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Line 1: + + − + + + + + + + + + + + − + − + − The Turtle Blocks workshop was the quid pro quo for participating in four days of meetings with [http://cet.org.il/ CET]. The first two days were spent at [http://www.mindcet.org/ MindCET], an incubator for educational technology in Yeruham in the Negev directed by Avi Warshavsky. Avi had organized a hackathon: we formed fifteen teams to work on project ideas. My team -- Arnon Hershkovitz, Revital Rauchwerger, and Shachaf Sagi -- worked on an extension of Turtle Blocks that opens up the opportunity to explore the power of "big data" by providing a "Cloud-service" for data collection and a [http://github.com/walterbender/turtleblocksjs/plugins/impact.json new block], "fetch", for programmatic access to the data. Our specific use-scenario was to address environmental issues through research-based learning, enriched via actual data collection and investigative programming. Together with the staff at CET we built a working prototype: an Arduino-based weather station that feeds data to the Cloud and the client-side Turtle code. I think the potential for such services is enormous: students engage in critical thinking in the process of being active citizens; they experience computational thinking and purposeful programming; and they collaborate on local and global levels. At the end of two days, each team presented to a panel of youth critics. Their reaction to our project was to ask, "Isn't programming hard?", to which I had an opportunity to quote Marvin Minsky: "Learning is hard fun."+ − + − Back in Tel Aviv, I participated in a conference, [http://www.shapingthefuture3.cet.ac.il/en/ "Shaping the Future"], where I had the opportunity to hear a wide variety of perspectives on education technology. The focus was on going beyond the screen. The morning session was a series of presentations from the commercial sector: Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, and ???. Lots of impressive wares, but none of the presenters made a compelling case for learning potential of their technology. Indeed, the theme seemed to be "look what we built" instead of "look at what you can build". But things got more interesting from there: Dale Dougherty, founder of [http://makermedia.com/ ''Make Magazine'' and the Makerfaire], gave a nice overview of the maker community aesthetic. In my presentation, I pointed out that 50 years ago, Logo was already "beyond the screen" and subsequently give a quick snapshot of various Turtle Blocks projects involving sensors, robots, web services, etc. In the ensuing discussion, we touched on the issue of privacy. I took the minority opinion on the panel that there was never a reason to risk compromising the privacy of children and that none of the on-line tools that routinely mine identity data from children are necessary to use in the classroom. The audience, which was mostly comprised of teachers seemed to concur with my position. Next up was a presentation by Robert Gehorsam, whom I knew from his days at Prodogy in the 1980s. Robert is executive director of the [http://www.instituteofplay.org/ Institute of Play], which has a intervention in one of the NYC public schools. The kids use game design as the basis of a project-based learning program, where the "core" curriculum is motivated by just-in-time learning. Steve Hodas completed the day's talks with a description of [http://izonenyc.org/ IZone], an innovation incubator for the NY City public schools. His message: market disruption will not change schools; only organizational disruption will change schools. Something for us to think about as we plan the future of Sugar. − − === In the community === − − 3. Call for papers for the special issue of RED (Journal of Distance Education):"Skills for coding and pre-coding": − * Deadline for submitting manuscripts: 31 July 2015 − * Estimated Publishing Date: 15 September 2015. − Publishing standards and guidelines for authors can be found at [http://www.um.es/ead/red/normasRED.htm#_Toc324610817]. − − Llamada a contribuciones para el número especial de RED (Revista de Educación a Distancia): "Competencias para la codificación y la precodificación": − * Fecha límite para enviar manuscritos: 31deJuliode 2015 − * Fecha estimada para la publicación: 15 de Septiembre de 2015. − Normas de publicación y pautas para los autores [http://www.um.es/ead/red/normasRED.htm#_Toc324610817]. − − 4. We will be holding an additional Sugar Labs oversight board meeting (SLOB) this month (we hold a meeting the first Monday of each month). Please join us on 15 June at 19:00 EST (Boston), 23:00 UTC on irc.freenode.net #sugar-meeting, to discuss strategy and tactics as we move forward as a community. − − 5. For those of you who are interested, we hold our GSoC group meetings on Fridays, 11:00 EST (Boston), 14:00 UTC on irc.freenode.net #sugar-meeting. − − 6. I am running a Turtle Blocks workshop in Bridgeport, Connecticut on 16 June. − − === Tech Talk === − − 7. Martin Abente has announced that we are now in the [[0.106/Testing|testing phase of Sugar 105]]. Your feedback is important to us. − − === Sugar Labs === − − 8. Please visit our [http://planet.sugarlabs.org planet]. + + + + Line 49:
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→Sugar in the news
<noinclude>
== What's new ==
== What's new ==
This page is updated every few weeks with notes from the Sugar Labs community. (The digest is also sent to the community-news at sugarlabs.org list, blogged at [http://walterbender.org/ walterbender.org], and [[Archive/Current Events|archived here]].) If you would like to contribute, please send email to [[User:walter|walter]] at sugarlabs.org by the weekend. (Also visit <span class="plainlinks">[http://planet.sugarlabs.org planet.sugarlabs.org].</span>)
This page is updated every few weeks with notes from the Sugar Labs community. (The digest is also sent to the community-news at sugarlabs.org list, blogged at [http://walterbender.org/ walterbender.org], and [[Archive/Current Events|archived here]].) If you would like to contribute, please send email to [[User:walter|walter]] at sugarlabs.org by the weekend. (Also visit <span class="plainlinks">[http://planet.sugarlabs.org planet.sugarlabs.org].</span>)
</noinclude>
== Sugar Digest ==
== Sugar Digest ==
1. I am en route to the Google Code-in meet up in San Francisco. Looking forward to meeting Ignacio and Sam, our two finalists. I am hoping we'll get some coding time in amidst all the activities that Google has planned.
