This week, for the 1%, I want you to click on the link and read the article and watch the associated video. The article deals with Raspberry Pi, a stripped-down computer that will enable children to learn to code.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17190918
LINK
The device runs an open source operating system and is based on the Python programming language that is growing in popularity, particularly in the GI industry. After watching the video and reading the article please post your comments. Comments may be based on the following guidelines:
- Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Might the complexity of code put children off?
- Importance and relevance of programming at the level of children
- Reasons for making the Raspberry Pi open source
- Anything else you may want to add (e.g. the move of manufacture away from the UK)
Please make sure you post your comments by Friday of this week (21st).
Paul
Hi, I think that it is a good idea, when I completed tutoring in schools in my final year of my degree, I was showing kids of 11, how to use ESRI software, and it was surprising how well they took to it, yes I think it will be difficult for them and it may put some kids off, but it may also change some students mind as well. I think that it will be easier if programming is introduced to them at a younger level, as I did not complete any programming until I got into my master’s degree and i find it difficult. There are many advantages to making software open sourced, one is it keeps cost low which will interest a lot more customers.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Hi,
DeleteI agree with Lisa, I think it is a good idea to introduce very basic programming to kids - some will take to it better than others just like anything else so I don't think the complexity would put anyone off. If introduced at a young age I think more people will go into programming when they are older - especially girls as I think its a male dominated industry at the moment.
Jenny.
Hello all, this seems to be a great idea. I have to admit it, even though I first grimaced when I read the article, as it took me back to my first very basic lessons in programming in school, years ago. My fear is that the teachers introducing these fantastic little devices to the kids, will (unintentionally) provide a very poor basis for their continued use in the classroom (and indeed, in the children's lives) by failing to inspire the next generation to use them creatively, unless the teachers are trained pretty quickly. There does seem to be a logical step in giving children, the programmers of tomorrow, an opportunity to take it to the next level, and if that means introducing these into schools then so be it. Also, as computers do not recognise gender it's irrelevant if the little programmers are girls or boys: if they like programming, they might stick with it.
ReplyDeleteYes, my main concern is that teachers will not be given adequate training and, through no fault of their own, end up with someone almost "muddling" through a lesson, hoping nothing goes wrong and not necessarily having the confidence to make the lesson more exciting. It would make the technology seem super complicated and more inaccessible to students.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea as long as it is implemented correctly. Teachers will need to be given adequate training to run classes which use Raspberry Pi, Linux and Scratch. I agree it is important that children are introduced to it at as young an age as possible (as they are essentially, learning a new language but working out that age might not be as easy). The way it is taught would obviously have to be geared according to the level of education a child has. There will always be those who don't take to it, the same as with any other subject
I like the idea that they are planning on keeping the case clear - I think it's a good way to help children de-mystify technology. They could even learn a bit about how it is connected together from their Science classes.
I do wonder that, if schools were to start using Raspberry Pi, would each child have their own unit? That would mean they could take it home to work on, they could have it for the duration of their compulsory education and give them more ownership of what they work on (and the responsibility of making sure it wasn't damaged)
Interesting point Nicky about teacher training. This could be very costly as teachers themselves would have to be taught basic programming in order to show their pupils.
DeleteAs a Mum of two young girls I think this is a fantastic idea. Already my two know their way around my smartphone and tablet just as well as I do. Kids are curious creatures and I think the idea of programming would go down really well with both boys and girls. It's very interactive and kids love the whole "action and reaction" thing.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of complexity I don't think that would put them off. Starting off with some basics and they would soon learn the ropes. Although they would need to be at a stage where they can read, write and have adequate maths skills apart from that is it really any different to learning a new language as Nicky says? I think Raspberry Pi is a clever way to build maths, science and language into a fun piece of kit.
Again my concerns match what has been said earlier in that this will involve a lot of new training for teachers. There is a new initiative being introduced in Ireland, where the Department of Education are looking at industry and academia to help advise on a more fit for purpose school curriculum. I think there is potential for the IT industry to get involved in teacher training and support in schools for this type of project. Maybe it's time for Microsoft, Google and Facebook to give something back. They are set to gain massively from it if they do.
I think the reasons for making it opensource are twofold. 1. from an ethical point of view if it is for educational purposes then it should be free to all children and 2. it widens the net in terms of engaging with young users with limited access to IT, which is clever as the IT industry are set to benefit massively from this, even more reason for them to contribute something back in terms of training and support in the classroom.
I think it is a shame that the manufacture of the units had to move away from the UK. It appears they can be manufactured in the UK but that it costs less to have them manufactured in China. My issues with this are the potential of children being involved in the manufacture of Raspberry Pi, carbon emissions in the transport of materials and missing the opportunity to put jobs at home before cost.
Maybe it is not such a great idea after all?
I forgot about the notes I had written about Pi being open source! With the large community that support the project there will be lots of folk contributing software ideas and working on making those ideas becoming reality. Perhaps a "junior community" could be established for inter-school collaboration projects too.
