tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post9055552573060287641..comments2023-11-13T04:55:40.769-05:00Comments on Tuttle SVC: If I Were Education Minister of Brazil...Tom Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-9861753632576033812007-10-04T11:35:00.000-04:002007-10-04T11:35:00.000-04:00Bill,I guess I'd say it is too early to tell how t...Bill,<BR/><BR/>I guess I'd say it is too early to tell how the XO is going to shake out and why. I do think it is premature to blame its "failure" up to this point on pedagogy, financial model, etc. (which you aren't doing), for the reasons I outlined in my post.Tom Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-52953099476964215122007-10-04T10:37:00.000-04:002007-10-04T10:37:00.000-04:00What you say is true (raw software, "none of the k...What you say is true (raw software, "none of the key people who launched this project are stalwart free software advocates", sugar is different).<BR/><BR/>But is that the real reason why countries are not signing up? Software can always be upgraded / learnt.<BR/><BR/>There are other possible reasons. OLPC is about by passing adults to leverage the children. Negroponte hasn't hid that and he's been criticised for it. But its the adults who have to sign the cheque. Maybe the real problem is that too many adults just don't get it.Bill Kerrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00206808014093631762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719550.post-18740818775777052902007-10-01T20:05:00.000-04:002007-10-01T20:05:00.000-04:00I heard and watched Richard Baraniuk's 2006 TEDtal...I heard and watched Richard Baraniuk's 2006 TEDtalk <A HREF="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/25" REL="nofollow">"Goodbye, textbooks; hello, open-source learning"</A> recently and was impressed. This type of openly modifiable digital textbook project is needed by OLPC, in my view, but you are right that it has been underemphasized. I think, perhaps in defense of the OLPC philosophy, that they have wanted to emphasize more the collaborative projects that can be created on the devices rather than the curriculum which can be accessed and "delivered to" them. If I understand it correctly that is what the constructionist approach to learning is all about. So in addition to software challenges, I'm sure the teacher professional development aspects of this are very challenging since they need to convince teachers to not simply deliver content.<BR/><BR/>It's always a risk to be a the leading edge of something new. I hope the "Give 1 Buy 1" program is successful in getting the OLPC devices down in price and out to more students. It certainly seems to be a project with its heart in the right place. Hopefully more software options will follow soon.Wesley Fryerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03502157354436518160noreply@blogger.com