En-V-toys Children - level 1 (1st part)

From OFSET Wiki

1 DISPLACEMENT - children from 4 to 6 years
2 FOR THE BEGINNERS - OPERATIONS TO MAKE TO OBTAIN A PROJECT V-TOYS
- 2.1 How to download the project V-toys young people Children, or any other squeak project
3 The differnt projects
4 Next chapter :

[edit] DISPLACEMENT - children from 4 to 6 years

The principles of the use of V-toys by young children and children of the primary education level are detailed in the preceding chapter.

Presentation of Squeak Visuals-Toys

We now will see in a way more concrete, how to make work young people (4 - 6 years). It is necessary to start by downloading the adequate project in the file Squeak (here the project v-toysJeunesEnfants proposed at the end of the chapter). It is then enough, when one opened Squeak starting from his icon (the mouse), to call it on the screen while lengthily pressing on the key `TO SEEK' orange bar of the functions and to choose the option `to find a project (more places)' . One sees appearing a light blue framework containing the list of the projects recorded by chronological order. One selects that which * is desired.

Once it is charged on the screen, we find the V-toys bricks in the blue drawer located in bottom of the screen. This drawer opens while clicking above. It is a distributor of objects or orders. It is enough to click on one D `they to draw it out it drawer and to deposit it on the screen. It contains several pages of tools to the use of young people classified by categories:

We will make an inventory of these tools in 2 times:

to examine the list of those which make it possible a child to move the virtual objects that it put on the screen
to make the account of the remaining tools allotted to this level.

We thus will start, in this chapter, by us to interest in the tools of the displacement of which we will find specimens in drawers 1 and 4 In drawer 4, we will find 2 types of orders:

not quantified orders of displacement.
same orders accompanied by a face of domino introducing a first notion of the figure.

[edit] TOOLS FOR DISPLACEMENT NOT FIGURES

In the blue drawer, the orders arise under the aspect of a green rectangle on which appear of the signs symbolic systems which represent their various functions. Some of these signs are coloured symbols, which inform visually about the function of brick. Others are conventional signs which one will find on other bricks and which are used either to allot brick to an object (the gray square), or to activate it (the point of exclamation).

It is very important, with starting, to make sure that all the children include/understand the significance of the signs. The picturesque symbol of displacement is an arrowed line which indicates the direction in which the object will advance. This arrow thus gives an IDEA OF DISPLACEMENT.

However, one should not forget only these symbols which are so familiar for us that we do not put ourselves any more any question on their subject, can not be obvious for children of 4, 5 years. Is thus needed, a préalable, to lead them to discover what they want to say and make sure that, at the end, all the same direction will give him, because with use, the recognition of the direction of the visual iconic sign and more rapid that is more immediate decoding of the word by the reading. What justifies the use of these formulas with children who do not have or have an access limited under the linguistic terms.

For the signs like the point of exclamation or the square of designation , we deal with signs without relation with their object and which are arbitrary conventions whose significance is to be retained. Here it is a business of memory and not of comprehension.

The absence of figures on these orders is in relation to the level of the trainings.

The displacements or swivellings caused by these bricks are canned so that the attention of the child concentrates in priority on the possibility that it has to act personally on an object while supporting on the point of exclamation of an order or another to make it move, without having to utilize quantified values which it does not know or does not control.

The parallel role of the leader of play or the Master in the small classes

In the first times, as long as the significance of the figure will not be approached, the Master could be brought to reprogram itself certain bricks in order to put them in agreement with the exercises which it makes make. That will be easy because these bricks are programmed in Etoys language.

In the case of the brick `ADVANCE', of which it finds displacement standard too short or too length, it will open, the visualisor of brick starting from the blue eye of his halation and will extract from it the script which programs the displacement and which is called `action' . Then it will modify, inside, the figures of the projection. Idem for bricks of swivelling.

From where need, for him, to have a certain control of the Etoys programming.

[edit] the displacement of an object

To move an object, it is necessary to be able to advance it straight, turn right, then on the left according to needs' for the course. It is thus necessary to choose, in the drawer of bricks, those which will be useful. There are of them several specimens and they use arrowed lines whose drawing gives an indication on the nature and the direction of these displacements:

Straight line for a simple advance
Lines more or less broken in a direction or another, for swivelling with 30 or 90 degrees for example

For smallest, there are bricks `TURNS Right' and others `TURNS Left' what will connect a little this play of track to the displacements of the tortoise LOGO .

