Computers for children

From: Doug Yowza <yowza_at_yowza.com>
Date: Tue Jan 12 20:05:31 1999

On Tue, 12 Jan 1999, Chuck McManis wrote:

> The challenge of developing a curriculum for her is isolating the concepts.
> Teaching programming without teaching file systems etc.

Forget BASIC, you want LOGO! Somebody just sold a terappin turtle on ebay
-- that would have been great for a kid.

I once had to teach programming to biology majors, which is about the same
as teaching a bunch of 8-year-old kids. Attention span is short, so you
first have to remove all games from the system. If she's already been
exposed to games, then it's too late -- she's either a zombie or you'll
never be able to meet her expectations of what a computer can do under her
direct control.

Pick a problem in her domain that yields short-term feedback. If the
distance between problem and solution is too great, you've lost her.
Graphical simulations are good. I'd have her write a lunar lander. Start
with how to draw simple shapes. Then how to move the shape under program
control. Add control via an input device. Then a little physics lesson.
Then add the fuel/game element, et voila: you've got a budding video game
programmer on your hands.

This is after she graduates from Geniac school, of course.

-- Doug
Received on Tue Jan 12 1999 - 20:05:31 GMT