1. Sugar Labs will be participating in Google Code-in again this year. Ignacio
Rodriguez and I are the program administrators and are gathering
suggestions for bite-sized tasks in coding, documentation, research, design,
and outreach. We'll also be scouring the open issues in the various
Sugar-related repos for tasks. Please pass your suggestions our way. Also, if
you are interested in mentoring, please contact me. Finally, it would great if
you could help spread the word about the contest among educators so that we can
reach out to as many potential participants as possible (the contest is open to
13-17 year olds). GCI is a great opportunity to recruit new talent into the
community. Details of the contest are available at [https://developers.google.com/open-source/gci/resources/contest-rules developers.google.com]. The Sugar Labs page
describing our participation is at [[Google Code In 2017]].
2. I was home for less than 48 hours, having just returned from Tel Aviv, where I ran a Turtle Blocks workshop with 30 children. The workshop was organized by the Center for Education Technology -- many thanks for Ilan Ben Yaakov for all of his preparations, including completing the Hebrew translations. The kids did great, as expected, and where as this was only the second time I had run a workshop using the Javascript version of [http://turtle.sugarlabs.org Turtle Blocks], things went more smoothly than I had expected. I did make one change to the UI as a result of my observations during the workshop: I disable screen-dragging by default as it was definitely confusing some kids, who would accidentally drag their blocks off the edge of the screen. It is not really necessary for the smaller programs that novices tend to write; experienced users can presumably enable dragging in order to have more room to organize their stacks of blocks. Tip-of-the-hat to Larry Denenberg from Trip Advisor, who also helped with the translations and has contributed to the design.
2. There is a new release of Music Blocks available [https://github.com/walterbender/musicblocks/releases/tag/v2.1 3]. Features include a
marked improvement in performance and lots of bug fixes. Tip of the hat to
Devin Ulibarri, Edgar Quispe, and Euan Ong for their contributions to this
release.
3. Congratulations to Lionel, Sameer, and Adam for being re-elected to the Sugar
Labs oversight board. (And thanks to everyone who voted for my return to the
board as well.) Our next meeting is on 3 November at 19UTC in the #sugar-meeting channel of irc.freenode.net.
