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Interesting. I didn't quite realise it but these may be important computer literacy advantages we can pass on to our children. Also noting we're typing in Engl
by sundvor 8y ago
Interesting. I didn't quite realise it but these may be important computer literacy advantages we can pass on to our children.
Also noting we're typing in English here on a Latin keyboard, however my 7y son's taken to his keyboard like a duck to water. We gave him a touch typing challenge to plant some seeds, and he greatly enjoyed it. I benefit every day from touch typing and want him to have the same advantage - I started far later, in middle school, on the good old typewriters. He's also fully figured out Windows 10 user interface, alt tabbing, using copy paste shortcuts etc; I'm pretty sure he'd figure out any GUI, as long as there was a reward at the end (start a game / movie).
He loves his mouse keyboard gaming, but in order to earn gaming time he's also got to do chores - and I'll also give him points for coding. I'm trying to get him used to Python now, it's a bit early and it can be challenging to find the special characters, but he's getting it rather than giving up - and we'll dive into it more later, with the benefit of the Cozmo SDk to make things more interesting. There's a challenge in making the understanding of code an intrinsic reward, vs the low hanging fruits of playing computer games, but I'm hoping it'll come in the next few years.
I also couldn't help but reflect on the fact that by doing this, he's getting experience with Visual Studio Code, the exact toolset I use for my own work.
- geomark 8y agoCan you point me to that touch typing challenge that your 7 year old enjoyed? Very pertinent to my interests. Also, Python at age 7 seems pretty advanced. My 7 year old is pretty strong with block-based programming but I'm still trying to figure out when and how to transition to real coding.
- sundvor 8y agoNice! It was actually an iPad app that we used, with the Bluetooth keyboard - he was using it for hours. I'll dig up the app name when I can find the iPad, presently everyone's asleep and the iPad was hidden somewhere. I think it doesn't matter so much which one you choose though, as long as it tells you what fingers you are allowed to use for what keys. The challenge that we set for him was to perform the exercises and getting the fingers right. He's at the absolute beginner level with Python yet, which we do on the PC, but I figured it was the next logical step as I'm questioning the engagement with e.g. Tynker. He's quick at dragging the blocks across, but the way they template a lot of the lower levels makes it too easy to blindly drag things across until he suddenly hits a wall with something he can't understand. I'm struggling with the curriculum part of this myself, how to best get his interest and how/when to introduce concepts. So hooking up the Cozmo robot and getting it do simple things is neat way of doing loops for example.
- geomark 8y agoThanks! I started my kid with Scratch. Then had him do some of the Hour of Code challenges on Code.org and then some of their courses (recommended). Did a couple Arduino projects programmed with ArduBlock. Now we are working with a VEXIQ kit from Vex Robotics and working our way through the RobotC course. All graphical programming so far. Want to start looking under the hood at the actual code soon.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]