tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7387860187483946172024-03-08T02:09:01.944-06:00Righteous Servant… by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11Righteous Servanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11945768154788147295noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738786018748394617.post-82861388249257834452010-09-26T20:47:00.000-05:002010-09-26T20:47:18.711-05:00Proof Of Concept<style type="text/css">
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { }
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Proof of Concept</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Following are some sample activities I have designed to provide a Proof of Concept about the kind of activities I would design for a Christian Website aimed at 3-5 year olds. These activities are in no way complete but rather snippets of what could be possible. I am not a Flash, Java or HTML-5 programmer so I do not at this time posses the skills required to develop the kind of interactive animation needed. </span> </div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I created these proof of concept ideas using an application called SCRATCH which is an educational graphics and programming environment. It is an excellent program and I am teaching it to my 6 year old at this time. This is my project page there: <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/users/righteous-servant" target="_blank">http://scratch.mit.edu/users/righteous-servant</a> . You can check out all the projects and download the program for free.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Context</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> As mentioned, these activities are just snippets and not polished and complete and are limited by the graphics and programming ability of SCRATCH. When you view these, put them into the context of the whole website I am envisioning; refer to <a href="http://www.poissonrouge.com/poissonrouge.php" target="_blank">Poisson Rouge</a>, my inspiration and guide for an excellent Christian website for 3-5 year olds. If you haven't checked out this excellent website yet, please do so before you read on and try my activities. It is important that you be able to put my ideas into a context such as <a href="http://www.poissonrouge.com/poissonrouge.php" target="_blank">Poisson Rouge</a>.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Each activity has a Bible icon that directs you to a scripture or message related to the activity. In fully developed activities, there would also be sound files that would read the scripture as well as other words and letters found in various activities.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Please note also that all of these activities are 100% success activities. </span> </div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The First 4 Proof of Concept Activities</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1-Trinity</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This activity is a not so simple maze for young children to practice their mouse skills. It also introduces the familiar Trinity symbol.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><applet id='ProjectApplet' style='display:block' code='ScratchApplet' codebase='http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc' archive='ScratchApplet.jar' height='387' width='482'><param name='project' value='../../static/projects/righteous-servant/1319537.sb'></applet> <a href='http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/righteous-servant/1319537'>Learn more about this project</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2-Shadow Lamb</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This activity demonstrates the physical properties of light and shadow as well as paralleling a Biblical concept about the Lamb of God. (<i>The code didn't render properly on this one for the upload so there are some strange things that happen in the shadow.</i>) My 3 year old daughter repeatedly asks to play this one again and again.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><applet id='ProjectApplet' style='display:block' code='ScratchApplet' codebase='http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc' archive='ScratchApplet.jar' height='387' width='482'><param name='project' value='../../static/projects/righteous-servant/1305442.sb'></applet> <a href='http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/righteous-servant/1305442'>Learn more about this project</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Joseph Coat</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This activity is just a fun painting activity and introduces the character of Joseph from the Bible.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><applet id='ProjectApplet' style='display:block' code='ScratchApplet' codebase='http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc' archive='ScratchApplet.jar' height='387' width='482'><param name='project' value='../../static/projects/righteous-servant/1305509.sb'></applet> <a href='http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/righteous-servant/1305509'>Learn more about this project</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ruth</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This activity is a shape recognition and spelling activity. In use on the website, a spelling activity like this may be an additional part to a parent activity for Ruth. You would hear the letter names when you click on them and you would hear the whole word once it is finished. </span> </div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><applet id='ProjectApplet' style='display:block' code='ScratchApplet' codebase='http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc' archive='ScratchApplet.jar' height='387' width='482'><param name='project' value='../../static/projects/righteous-servant/1305497.sb'></applet> <a href='http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/righteous-servant/1305497'>Learn more about this project</a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope you like my ideas. Please comment.</span></div>Righteous Servanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11945768154788147295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738786018748394617.post-77577644130329473632010-09-26T08:58:00.002-05:002010-09-26T09:06:57.101-05:00Markers of Excellence<style type="text/css">
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { }
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Markers of Excellence: </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Websites for 3-5 year olds.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The website that gave me inspiration to create Righteous Servant and serves as guide for design, ideas and depth is <a href="http://www.poissonrouge.com/poissonrouge.php" target="_blank">http://www.poissonrouge.com/poissonrouge.php</a> . Righteous Servant aims to be similar to Poisson Rouge but with the emphasis on teaching God's Word, principals, virtues, Biblical Stories and characters in a fun and engaging way. Please check out <a href="http://www.poissonrouge.com/poissonrouge.php" target="_blank">Poisson Rouge</a>, it is awesome! If you know of any websites teaching Christian content to kids that comes close to the excellence of Poison Rouge, please share it with us.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My initial focus for creating Righteous Servant is aimed primarily at 3-5 year olds but older children will also enjoy using it as well. Righteous Servant will adhere to several markers of excellence for a website aimed at 3-5 year olds. 3 year olds or older beginning computer users will need assistance with any computer interacting. Practiced children should be able to interact with the website once the following prerequisites have been met one way or another.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><style type="text/css">
