Re: Kids using images and scripting

Hi, Karl,

Illustrator Ed Edemberley has a fairly simple way of making many  
animals and more using simple shapes that work well with the basic  
shapes of the Etoys paint palette.

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/main.aspx?section=db

Check it out....

  -- Kim





On Oct 31, 2011, at 11:18 AM, karl ramberg wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Kim Rose <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> A quick bit of history and a reminder:
>>
>> Etoys was developed with the idea that the children would create  
>> *their own*
>> art -- to encourage drawing and not just cut/pasting other people's
>> clip-art.  We'd love to see that encouraged  although we realize  
>> there are
>> "powerful forces" working against us.  Children have little self- 
>> esteem
>> regarding their drawing skills; they need encouragement, praise and
>> practice.
>>
>> Additionally, the original intent of Etoys was not to enable/ 
>> encourage all
>> kids to be "programmers" but to get children to think more  
>> scientifically,
>> and less superstitiously, and in a more thoughtful manner all  
>> together when
>> thinking about the world we inhabit and how it works.
>>
>> Kim Rose
>
> I agree with much of this.
> But we must help the kids by showing them a way.
> Many kids will just give up as it's too much to discover and its to
> hard to do by them self.
> What I think is way forward is to help kids make the stuff they want.
> Tutorials and specially youtube clips showing how to make the kind of
> images they like will encourage them to make it them self.
>
> Art is hard and it's not obvious how to make it. Lot's of tricks and  
> tools
> are used and it take some dedication.
>
> Etoys paint tools are good for most cases but can be a little crude  
> and
> unforgiving.
>
> Crude by having only round and big brushes. And the very hard
> pixelated edges makes detail work hard.
> Non obvious color palette memory. There is no zoom to do details.
>
> Unforgiving in the sense that editing instances take time getting used
> to. You edit the original! You must remember to keep a copy or you
> lose your work !
>
>
> Karl
>
>
>>
>> Viewpoints Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated  
>> to
>> improving "powerful ideas education" for the world's children and  
>> advancing
>> the state of systems research and personal computing. Please visit  
>> us online
>> at www.vpri.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Oct 31, 2011, at 10:06 AM, Steve Thomas wrote:
>>
>>> Changed subject from previous emails.
>>> On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Bert Freudenberg <[email protected] 
>>> >
>>> wrote:
>>> On 31.10.2011, at 03:09, Ricardo Moran wrote:
>>>
>>>> Some kids told me they would want more graphics to choose in  
>>>> Etoys (like
>>>> the ones in Scratch).
>>>
>>> Why don't they use images they found on the web, or took using a  
>>> camera?
>>>
>>> So I see a couple of issues:
>>>        • Should we include a predefined set of images similar to  
>>> Scratch?
>>>        • Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a  
>>> camera?
>>>        • How can we get kids scripting (as opposed to just  
>>> "playing with
>>> images" and creating cartoons)
>>> On item 1: Should we include a predefined set of images similar to
>>> Scratch?
>>> The argument I have heard against including images is that kids  
>>> that:
>>> "Seeing graphics that they might not be able to create themselves  
>>> easily
>>> can discourage them from make their own paintings."
>>>
>>> If that is the case, then why do are there so many kid created  
>>> graphics in
>>> Scratch projects?  I have, on admittedly limited evidence, seen  
>>> kids getting
>>> stuck drawing, because they feel they can't draw well enough, which
>>> slows/stops them.
>>>
>>> On item 2: Why don't kids use images found on web or took using a  
>>> camera?
>>> Good question, once I show kids that this can be done, they do  
>>> it.  So
>>> perhaps it is an issue of "discoverability"?
>>> There is a quick guide on Objects/Digital Images which is XO  
>>> specific. But
>>> does not indicate how to import an image from the Web on XO.
>>> Also, the switching to journal/copy to clipboard, ... may be too  
>>> many
>>> steps, which might discourage kids.
>>>
>>> On item 3: How can we get kids scripting, modeling, simulating  (as
>>> opposed to just "playing with images" and creating cartoons)
>>> Great question, need to think about this some more.  Not that  
>>> playing with
>>> images, creating cartoons and using Etoys as a PowerPoint  
>>> replacement are
>>> bad things, but how do we get them scripting, modeling, simulating  
>>> as well.
>>>
>>> Stephen
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland
>>
>>
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