DeleteHi, for me I find this very fascinating and for me this is a great idea. Personally I believe that many children would enjoy learning coding and of course others would not as is the case with any subject. For children at a young age basic levels of programming being introduced could really have big impacts on their career paths. If the Raspberry Pi is made open source then this could be made very popular and I personally would find this great as I am already fascinated by just watching the short clip on the article.
ReplyDeleteSean
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteI think this is an excellent idea. Kids really absorb information so just imagine their potential if they learnt coding from an early age. Use of the Raspberry Pi could completely change the way I.T. is taught, in that kids wouldn't just be learning how to use various software packages which may become outdated, but actually have the ability to understand how they work. This kind of teaching would also give them problem solving skills. I agree that the way in which coding is taught may have negative impacts- if kids become confused they might be put off the subject all together! The fact that Raspberry Pi is open source means it is much more affordable and therefore available to children of all backgrounds. I wish this kind of opportunity was around when I was in school!
Laura
I.T. is so deeply embedded in our daily life (Big Data anyone?) that giving the young generations the option to get really involved with it at this tender age seems a very logical thing to do. A few issues must be ironed out first as mentioned before, now there is even more pressure on teachers to truly engage and inspire the children. If its done right, the complexity of programming should not be a problem, therefore properly trained teachers are a must and this is where I think difficulties might arise. Going open source means that the price point can be kept low and still being current which is really important to reach to as wide userbase as possible.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI think this is an outstanding initiative.
I would argue that beyond inspiring children to pursue an IT career, knowledge of the fundamentals of programming within the ICT curriculum should be as important as spelling is to English or practical experiments are to Chemistry.
Broadly speaking education should give our future generation a breadth of understanding of the workings of the world, of which computing is one of the biggest and most relevant parts.
Sure there are some hurdles such as complexity and teacher training, but you don't not teach kids to write because the words are too complicated!
This is a great idea introducing programming at such a young age. They are following convention of any form of teaching happening today.
ReplyDeleteAs a father of a 5 year old boy who just informed me today his main lesson was carried out on an iPad and similar to Clare Lauder's children knows his way around my smartphone and iPad. He attends football training on a weekly basis and looking at my own youth I was around 10-12 years old before I carried out similar tasks and only I'm only programming now. Early development leads to increased success.
I don't feel that the complexity of the product would put young people off when they can see the results they have achieved and it is computer products that are driving their world.
The growing concerns of IT skill shortage especially in programming in UK had necessitated a rethink in school curriculum at the primary education level. There is a need to generate interest of school children in computer skills especially programming from the elementary education. Children are keen lover of computer game and related computer technology. It will be interesting to demonstrate to these children elementary programming skill behind this computer technology
ReplyDeleteIt is great news Raspberry Pi, a low cost CPU, central processing unit with open-source operating system Linux as teaching tools in elementary programming skill in schools is launched. This technology perfectly fit into vision of providing school children with programming skill at affordable price. The low cost of Raspberry Pi makes it accessible and affordable to the general public within UK.
The phrase ‘catch them young’ aptly described introduction of elementary of programming into primary education in UK. This will definitely generated interest of school children in the subject of programming and enhance their creativity. This will likely have huge impact on the number of student developing interest in programming. This will definitely go a long way in bridging gap of shortage of programming skills in UK.
The downside of this new technology is that production has been moved overseas leaving companies in UK with sales and distribution only. This will have create more jobs within IT sectors in UK if production of Raspberry Pi have not moved to China.
Personally, I think it's a good idea, learning how to program is learning how to structure your thoughts and sentences in an efficient way and will only be a boon to children (especially of a young age!), both in terms of what is actively being learnt (valuable skills for the future) as well as the way its being taught in.
ReplyDeleteOpen Source is also a good idea given that it seems to be the way things are developing currently, and good experiences with open source materials at a young age is going to encourage further development of open source products by these children in the future.
I think this is a great idea, learning the fundamentals of programming at such an early age. This could help develop creative thinking and provide the basis for future developers. Personally I have always had an interest in programming but never had the opportunity to try until a few years ago. I do worry about the complexity, however this would be dependent upon how the system works. If the idea was forced upon children, they may develop a negative attitude towards computers in general or programming at an early age.
ReplyDeleteProduction using open source shows the growing importance of this sector. I think it's a good idea to challenge the idea of any propriety system and the younger this is the better. I really like the idea of including a clear, transparent case. By simply seeing the components may intrigue children to learn also about how systems work.
I think it is a great idea to involve children in programming foundations from an early age. As most children prove to be able to work the latest smartphone applications with ease, a basic introduction to programming would prove not too difficult in introducing. The major benefit of learning code would mean that students would have a large understanding of progrmming and computer literacy by the time they either enter third level education and/or the workforce. This would provide greater competition amongst peers in terms of employability in such fields and would therefor attract programming employment to areas where such a schools programme is introduced.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Tom, really interesting and thought provoking piece
DeleteI think its a great idea for children to have access to this kind of information at an early age. Getting children at a young age can help their programming skills become second nature. However, you cant force a child to sit down and learn something they dont want to do, so it is important that the pi is child friendly in terms of making the learning experience not only educational but fun.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important for children to be given this kind of access because it is clear that as every year goes by the speed at which IT is advancing is staggering. Get children involved at an early age can not only educate them to what is available at the minute but also potentially give them the skills to think of new ideas and technologies.
