[Cuis-dev] Dynabook and education

[Juan Vuletich]

Hi,

On 6/14/2020 7:28 PM, Hilaire Fernandes via Cuis-dev wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> The software part is important and it can be built right now, in a 
> portable way.  But the hardware part is as much important.
>

I usually focus more on the software part, just because it is where Cuis 
might be relevant and is where we can help the most. It can be built 
now, but we are still rather far from it

> The computers at school are not used permanently, just from time to 
> time, it is not game changer, it is decoration. Now try to think about 
> what will be need for a computerized device (it is likely not a 
> computer) to be used in each lesson in the class, at home during the 
> home work. To get an idea, try to observe your kids doing their 
> homework, what physical tools do they use? How do they use it? Try to 
> extrapolate what will be needed to let your kids work with fluency in 
> a computerized form.
>

Not being a teacher, but a father (13 and 17 y.o. girls in technical 
high school), I don't think much about computer use at school. Yes, 
schools could do much better.

> Likely your kids as mine use workbooks, textbooks, pens, rulers, 
> dictionary, teacher document, audio file from cd. That is the reality 
> of schools and a useful computerized device will have it as the 
> minimum, as dynamic media, and it should be as easy to use as the 
> physical form.
>

Well, mine don't use audio cds. And in addition to traditional tools, 
they always have their laptop or pc at their desk. They use Wikipedia 
and other online resources, sometimes told by teachers, sometimes not. 
And in these months of social isolation in Buenos Aires, they have 
online classes using Zoom, and class material and homework is all 
digital and handled with Google Classroom. For homework to be done in 
teams, they use Zoon, Meet and Whatsapp video calls. They share the 
stuff they work on on Google Docs.

Besides during several years the government has been giving laptops to 
students in public schools, in the hundreds of thousands.

A lot of transition to digital is going on.

Still, both hardware and software need to get much better. No doubt on that.

> When I observe kids at my school I fell ashamed how big their bag is. 
> Each year the parents rightly complain about the weight: plenty of 
> blenders (in the class I manage, student can replace it with one file 
> sorter), plenty of books and once a week the sport equipment).
>

Yes. Here primary school kids use wheeled packpacks, because weight is 
too much for a kids back.

> A rightly designed computerized workbook with the appropriate software 
> will replace 95% of this weight. But we don't want to really think 
> about it. At best, kid may receive a tablet or notebook which is not 
> designed for their use, and I have been in situation in 2001 were kids 
> will have to carry both their bags and their notebook (and its hard 
> cover)[1].
>
> So yes, kids deserve a dedicated hardware designed for them to fit 
> what they need and not with what we can practically do. They will 
> received it during the primary school and it will be their own.
>
> It must be open hardware based, repairable and could be assembled 
> anywhere at best in local factory. For me the best from will be as a 
> large workbook which unfold with two screens, and come with one stylus 
> because this is what kids use and need. I discussed this with my kids 
> and they told me about Samsung and Micrsoft dual screen devices. 
> Dynabook should be larger.
>
> Why two screens? If you observe kids, often they work with two 
> documents simultaneously: a workbook and a textbook.
>

Fully agree with all you say.

> Regarding the software, so far I can only imagine about a multiple 
> layer graphics to mix the contents in nature and form. Should the main 
> layer be text based (not handwritten)?
>

Well, I'd like to have stuff as good as DrGeo for every thing they do at 
school. And for older kids, or kids in a technical orientation perhaps, 
a media that is powerful enough for them to be able to build DrGeo level 
of quality stuff.

> Okay it's late, it took me one hour to wrote this email :-)
>
> Hilaire
>
> PS: The way I write is not subtle, it is hard for me to write in 
> English. But I don't mean to be harsh, I am quite the opposite.

Don't worry about that. Most of us are not native English speakers, and 
email is not the best possible tool. We are all doing quite well in this 
community!

> [1] Kids going to school look like travelers...
> http://www.cndp.fr/ecolenumerique/uploads/pics/landes_un_eleve_un_ordi_01.jpg
>
> Le 14/06/2020 à 22:30, Juan Vuletich a écrit :
>> Most school kids already have the required hardware. It is us who 
>> need to build the missing software parts!
> -- 
> GNU Dr. Geo
> http://drgeo.eu

Cheers,

-- 
Juan Vuletich
www.cuis-smalltalk.org
https://github.com/Cuis-Smalltalk/Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev
https://github.com/jvuletich
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-vuletich-75611b3
@JuanVuletich

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