Hello

[gardnern@xxxx]

Hello All,

This new group is a terrific idea! This year I won a state grant 
to "adopt" a project called the Turtle School of Dance that was 
created by two teachers in Erving, MA.
(http://www.erving.com/turtle/index.htm). It involves a one month 
geometry unit that ties the use of Microworlds and spreadsheets to 
regular classroom math. I am working with sixth graders in two 
schools, a month or so with each class. So far I am finishing up with 
one class (by the end of the year four classes will have worked on 
this project). The students have never used Logo or Microworlds. 
During the project, the students learn basic commands and syntax in 
order to create a variety of procedures that produce regular 
polygons, additional procedures to rotate and add color to designs, 
and superprocedures to synchronize a "recital" that moves from page 
to page displaying various designs along with music. The students 
have been very excited, going to the lab on their free time, 
downloading MSWLogo at home, etc. The classroom teachers and I, who 
also have never worked with any version of Logo before, have had 
instruction from the Erving teachers and are working to adapt this 
project to the needs of our school system. We should have some good 
data about basic Microworlds learning when we finish. I have written 
published articles about HyperStudio and other topics prior to 
becoming enamored of Microworlds so I have some experience there. 

Regards,
Nancy Gardner