Initially, it is necessary to indicate to brick which object it will move while clicking on the gray square (the designator) then on the object to move (an image of this object fits in the designator). To support then on the point D `exclamation with the mouse once moves the object of the number of pixels envisaged in its pre-programming. To support several times or uninterrupted causes displacements of longer duration. To combine their use will make it possible to organize on the screen all kinds of routes:

To join a place, an object,
to circumvent obstacles,
to turn more or less in round, etc

The brick `Avance' is symbolized by a vertical arrow because, by defect, any Squeak object put moving moves to the top of the screen (or north). To go in another direction it will be necessary to be used for of bricks of swivelling, with the result that the general orientation of the moved object will change, become oblique in a direction or another, horizontal, directed to the bottom etc. Ultimately, the direction of the object will become very other than what the brick of displacement indicates.

[edit] Changes of direction

To carry out a course which could be sinusoid, it will be necessary to activate bricks which will encourage the object to move in straight line then to swivel in a direction or another, therefore it will be necessary to choose, successively, brick to be activated. We will be opposite one of the specific problems of these ages, the direction of the orientation and the acquisition of LATERALIZATION.

It will be necessary to learn how to direct itself towards the screen:

to know to go to the top, bottom, on the right, on the left, north, is etc
to then know to direct the swivelling of the object compared to itself and either compared to the screen or to oneself to be able to turn on the good side.

What forces, in certain cases, to make work the children with forms whose front one, for example, is clearly identified and locatable with the first glance and to combine L `action of several bricks.

A special brick of swivelling provided with a joystick and a dial which indicates the orientations of space (North, South etc), makes it possible to direct an object compared to fixed drections on the screen, and in a more pointed way, by moving the red button of the joystick. To find precisely the 4 directions NR E S W, to click on the letters of the compass.

But it is essential that the orientation with the joystick is carried out BEFORE activating the brick which moves the object, which brings to stress the chronology of the operations.

Not to forget to activate brick with the joystick before brick of displacement, if not the object does not swivel

[edit] actions

Carried out face, training and experimentation are reinforced one the other, and the rapid hardening of the control of an object by a child is stimulative who obliges it to learn and to include/understand but also pays its attention, concretely, on the control of its gestures and the choices which it will make to direct the object that it moves.

An example of sequence of the trainings seen of the window of the children.

Each stage is a training:

One learned how to choose and leave bricks the drawer from bricks.
It is known how it should be made so that the brick makes move the object.
One will tell a history while being useful oneself of 2 very ready objects which one chooses in the catalogue of the accessories (an ellipse and a star), for example that of a small worm which plays in grass with his/her friend the star . The star left and it left a track in grass so that the small worm finds it.

One needs pre and a trace in grass.

One will learn how to go on Dessin space to make a decoration .

To draw a decoration is not to draw an object, the decoration should not move, it is behind the objects which move. Also one does not press on the small brush of the orange bar, One presses at the same time on key ALT of the keyboard and the medium of the screen. Small circles of color surround the edge of the screen (they are called handles). One presses then on the small gray circle, on the left, because it makes it possible to go on Dessin space.

On space Dessin there is a drafting-machine and to paint and one learns how to make use of it.

How to choose its color while pressing on the nuancier (it opens).
How to select a tool or a feature in concerning (it is surrounded by an aureole).
When one selects the bucket while supporting above, the mouse becomes a bucket which will spread the color on all the screen or inside a closed surface.
The brush reviews features or several widths if one chooses his thickness while pressing on the rounds which are under the images. The mouse then becomes a brush which has, with the end, a round of the selected size.
One retrogresses, when that does not go, while supporting on demolishes â€¦
One turns over on space drawing with it is finished . The decoration is placed then behind the objects which one placed on the Monde screen.

When one put on the screen the bricks which make move the small worm, and which they address well to him, one can follow the track to find star.
One can reconsider Dessin space with the gray button and add things in the countryside so that the landscape is prettier.
One can also keep his drawing (with the assistance of the Master), that is called a project, to find it another day or to lend it to a friend.
The nearest time one will be able to draw his small worm and its star on Dessin space or 2 things which will want to be found. â€

[edit] The nature of displacements

Another difficulty will arise when objects are moved, it is that of the logic of displacement.

An object taken in the catalogue of the accessories, ellipse, rectangle, star, etc. , referring only to themselves, or an object creates on the Dessin screen and which evokes an unspecified reality could be treated same manner if their nature gives rise to think that one has, on them, a view from above (flying small beasts, crawling, mobile objects seen of high etc). Or if one moves them as if they were posed on a plan. It is with these that it is preferable to work with young people.

But if the chance leads a child to want to work with another category of objects, that which we have habit to perceive with a top and a definitely positioned bottom and who move on the ground by keeping their verticality whatever the direction which they borrow (a character, an animal, a mobile object seen of profile), it could be surprised to see them rocking as if they were victims of falls when it makes them change direction. It there will have thus second type of displacement which will require adjustments by handling with the mouse on the screen, which is perhaps to avoid with young people, less skilful in the coordination of their gestures.

But when a child will be nevertheless confronted with a problem of this kind or that it will be a little larger, one can, either to show him, or to help it to carry out the manual operation intended to change the direction of displacement without modifying the general orientation of the object (a vertical object must be able to leave in skew or to horizontal and to keep its verticality).

The change of orientation of an object is carried out while making swivel its arrow of direction in the direction where it will move .

It is necessary to reveal the Halation of the object in clicking at the same time on the Alt key of the keyboard and the object itself . A whole of buttons of various colors (handles) appear around the object. The handles dark blue with white interior signs, bellow on the left, makes it possible, by moving it, to make rock the object in all the directions without utilizing an order. But by making it swivel slightly, it also makes it possible to reveal the centre of rotation , placed in the middle of the object. It is a blue circle equipped with an arrow of green direction which indicates in which direction the object will leave if one says to him to advance. The direction by defect is North

To make it possible an object to leave in another direction without it swivelling on its axis, it is thus enough to take the point of the green arrow with the mouse and to stretch it in the direction where one wants to send the object. It will leave in this direction by keeping its initial orientation.

[edit] Displacement uninterrupted and limits of the screen

To move an object uninterrupted on the screen without making it change direction will bring it, early or late to run up, at the edge of the screen against which it rebounds. To start again the movement, with smallest, one moves it with the mouse and one poses it elsewhere But one can also use a brick, also contained in the drawer of displacements and which allows the object moved to distribute behind.

The brick of swivelling

This brick is different from bricks already met. It does not have a point of exclamation making it possible to activate it. Its blue bottom indicates that it is in latent activity and it appears only if another brick moves the object which is affected for him. It also manages 2 actions at the same time:

reversal of the object when it runs up against the edge of the screen.
the noise which it can produce in contact with the edge of the screen and which one will select.

The nature of the reversal also depends on the orientation of the arrow of direction:

If the arrow of direction is horizontal or vertical, the reversal is done with 180Â°
If the arrow of direction is oblique, the reversal is reorientated with 45Â°

However, in certain cases, this return in opposite direction with swing to 180Â° or 45Â° can produce odd situations. It is of no importance for a star or a ladybird, more or less symmetrical which make to and from in all the directions, it is more awkward for the small duck or the truck which set out again the head in bottom. It is thus necessary to have recourse to a complementary operation so that the object makes a reversal in symmetry mirror .

It is here that the teacher or the organizer intervenes with the assistance of the menus of Squeak. One reveals once again the Halation of the object in displacement and one selects his Red Menu. Opened, it contains a certain number of proposals. We will find, all in bottom of the list the option `Dessinerâ€¦.' . Selected it gives one 2nd menu which proposes a certain number of options of which some relate to rotation.

We will choose `to fix the type of rotation' which presents at its turn new possibilities. We will notch, in the 3rd menu, `symmetry right-hand side-left' . By activating uninterrupted brick of displacement we will see the object being turned over to 180Â° but without rocking with back.

This delicate operation is not to explain to children of these ages. It is only one answer of the Master to a circumstantial difficulty. But it could be put into practice, at the proper time, by older children.

Last precision, only the objects manufactured on Dessin space have the option TO DRAWâ€¦. One does not find it in the red menu of the objects which are in the store of accessories (ellipse, star, right-angled etc)

[edit] WITH THE CONQUEST OF THE FIGURE WITH BRICKS A POINTS

To support once on the point of exclamation advances the object, whatever it is, of a distance to which one can give the name of step size . If one supports several times one advances the object successively several units. It is what was practised up to now in displacements which were described.

