Computer+PlayShop

= LO*OP Center's Computer PlayShop =

In 1976 the Rhonert Park School District in northern California was overcrowded. To maximize use of its school buildings the district opted to implement year-round school for the elementary grades. This involved dividing the school population into three groups and rotating which days each group attended school. Groups 1 and 2 went to school for 45 days and then group 1 had 15 days vacation while groups 2 and 3 went to classes. Then group 2 was out and groups 1 and 3 were in. The last rotation had groups 2 and 3 attending classes while the 1's were at home. Theoretically this meant that the same physical facilities, teachers and staff could accommodate 1/3 more students. At least this is how it was supposed to work. To get everybody used to the idea the process began with everyone on the same 15/45 day schedule. Unfortunately, parents had a fit. Even though the district tried to make sure that all children in each family were in the same group the plan became a babysitting nightmare. Parents demanded that the school district provide programming for at least half a day during the 15 day "out period". This is where LO*OP Center came into the picture. We designed a two-week "recreational" class in computer literacy for 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

This exhibit will let you experience the Computer PlayShop curriculum. At the moment (May, 2013) most of the materials from the class are scattered in boxes stored in the LO*OP Center office in Milpitas, CA. I (Liza Loop) will add images and commentary here on the wiki as I dig through the boxes so stay tuned. (Update, November 2, 2015 - artifacts moved to Guerneville, CA - "//Managing the not-so-virtual assets of HCLE//")

Research opportunity: Did taking this computer literacy class have any impact of the future lives of the students? A little urban anthropology might reveal some interesting answers. I do have the names of the children who took this class. Although it was a self selected group no one really knew what he or she would be learning before the class began -- and parents, not the kids, usually choose to enroll their students. What do the pupils remember? Did the class kindle any ongoing interest in things technical? Did it sway career choice? Did it influence attitudes toward computer uses in society? My intent was to do all of those things? What really happened?

Just to whet your appetite, here are some items from the PlayShop Show and Tell Box:



Our intention in Computer PlayShop was to demystify every aspect of computing technology. This included how computers were made, how they worked, what they could do and how to control them.