Got a question/suggestion regarding getting Piggycoin into schools. It seems to me like dev work has been more or less along the lines of trying to build features into the coin, client software and piggycoin website that we think will make it usable for educators. But has anyone had any success in talking to educators who might be open to Piggycoin, to learn what features THEY consider vital or very helpful? It might open our eyes to things we're missing, or at least clarify the issues that are slowing down cryptocurrency education.
We could start polling teachers we know, asking what they'd really like to have, and put together a to-do list based on the feedback. It might turn out to be some really simple stuff, like ready-made quizzes/tests with answer keys, a collection of helpful beginner links for learning about crypto, and other simple educational aids.
And if they give responses like "We don't see why it's important" or "it's too complicated for us" or "crypto is just for buying illegal stuff" then we can develop marketing tools and materials to address the objections and win people over.
Since we new PiggyTeam members (everyone aside from piggydev listed in the 'Team' section on page 1 of this thread) came on the scene, we had interest from 3 teachers/schools about PiggyCoin. However, they seemed to lose interest and broke off contact with us. The coin was in the doldrums at the time and we hadn't tracked down the interest rate bug, so that could have been the reason.
I have known some teachers and the answer to 'what do they need' is "everything"! Most schoolteachers have to teach most of the day and don't have time to prepare lessons or tests, much less research the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies. So, we need to do it for them! We need every kind of material, including tests, in many languages, and targeted at various levels of students (different kinds of schools and environments).
(Another thing teachers might want PiggyCoin for, is for awards to give to winners of or participants in school/class contests -- speech contests, best-participating student award, things like that.)
Sadly the 1% premine is looking a little meagre for all that with the price as it is, but we PiggyTeam are prepared to throw a few of our own piggies in the pot too ;8]
OK, that's about what I thought. :-)
When I first heard about Piggycoin I had grandiose plans to produce a Unit Study for homeschoolers. The result would have been a book-length tome with scores of topics covered, dozens of activities, covering not just crypto but any topic tying in with it. Unfortunately I'm the kind of guy who can write a good article or chapter (have had both published), but I bog down on anything bigger. Doesn't help that I have an epic to-do list on my 13 acre property, busy at work, etc. So I keep intending to do some simpler little things like quizzes that might be helpful. "Intending" being the key word...
I think you are quite right that teachers will want a package solution that they can just use out-of-the-box. Even if they have their own interest in crypto, they'll want to take something packaged and just add or adapt it based on their own preferences rather than starting from scratch.
So, maybe we could plan out the contents of such a package and recruit volunteers to craft each element of it, until we had something? Then work on translating it, developing similar packages for other grade levels, etc. Do it with the understanding that everything would be reviewed and edited for consistency. That way people don't get in a snit if their work is changed (it will be), or decline to participate because they don't feel like an expert (the ongoing review and editing process would clean up imperfect submissions).
As far as the funding problem goes, hopefully my emailed thoughts on the subject are helpful.
Oink!