One finds, in our first page of the V-toys tools, a series of bricks which have, on their right side, a pink rectangle similar to a portion of domino or a face of die to be played. Points are accumulated there which correspond each one, with a step size. If one clicks on this rectangle, the number of points increases, passing gradually by 1 to 6. This device places at the disposal of the children a new way of controlling their objects which enables them to decide how much step sizes their object will advance in only once.

They will be able to control the length of a displacement without inevitably knowing the written formula of the figure and its value .

However, a special brick allows to connect a quantity of step sizes and a figure, which makes it possible to accompany, on this software, in a concrete way, the training of the first figures. Indeed, the figure, in a small rectangle placed beside the surface of domino, changes each time the number of points increases on brick.

With bricks of displacement, the step size of the object is multiplied by the number of points
for bricks of swivelling, to change the number of points increases the swivelling angle and immediately modifies the configuration of the broken arrow which indicates the direction of the new orientation.

The unit of swivelling is multiplied by the number of points of the domino. In the example above, the unit of swivelling is of 15Â° and there are 6 positions distributed between 0 and 90Â°.

As for brick of displacement, it becomes possible, by changing the number of points of the domino to choose the swivelling angle of the object and to make it turn in only once from 1 unit of swivelling (15Â°), 2 (30Â°), or 6 (90Â°) Even if the child does not know yet the value of the figures and the significance of the word `angle', the accumulation of the points and the orientations of the arrow of brick and the object itself intuitively enable him to have an apprehension these concepts that one can channel worms of the trainings gradually. But the choice of the moment to introduce bricks at points into the exercises is left with the appreciation of the Master. They make it possible to propose new types of exercises centered on strategies .

[edit] Work practise with bricks at points

Initially, one can use bricks at points for free displacements on the bottom of the screen and topics to be proposed or work out with the assistance of the children. But the Master or the organizer can also propose executives of exercises and rules of the game. A simple example is that of displacement on squared bottom which makes it possible to visualize the exact nature of displacements that one operates:

To advance X units very right, in skew, to turn to right angle.
To move in square, staircase etc
To join a point on a grid etc

The size of the square of the grid can be variable, but it can also have that of the step size of the object, which wants to say that when the Master puts in agreement the figure of the pre-programming of brick of displacement and that of the size of the square of the grid, the object will advance, each time, d'1 square (or of 2, of 3 according to the indication given by the domino). All kinds of exercises can then be imagined which will make move the object of X units, to achieve such or such task. (has to adapt to the age of the children)

to the attention of the Master

The construction of the grids is done easily either starting from the bottom, or starting from a scene taken in the store of the accessories . While revealing its halation, one clicks on his Rouge menu in which one selects `options of the scene' then `to create a squared bottom' . From there, indications make it possible to choose the dimension of the squaring, the layout and fill color. The grids can be used such as them .

In this exercise one moves blue tokens to place them on the green circles of the grid by using brick of displacement and brick of orientation coupled to a joystick. The token can move of a minimal width of 1 square, or of several widths of squares in only once. One can replace the tokens by different reasons created on Dessin space Distributors of forms make it possible to obtain copies of the tokens.

To obtain a distributor of forms, there exist 2 processes :
1 - to seek of it a ready whole in the catalogues objects: It is necessary to open the store of the accessories and to draw on the screen the page from the catalogue from the objects. One clicks on the category â€œconnectorâ€ and one finds, in the new accessories, a â€œsquare with the head of the Squeak mouseâ€. One brings it on the screen and it duplicates as many time as necessary the object than one places inside.
2 - to manufacture one of them oneself even while drawing on the screen, starting from the store of the accessories, a SCENE . His Red Menu is opened and one chooses â€œOPTIONS of the SCENEâ€ then one notches the line â€œDISTRIBUTOR Of OBJECTSâ€.

If one wishes to make modification to the grid, to color boxes, to release from the zones, to create labyrinths etc, it should be transformed into object by choosing, in small Monde, the option `Nouveau MORPH' , then while selecting, in the list proposed: ' to seize a rectangle of the screen `.

That makes it possible to lock up the grid in a rectangle and to make of it a copy .

