On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 5:28 PM, Bobby Powers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Has anyone looked into the Encyclopedia of the Earth / Earth Portal? > http://www.eoearth.org/ > > They have several ebooks and online textbooks, and peer-reviewed content (to > edit, you have to apply, and all changes to the public pages must be > approved by topic editors is my understanding). It could be a solid way to > get more content that is less collaborative in nature (as textbooks and some > hard science reference material typically is) onto the machines. Just my > 2ยข.
See also http://www.librarianchick.com/ for a catalogue of free electronic textbooks and other learning materials from many sources. > yours, > Bobby Powers > > > > On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 12:49 AM, Edward Cherlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > I talked with Ryan Croke of Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn's > > office today. They are keen on this project, and would like to arrange > > for us to assist in getting the program designed for the best possible > > outcome. HB5000 is moving rapidly through the House, and will then go > > to the Senate, which is likely to turn it over to the Education > > Committee for public hearings. We should organize to bring our XOs and > > our children to Springfield for the hearings. > > > > Among the questions: > > > > Schools will be allowed to choose from among the available laptops. > > The program should capture the differences in outcomes between schools > > using different hardware and software, using appropriate measures LG > > Quinn's office agrees. Nicholas Negroponte is strongly opposed to > > "bake-offs", but the world doesn't work the way he wants. > > > > We need to work with the legislature, the Education authority, and > > with schools on appropriate integration of laptops into curricula, and > > provide at least draft versions of electronic textbooks on all > > requested subjects. Much of what we want to do has yet to be designed. > > In fact, the software that we want to build the textbooks on has in > > some major cases yet to be designed. How much can we promise for the > > start of the next school year in September? That depends very strongly > > on who steps up to do it. > > > > It is very important in pilot projects to do good experimental design > > before hand so that the results contain usable information, not merely > > data. We need to talk to people who know something about these issues, > > who also understand what we are trying to measure. > > > > What training can be put together for the summer before? We need to > > demonstrate the meaning and value of learning by doing through > > collaborative discovery, aka Constructionism. Then we need to provide > > the toolkit for teachers to apply it, and provide feedback mechanisms > > so that their experience and insights steadily improve the process. > > > > This program requires dedicated resources, and management, on our side > > and several others. That means that we need to look for funding. > > Anybody know a good grant writer? > > > > No Child Left Behind creates perverse incentives that can interfere > > with the program. Can we get waivers from the Federal Government for > > the trials? > > > > -- > > > > > > > > Edward Cherlin > > End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business > > http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ > > "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay > > _______________________________________________ > > Devel mailing list > > Devel@lists.laptop.org > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel > > > > -- Edward Cherlin End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay _______________________________________________ Devel mailing list Devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel