip and connected friends to see online.