How to get your kids interested in computers?

Wednesday, May 25th, 2005
Robert Scoble and his friend are soliciting ideas on how to get children interested in computers. Not just interested, but really interested - like taking one apart, building one, programming one from the ground up. These days, many children grow up playing with computers; they get into the games, but not what's inside.

When children grow up using computers, it's easy for them to be unimpressed with what's inside.

As a parent of four computer/PDA literate children, ages 12, 12, 7, and 5, here are a few suggestions that come to mind ...

Start early. Expose your children to computers as early as possible
We allowed our children to "play" with computers starting at age two. I purchased a "Jumbo Keys" keyboard that had oversized keys arranged alphabetically.

Be creative in explaining how computers work
       See Binary Carrots

Be selective about the software that they use
There is a lot of wonderful software out there; software that will encourage and promote critical thinking skills. There's also a lot of less-than-constructive software out there. I could do a sermon on this, but I won't. I'll simply recommend parental involvement.

OK, those are software-related suggestions. But, what about getting kids involved in building or programming computers? Consider these options ...

Build a LEGO robot and program it to do something
Get a LEGO Mindstorms set and build it with your kids. Its a great investment. Reusable, too. There's nothing quite like the experience of watching a creation that you have built and programmed run across the room and do something.
       Read: Productivity in motion

Join a FIRST Jr. Robotics Team
Help your child enjoy the excitement of team projects in technology and watch them experience the thrill of competition
Channel 9 guy thinks it's cool. Your kids will, too.
       See: The LEGO Mountaineers

Let them build their own computer
This year, I took four old laptops and helped my children set them up -- everything from formatting the drive, to installing XP, to loading service packs, applications and games. We've had a great time, and the kids have taken ownership of their computers. The process allowed for many length discussions about how and why things work.
       See: Why do they call them Radio Buttons, Dad?

Let them take a computer apart
Last year, for a science fair project Amy and I took apart an old computer or a printer (older the better; bigger stuff inside, lots of moving parts) -- all the way down to cutting open the hard drive and keyboard to see how they worked
       See: MackAcademy (Click on Science Fair)

What ideas do you have?

Posted at 09:55:41 PM, PST in  Home Education 

Discussion/Comments (9):

How to get your kids interested in computers?

Mainly, just have fun. See { Link } for my experience with my eight-year-old.

Posted at 5/26/2005 4:11:14 AM by Simon Brunning

How to get your kids interested in computers?

Excellent suggestions! The only thing I'd add is covering off the software side of things, and for this there really isn't anything comparable to Squeak ({ Link }

Firstly you have a full-blown Smalltalk-80 implementation, which allows you to see inside things like the stack (which is a difficult concept to convey without a visual metaphor) but then you also have the excellent eToys environment for building objects and getting them to do things (using a scripting-type language which can be extended with Smalltalk).

While I've no direct experience with getting kids playing with Squeak (mine are 2 and 3 and still at the stage where they're learning keyboard and mouse skills) my wife has been using Squeak to learn about software development, object-orientation and all the other things I waffle on about and bore her to tears with... There are excellent resources for teaching kids Squeak at SqueakLand ({ Link } which is a site setup specifically for Squeak in educational environments.

Posted at 5/26/2005 5:05:07 AM by Symon Chalk

How to get your kids interested in computers?

Our answer: design the coolest, most engaging programming environment every created, tailored for kids to do real programming easily. Include lots of simple programming examples full of bugs, dinosaurs, spaceships, and working games. Give it away for free to whoever wants to use it to teach their kids programming. And call it KPL (Kid's Programming Language). That's what we did, anyway: { Link }

Posted at 5/26/2005 8:27:34 AM by Jon Schwartz

How to get your kids interested in computers?

Great post. As someone who essentially grew up with computers, I know my own attraction to them was an attraction to making things happen (via early forms of programming like Logo), connecting with other people (via the Internet), solving problems, and learning new things. The most important factor, however, in putting my curiosity to positive use was my ubgringing. These days I see a lot of kids interested in computers for different reasons: it is a source of "free" music and software, violent games, and an outlet for making mischief. So, I think demonstrating healthy, positive uses of technology is equally important to sparking the interest.

Posted at 5/26/2005 8:55:45 AM by Robert

How to get your kids interested in computers?

I got into programming from the do-it-yourself book that came with the TRS-80 Color Computer we got when I was in fourth grade. I think the important thing that inspired me was the "Hey! I can do that!" factor. I saw video games of that day, and realized I could do it too. I think it's very important to find a project that shows kids how much power they have at their fingertips. They're not going to get jazzed up about writing spreadsheets (but so often that's what high school programming classes make kids do...). If I was a kid, I'd want to make bots fly around the screen, or at least create something in which I can see that I have the potential to match any of the "cool" stuff out there.

Posted at 5/26/2005 12:01:53 PM by Sue Loh

How to get your kids interested in computers?

what's the point in teaching your kids computers?

All the computer-related jobs will be all in India or China by the time they grow up.

Maybe sooner.

Buy a clue and look around.

Posted at 5/26/2005 6:06:44 PM by outsourced_american@globalecononmy.org

How to get your kids interested in computers?

My daughter's just under 3 now so the most computer contact she's getting is sitting at the old Thinkpad (running Linux) and playing "Elmo's Keyboard-O-Rama". I want to find her some software that actually associates typing with learning words and letters, so that she's not just hitting random keys but actually trying to spell something / accomplish some goal.

I definitely want my kids to grow up with the love of programmning that I had/have. Not so much just to share my passion for it...but because it gives them such an aspect of control over the technology in their lives. If you know how it works, you can control it rather than it controlling you.

Posted at 5/26/2005 7:59:12 PM by Duane

How to get your kids interested in computers?

Outsourced (if that is indeed your name): One doesn't learn about computers -- or any subject -- for any purpose so mundane as getting a job! Sheesh.

Posted at 5/30/2005 1:49:55 PM by Jerry Kindall

Add a comment



Hot Topics

Learn about the eProductivity Conference...

Recent Entries

Recent Podcasts

Recent Comments

Syndication

 

My Other Sites

Other Sites

Blogs of Interest

Site Information