<noinclude>
== Community News archive ==
== Community News archive ==
==Sugar in the news==
==Sugar in the news==
{|
{|
|-
|align=right valign=top|29 Apr 2019||'''EdTechzine''' – [https://edtechzine.jp/article/detail/1802 Learn programming with an approach from music and mathematics! Model class of "Music Blocks"] (in Japanese)
|-
|align=right valign=top|29 Apr 2019||'''EdTechzine''' – [https://edtechzine.jp/article/detail/1767 What is the relationship between music, mathematics and computer science? Interview with the developer of the programming learning tool "Music Blocks"] (in Japanese)
|-
|align=right valign=top|11 Apr 2019||'''Linux Journal''' – [https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/linuxdo-it-children Linux... Do It Children]
|-
|align=right valign=top|14 Dec 2018||'''PR Times JA''' – [https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001954.000002535.html 2020年必修化のためのプログラミング学習ソフト「Music Blocks」教員向け研究会 参加者募集中 ～経済産業省『「未来の教室」実証事業』] Programming learning software for 2020 compulsory "Music Blocks" Recruiting participants for faculty members ~ Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry "Future classroom" demonstration project
|-
|align=right valign=top|14 Dec 2018||'''PR Times JA''' – [https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001947.000002535.html 話題のプログラミング教育を体験しよう！] Programming education with Music Blocks
|-
|align=right valign=top|31 Aug 2018||'''GMO''' – [https://coeteco.jp/articles/10307 Fusion of programming and art, mathematics. Gakken × "Music Blocks" プログラミングとアート、数学の融合。学研×「Music Blocks」]
|-
|align=right valign=top|23 May 2018||'''Vida Actual''' – [https://www.elpais.com.uy/vida-actual/adolescente-uruguayo-google-le-pidio-deje-hackearlo.html El adolescente uruguayo al que Google le pidió que deje de hackearlo]
|-
|align=right valign=top|16 April 2018||'''The Verge''' – [https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17233946/olpcs-100-laptop-education-where-is-it-now OLPC's 100 Laptop was Going to change the world – then it all went wrong]
|-
|align=right valign=top|8 Mar 2018||'''Oxford News''' – [http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16073375.Schoolboy_wins_trip_to_Google_HQ_after_coding_contest_victory/ Schoolboy wins trip to Google HQ after coding contest victory]
|-
|align=right valign=top|9 Nov 2017||'''Open Source''' – [https://opensource.com/article/17/9/linux-kids What's the current state of Linux distros for kids?]
|-
|align=right valign=top|17 Aug 2017||'''ABC News''' – [http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/google-awards-uruguay-high-school-student-10k-finding/story?id=49249604 Google awards Uruguay high school student $10K for finding security bug]
|-
|align=right valogn=top|02 Nov 2016||'''BBVA''' – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puA2NH2uVQQ&feature=youtu.be Sociedad de la Creatividad - desafíos de hoy para el futuro] (video)
|-
|align=right valign=top|23 Oct 2016||'''ABC Color''' – [http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/locales/la-computacion-es-una-herramienta-para-promover-agentes-de-cambio-1530653.html La computación es una herramienta para promover agentes de cambio]
|-
|align=right valign=top|23 Jul 2016||'''La Tercera''' – [http://www.latercera.com/noticia/tendencias/2016/07/27-689886-9-walter-bender-cuando-todos-estan-de-acuerdo-con-todos-es-bastante-peligroso.shtml Cuando todos están de acuerdo con todos es bastante peligroso]
|-
|align=right valign=top|02 May 2016||'''Fedora Insider''' – [http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/Fedora-Based-Sugar-on-a-Stick-Is-One-Sweet-Desktop-83446.html Fedora-based Sugar on a Stick is one sweet desktop]
|-
|align=right valign=top|09 Feb 2016||'''www.montevideo.com''' – [http://www.montevideo.com.uy/auc.aspx?299096 DOS URUGUAYOS ENTRE GANADORES DEL CONCURSO GOOGLE CODE-IN]
|-
|align=right valign=top|28 Aug 2015||'''Musson Foundation''' – [https://youtu.be/HZtVv2nlP8Y Jamaica Girls Code] (video)
|-
|align=right valign=top|28 Aug 2015||'''Google Open Source''' – [http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-sweet-adventures-with-sugar-labs-and.html My sweet adventures with Sugar Labs and Google Code-in]
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|09 May 2015||'''La Prensa''' – [http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2015/05/09/nacionales/1829026-de-alumnos-a-creadores-de-su-aprendizaje De alumnos a creadores de su aprendizaje]
|align=right valign=top|09 May 2015||'''La Prensa''' – [http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2015/05/09/nacionales/1829026-de-alumnos-a-creadores-de-su-aprendizaje De alumnos a creadores de su aprendizaje]
|align=right valign=top|7 Oct 2014||'''Kauffman Report''' – [http://www.kauffman.org/blogs/policy-dialogue/2014/august/paraguay-thirsty-for-21st-century-education Paraguay Thirsty for 21st-Century Education]
|align=right valign=top|7 Oct 2014||'''Kauffman Report''' – [http://www.kauffman.org/blogs/policy-dialogue/2014/august/paraguay-thirsty-for-21st-century-education Paraguay Thirsty for 21st-Century Education]
