Are We Too Old?
I've been looking a lot at the discussions recently and many of them are obviously brilliantly erudite and knowledgable about the benefits of this bit of hardware or OS sub/version that could have been included/added to make this great concept machine better. It strikes me that, while these types of discussion are needed (somewhere) to explore what can be done with the technology, it's rather missing the moot point of how do you make this opportuity interesting to kids. If it isn't interesting in some way they aren't going to use it!
It is terrific that much time and energy (or at least discussion) has been spent on promoting ways that the Pi can be used in schools - and this needs to be done to provide a firm infrastructure for teachers who, in the most part, don't have a programming background and will themselves need to be taught how to get the best of it - but I think it's a bit of 'clubby' enthusiasm to envisage that this, of itself, will cause kids to want to use it.
My own background is probably similar to many of you - I've been earning my living as a system and applications programmer for the last 35 years (I'm 56) and basically taught myself how to do it in my 20's. I'm an old dad and have two sons - 13 and 8 yo, who I've tried to get interested in programming from the age that they first started sitting on keyboards. So far it's been a case of toleration by them of 'Dads wierd hobby'. To a degree I can see their point as 'Hello World' is far less interesting than a complete virtual environment to re-live a past war in HD, or trying to get a multicoloured dragon bred!
I am impressed however (BTW I'm easily impressed by my kids - it's just one of those dad things) at the amount of complex information that is passed between game players (of all ages) to achieve the next level via social networking and 'word of mouth' at school. Even my eight year old knows hacks and shortcuts through games that leave me baffled.
It strikes me that a small amount of energy should be spent approaching game companies to see if that would be willing to help to build 'programming the Pi' into a game strategy. The game companies employ very clever, well paid, and no doubt socially interested people who are much closer to the target market (kids) than we will ever be, while the Pi costs less than most game cards.
We may find that with the right 'out of the box' thinking, the worthy efforts of all people over the age of 25 may prove nothing to a 'Programming Craze' that goes viral!
Colin
PS It just goes to show how different a mental world we live-in that I've just spent about five mins checking the syntax and punctuation of this post. My son would probably have said it in a more abbreviated way in txt-speak which, sadly, I can't emulate as I am not fluent in it! C Yo!