While revealing the Halation of this copy, one obtains the gray handle which allows L `to take along on Dessin space and to make him undergo transformations .
Of return on the screen World, it should be fixed on the bottom of the screen with the option `is locked' of sound finely Rouge to avoid qu `it does not move .

In these exercises, one makes traverse a track with the ball by programming it with a brick of displacement and a brick of rotation at points.

[edit] The JOYSTICK AND the LUDIC USE

Lastly, last object found in the drawer of bricks and authorizing multidirectional displacements, the joystick. A gray square of attribution is joined to him, which wants to say that it is able to move in any direction, with two clicks, any object to which one allots it. To move the red button is equivalent very easily involving the object in all kinds of directions and swivellings (linear displacements before and back, right and left in the central axes, more or less directed in the zones of angles). Its use is to be invented according to the circumstances, but its great facility of use in fact a perfect tool to create ludic moments and of relaxation, and to transform into plays of the courses which could require attention and reflexion in addition.

In the course of star and small worm, for example, the use of the joystick to replace bricks of displacement, the exercise concerned of track the made-to-order of a video game can transform, at the same time as is exerted the direction of the orientation.

The meeting with the object of the search can be programmed by the Master to produce a significant sound taken in the category of the preregistered sounds of squeak:

victory - I succeeded! crac, splash etcâ€¦

[edit] Pleasures and plays

Of course all these exercises conceived around the handling of bricks of displacement ask for a young child a great effort of concentration to control its gestures, to retain the sequence of the operations or to make a success of its courses and cannot last very a long time. But squeak and V-toys will offer spaces of freedom to him which will enable him to also leave to the adventure. :

One could go on space drawing and create other objects.
One could move them with the hand or with bricks,
One could add colors and make a table or tell another history
to say that it rains or I do not know what.

â€œMain come to see what I found! â€ (and so much worse if it is missed!)

To begin a training, the project v-toysJeunesEnfants is proposed. It contains all the tools necessary to this level of age

[edit] FOR THE BEGINNERS - OPERATIONS TO MAKE TO OBTAIN A PROJECT V-TOYS

When one already downloaded Squeak on his computer and that one calls it starting from the head of the small mouse which is on the screen, one obtains the Etoys screen immediately available with the whole of his functions and his files. But V-toys do not appear in its reserves. It should be charged as a simple project starting from the site which proposes it. One finds the version v-toysJeunesEnfants at the end of this chapter. According to the age, more packed versions will be proposed later on

[edit] How to download the project V-toys young people Children, or any other squeak project

In all the chapters proposing of the projects, one finds, under their name, the 2 mentions:

To download
launch with the Squeakland plugin.

to select the mention `TO DOWNLOAD IT'

A page opens which presents the project with, in bottom, the project itself or several versions of the same project. To choose the last version (improved) and to follow the instructions for the remote loading:

TO CLICK ON the NAME OF the PROJECT - a window of remote loading of the file opens - to click on `TO RECORD'

Another window opens called `TO RECORD UNDERâ€¦

It has, in top a band TO RECORD IN

In bottom, a band `NAME OF the FILE `with in glance the name of the project (here vtoys JeunesEnfants 007.pr)

To press on the arrow opposite `to record in'

A long list appears

To click on LOCAL DISC then on MY SQUEAK (it is the file general of Squeak)
To click inside the window My Squeak with the right button of the mouse - there is a menu
To choose NEW then FILE

A framed file opens in My Squeak called NEW FILE

To click on `New file' to erase this name and to type another with your suitability of them (for example Louse)

Louse is your personal file inside the file My Squeak

To click on this new name and it appears opposite RECORDING IN.
To now click on the key TO RECORD oppositeâ€¦ NAME OF THE FILE

The file of the VtoysJeunesEnfants.007.pr project is recorded on your micro-computer in the Toto file

To find it it is enough to open the bar of the NAVIGATOR, then D `to lengthily press on the key TO SEEK until the appearance of small the OPTIONS OF RESEARCH, in which one selects TO FIND a PROJECT (MORE PLACES) that revealed on the screen the large blue window of the loadings of projects.

On the left we have the list of the files of the computer and one finds, in the file My Squeak the small file LOUSE in red as soon as it is selected.

On the right, the list of the projects. To click on the desired project (it becomes red) and takes care on the screen when one supports on OK.