[Edu-sig] Interaction Design and Children

[Kirby Urner]

I keep meaning to make some points regarding the Jan 2005 issue of
'Communications of the ACM,' which has this article entitled per my subject
line -- set or articles actually.  

Probably the main bit of PR is we learn of new fields: of human-computer
interaction (HCI) and of a sub discipline thereof: Interaction Design and
Children (IDC).

Papert, Minsky and Kay still have focus as big names on this widget panel.
I've never met any of them in person, but perhaps the opportunity will arise
at various junctures, as it seems we're crossing paths in some ways, though
edu-sig doesn't consciously pose as an IDC lab, nor even an HCI shop -- and
yet covers a lot of the same ground.

Our sample data comes from CS classrooms and experimental programs such as
mine, which actually pitch tents outside CS territory, yet keep Python in
good shape, doing cool stuff, like RSA, Euler's stuff, PyGeo, and Hypertoons
in VPython (projected 'em on a big wall last night, using InFocus hooked to
my Toshiba Satellite, went out side and snapped a few through the living
room window -- as if driving by and catching sight of this giant geometry
cartoon unfolding in some neighborhood (which is exactly what was
happening)).  And like RUR-PLE, which I'd like to see demo'd.

I may be meeting with Arthur pending no schedule conflicts (none that I know
of) on Monday, as I'm routing through NYC to points north.

Kirby