[Edu-sig] RE: "Croquet Project" and Python ?

[Arthur]

> 
> I wrote -
> 
> >
> > The clearly best "interface" for education is infectious enthusiasm.
> >
> > Kay does exude that, to people fascinated by computer interface.  And to
> > that extent he is an effective teacher.
> >
> > But Big Picture, that is a small realm.  Though if Kay had things more
> in
> > perspective, his infectious enthusiasm would evaporate - and he would be
> a
> > less effective teacher.
> 
> But deepest feelings here is that the focus on kids is perverse.  The
> focus
> being there because they are only potential market for whiz-bang
> interface,
> for people intent on producing whiz-bang interface.
> 
> Adults have interface in perspective.  Kids don't.
> 
> Art
> 

I'm sorry.  But I've been running around this issue for 4 or 5 years here
now. Because I consider it extremely important. And it would be much less
important to me to try to express myself if I didn't feel that I was
fighting an issue with the deck stacked against me.  We all like to try to
be heroes, I guess.

And if someone could suggest to me a more appropriate place to attempt to
engage concerned people on this subject, I will seriously try to take them
up on it.

But I just want to add, that Kay would probably respond to my last point
with something McLuhanesque.  He refers to McLuhan repeatedly in the article
of his that I just read of his. 

We agree, apparently, that there is substance to the message that the
"medium is the message".  And apparently disagree about the substance of the
message being sent to kids by subcontracting any significant portion of
their education to machines of immense complexity, the working of which they
cannot in the least comprehend. 

The better interface, in some sense, the worse - from this particular
perspective.

Art