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|25 Sept 2014||'''ANEP''' – [http://www.anep.edu.uy/anep/index.php/897-fecundo-intercambio-de-jovenes-de-todo-el-mundo-en-encuentro-de-programadores Fecundo intercambio de jovenes de todo el mundo en encuentro de programadores]
|align=right valign=top|25 Sep 2014||'''ANEP''' – [http://www.anep.edu.uy/anep/index.php/897-fecundo-intercambio-de-jovenes-de-todo-el-mundo-en-encuentro-de-programadores Fecundo intercambio de jovenes de todo el mundo en encuentro de programadores]
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|12 Jun 2014||'''Producción Nacional''' – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YbRCMRpstg Innovando con XO] (video)
|align=right valign=top|12 Jun 2014||'''Producción Nacional''' – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YbRCMRpstg Innovando con XO] (video)
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|06 Feb 2013||'''el Observador''' – [http://www.elobservador.com.uy/noticia/242936/joven-uruguayo-gana-la-competencia-google-code/ Joven uruguayo gana la competencia Google Code] (Also see [http://people.sugarlabs.org/aguz/gci-press-interviews.html GCI press interviews])
|align=right valign=top|06 Feb 2013||'''el Observador''' – [http://www.elobservador.com.uy/noticia/242936/joven-uruguayo-gana-la-competencia-google-code/ Joven uruguayo gana la competencia Google Code] (Also see [http://people.sugarlabs.org/aguz/gci-press-interviews.html GCI press interviews])
|-
|align=right valign=top|Jan 2013||'''Raspberry Pi Geek''' – [http://www.raspberry-pi-geek.com/Archive/2013/01/Pi-with-Sugar-and-turtles-as-a-learning-tool/(language)/eng-US Pi with Sugar and turtles as a learning tool]
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|07 Sep 2012||'''NDTV''' – [http://gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/news/one-laptop-per-child-initiative-a-hit-in-rural-india-263867 One Laptop Per Child initiative a hit in rural India]
|align=right valign=top|07 Sep 2012||'''NDTV''' – [http://gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/news/one-laptop-per-child-initiative-a-hit-in-rural-india-263867 One Laptop Per Child initiative a hit in rural India]
|align=right valign=top|14 Apr 2010||'''National Science Foundation''' – [http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116638 XO Laptops Inspire Learning In Birmingham, Alabama] ([http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inxOg-dt6rw video])
|align=right valign=top|14 Apr 2010||'''National Science Foundation''' – [http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116638 XO Laptops Inspire Learning In Birmingham, Alabama] ([http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inxOg-dt6rw video])
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|02 Apr 2010||<div class="NavFrame collapsed"><div class="NavHead">'''Dailymotion''' – [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xct0lp_un-jour-a-paris-ensembles-pour-olpc_tech Un jour... à Paris... ensembles pour OLPC et Sugar...] (video) </div><div class="NavContent">{{#widget:Daily Motion
|align=right valign=top|02 Apr 2010||<div class="NavFrame collapsed"><div class="NavHead">'''Dailymotion''' – [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xct0lp_un-jour-a-paris-ensembles-pour-olpc_tech Un jour... à Paris... ensembles pour OLPC et Sugar...] (video </div></div>
|-
|-
|align=right valign=top|15 Mar 2010||'''nbc13.com''' – [http://www2.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/video_birmingham_city_students_opt_to_spend_spring_break_in_class_xo_comput/138224/ Birmingham City students opt to spend spring break in class, XO computer camps] (video)
|align=right valign=top|15 Mar 2010||'''nbc13.com''' – [http://www2.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/video_birmingham_city_students_opt_to_spend_spring_break_in_class_xo_comput/138224/ Birmingham City students opt to spend spring break in class, XO computer camps] (video)
|align=right valign=top|06 Aug 2008||'''OLPC News''' – [http://www.olpcnews.com/people/leadership/23_questions_on_technology_education.html Twenty-three Questions on Technology and Education]
|align=right valign=top|06 Aug 2008||'''OLPC News''' – [http://www.olpcnews.com/people/leadership/23_questions_on_technology_education.html Twenty-three Questions on Technology and Education]
|-
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|align=right valign=top|03 Aug 2008||'''Wired''' – [https://www.wired.com/2009/08/inventing-a-new-paradigm-sugarlabs-and-the-sugar-ui/ Inventing a new paradigm: Sugar Labs and Sugar]
|
|align=right valign=top|18 Jul 2008||'''Bill Kerr''' – [http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2008/07/evaluating-sugar-in-developed-world.html evaluating Sugar in the developed world]
|align=right valign=top|18 Jul 2008||'''Bill Kerr''' – [http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2008/07/evaluating-sugar-in-developed-world.html evaluating Sugar in the developed world]
|-
|-
==Press releases==
==Press releases==
http://www.sugarlabs.org/press
[[Category:General public]]
[[Category:General public]]
</noinclude>