[Edu-sig] Alan Kay - another one of his ideas

[kirby urner]

On 7/12/06, ajsiegel at optonline.net <ajsiegel at optonline.net> wrote:

> I would want educational software for children, in particular, to go out
> of its way to not amaze, not rely on the ability to create magic as
> its point of engagement. *Not* be immersive.
>

I don't understand this.  Childhood is a time to run simulations
without the pressure of committing to this or that future as an adult.
 They "try before they buy" and experiment with different roles (role
playing games big for kids), play with dolls.

I let my daughter play Sims 2 for hours each week.  Other times,
she'll immerse herself in Uru, sometimes with me playing right
alongside.  Civilization IV was another hit with her.  Then there're
the robots.  OMSI has an exhibit on robots going.  She went straight
for the case with the Sony Aibo, but unfortunately no Aibo was
actually doing its thing.

You may counter that these games aren't "educational" in the way you
mean, but that begs the question of what "educational" really *does*
mean to you.  It seems to mean staying stark and austere.

Maybe it's just a matter of taste and diet.  I like *some* stark and
austere "hard fun" experiences in the mix, but I don't insist that we
withhold all the magic from this age group.  This is a time when they
should be allowed rich fantasy lives, and if engineering has ways to
facilitate that, why not?  Since greek times, we've used whatever tech
was available to share drama.

Are you also against television, across the board?  Tara and I have
watched lots of TV together.  We usually get it through Netflix i.e.
aren't at the mercy of "what happens to be on".

You seem to indulge a more-than-healthy amount of nostalgia for the
way it was when you were a kid.  You're now ready to go to bat for
kids who want it the way you had it.  I don't deny your right to
recruit for that lifestyle, but I do consider myself competition, even
if I too have designs for using the great outdoors (the real one, not
just a VM version).

Kirby