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }
</style> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Prerequisites</b>: for traditional keyboard/mouse computing. </div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The child either knows how to or someone helps with these tasks:</div></li>
</ul><ol><ol><li value="1"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The computer is turned on/logged in.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The website is brought up on the screen. (<i>opening a browser and loading a website</i>)</div></li>
</ol></ol><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The child knows basic website browsing conventions.</div></li>
</ul><ol><ol><li value="1"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The arrow you see on the screen is related to the the mouse in your hand.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When the arrow changes to a pointing hand, it means that you can click it/something should happen.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A back arrow or a site specific icon usually or often means that you can go back to where you were before.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A forward arrow usually means that that's what you can do next.</div></li>
</ol></ol><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Markers of Excellence</b>: Websites for 3-5 year olds.</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The child's home page opens immediately</b> to where a child may begin interacting. If a child cannot immediately begin interacting, you as an adult must stick around and help!</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The child's home page is free from clutter.</b> Links to other parts of the greater site for parents/adults/older children will be placed out of the way and will open in a new window/tab, but the focus will remain on the child's page. Children get confused when a new page opens and they don't know how to get back to what they were doing.</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The design of the interactions are intuitive</b> and easy enough for a 3 or 4 year old to understand. A child shouldn't have to ask for much or any help.</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Intuitive forward/next and back/previous/home icons with consistent placement.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Arrow/cursor changes to a hand when you can do something.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Minimal if any instructional text.</div></li>
</ul></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Activities will be designed for 100% success</b> such that there is no possible way to get something wrong. Children need to learn and explore at this age, they don't need to be tested on their skills.</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If all the blue items go in the blue basket, then it won't be possible to put a blue item in a red basket and then later give a bad score for wrong answers. ONLY blue items can go in the blue basket and blue items can go nowhere else. 100% success!</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If spelling a word, the “J” only goes where the “J” goes, nowhere else and no other letter can occupy the space where the “J” goes. 100% success!</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Activities won't require completion before going back or to the next. Partial completion is still 100% success!</div></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>Righteous Servanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11945768154788147295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738786018748394617.post-45737208501062194592010-09-23T22:37:00.001-05:002010-09-23T22:47:16.419-05:00Vision-Mission-Rational<style type="text/css">
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Vision</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> That children the world over may have the Word of God freely available to them via the Internet and other current telecommunications in a manner that meets their expectations of a worthy and interesting website utilizing current and future computer technologies.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mission</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Righteous Servant will be a website to acquaint and reinforce Biblical concepts, truths, characters, stories, events and virtues with truly engaging, educational and edifying activities for children aged 3-8 years old, bringing them closer to knowledge of and a relationship with God, knowing Jesus as their Savior. The website shall be such that once a child has it in front of them, they should need no further adult assistance.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rational</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The reality is that children are and will continue to use the Internet via computers and mobile devices. There is a lot of really great stuff out there for them to interact with as well as a greater amount of crap and not to mention the downright abominable. What is lacking in the really great stuff category are quality Christian websites for kids. There are innumerable sites that claim to be Christian in nature for kids but the sad reality is that Christian developers have either missed the mark or missed the boat completely.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I have spent many hours and visited hundreds if not in the thousands of websites claiming to be Biblical in nature and providing “fun”. “interactive” ... activities and games for kids to play. A large portion of what is out there is year 2000 era style Web 1.0 stuff: hangman games, matching games, printable mazes, Jesus PacMan, catch the stars that an angel drops etc… Another portion are trivia, quizzes and games that require recalling knowledge of the Bible, not teaching it and bringing it to heart. Another segment are Bible stories that require an adult to sit with them reading and explaining as they go along. A last category are commercial products. While they may be excellent and worthy, they do not fulfill my mission of being freely available.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I have not found any websites that fit my criteria outlined next in my <b>Markers of Excellence</b> post. If after you read on and you know of any Christian websites for kids that meet this criteria, please forward them to me via the comments. I will check them out.</div>Righteous Servanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11945768154788147295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738786018748394617.post-90105315772608580422010-09-19T20:31:00.000-05:002010-09-19T20:31:39.833-05:00Begining Righteous ServantWeekend of Sept. 18-19, 2010 - Righteous Servant begins.Righteous Servanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11945768154788147295noreply@blogger.com0