I am curious about the uses and limitations of computing platforms. I looked at the adaptability of Walmart $199 computer as well as the use of OLPC for this project.
I have been thinking of the time spent between the innovations in Computer Software Development/Research Issues and making a software perfect - what roles should this project play?
Also thinking of the use of sketchup (google product) to teach 3 dimensional geometry and urban planning.
To compare the role of scratch with what we are doing - what are our innovations?
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curious about the uses and limitations of computing platforms.
Yes that is why its a good idea to keep our software running in a browser--it adds challenges but ultimately it solves the cross-platform issue.
Also thinking of the use of sketchup (google product) to teach 3 dimensional geometry and urban planning.
This is why I wanted to tackle 3D design next--perhaps Hilmi can start on this in early Jan--there is tremendous potential there: urban architecture, indigenous baskets, etc. But once we leave CSDTs and use sketch-up etc. we are no longer software designers, we are just applications users. We need to focus on developing our tools, not promoting those of others.
To compare the role of scratch with what we are doing - what are our innovations?
Great question--what do we have that scratch does not? First, cultural specificity: you *could* do the things we do in scratch, but it would not occur to the average child to do so. We provide a cultural framework that includes a bridge between the culture and math/computing (for more see http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt/teaching/papers/aa.2006.108.2.pdf). Second, we (hopefully) provide graphics of higher quality, in part because our software is specifically designed to simulate these particular cultural artifacts (eg the shadow effect in graffiti grapher). In sum: unlike scratch, we take culture seriously, at several levels ranging from historical background material to ethnomath modeling to graphic design.
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