Open Source is essential as it is making access easier to all sections of the community. Furthermore the low cost of the Pi makes it easily accessible as it is important not only include those from privileged backgrounds. This development should promote access of education for all.
I think it's a great idea, i don't think it will put off children that much as in this day and age the youth are much more able to cope with and understand the different types of technology. However in saying that it will of course be difficult for the youth to grasp but it will be much easier this way than having to learn it years down the line. The children need to want to learn it, it needs to be their choice, otherwise it is likely to fail. I believe that open source would be the logical way to go as it would mean that a wider range of people could use it.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Vincent that it would be easier to pick up if shown from an early age
DeleteAs mum of two boys obsessed with anything to do with computers I think Raspberry Pi is a great idea. The popularity of coderdojos in the UK and Ireland is testament to the desire of young people including children to learn about code etc. From what I understand, Coderdojos are volunteer led coding workshops set up around the world for young people. In the UK and ROI, there are some 146 coderdojos in existence, many of which are open to any young person. In Belfast there are four, one of which is run out of the University of Ulster's Belfast campus (3D coderdojo) on a Saturday morning. Giving young people and children the opportunity to learn such skills can only help reduce the digital divide that exists in the UK today and the fact that the device is cheap means that it is available to everyone. I can see the benefits of making it open source in that the wider open source community can contribute to its development and restrict the ability of the large software companies (which have monopolised the market over the years) to dominate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the number of blog responses I read that this idea is revolutionary and will be a fantastic learning tool for children. Code could be taught to children as if it were just another language as the earlier they start to learn it, the easier they will pick it up throughout their education. Trying to learn code as an adult is much more challenging because you have to retrain your thought processes so incorporating programming earlier into the school curriculum would be vastly advantageous. Some children may find it challenging but no more than how they might find French, maths or history challenging.
ReplyDeleteIf Raspberry Pi was open source it would allow many more children to work on developing their skills in their own time and accommodate children in experimenting with their skills from the comfort of their own home. They would also be able to contribute their ideas and learn from their mistakes as well as their abilities to develop programming which would be excellent training for their working life. The product could also develop exponentially if people were able to access Raspberry Pi and submit development proposals through an open forum.
It is a shame the development of Pi had to be outside the UK but keep the cost of the end product low makes it more accessible and thus increases the pool of people able to use the device. Also, encasing the product in transparent casing is an excellent idea as the children will not only understand the software better but will develop an understanding of the hardware used too.
Personally, I think Raspberry Pi is just what this technological age has been waiting for to help children develop skills in an easier and achievable way.
The Raspberry Pi is a cracking idea! Although it's primarily aimed at kids it already has a large community following online producing free software for it. This is definitely thanks to it being based on an open source platform.
ReplyDeleteFor kids I'm sure they'll pick it up fairly quickly as they usually have a lack of fear and breaking things when it comes to technology. Who hasn't asked their younger family members to help them out with a gadget before?? I think it's a great initiative getting kids into programming at a young age and I wish someone had encouraged me a bit more! In the future I imagine "digital illiteracy" amongst adults will be almost unheard of thanks to schemes like this.
Undoubtedly keeping it open source is a massive incentive. As Claire said in her post it's an ethical issue more than a marketing one and this is clearly targeted towards education rather than profit. I might actually buy one myself...
Yes, I'm pondering buying myself one to tinker with in the summer break.
DeleteI first thought when I read that children would be taught computer programming language that it would be too complex for them. However, when I read the article and thought about it I realised it would be a great idea. My initial fears were that complexity would be a issue for children but I think that children would in fact pick up programming very quickly and become proficient at it over a period of time. This would be obviously beneficial. By teaching children at a young age it would prepare them very well for a job in the programming sector amongst many others. From my own experience of having little to no programming experience until recently it can be difficult to pick up. By being shown elements of this at an early age it would definitely have made this easier for me. By keeping it open source it ethically makes sense. As other people have mentioned because Rasperry Pi is for educational purposes it should be freely available to all children. It is a shame manufacture has moved away from the UK but this seems to be the way of it for many sectors as production is so much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteOverall I am all for it and think its a great idea!
I agree with all the above comments, this is definitely a fantastic idea. Introducing programming to children at a young age will allow them to develop new skills and as mentioned most young children have access to i pads, smart phones etc so by teaching them programming it will open their eyes to what actually goes on to create the apps they are using.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the complexity of it would put kids off, my nephew is 11, he would love it. He loves electronics and makes his own electronic circuits, soldering and everything. He would be fascinated learning programming.
Having it open sourced is also a good idea as it means anyone can access it. The only problem I can see, is that you would probably need someone with a little programming or computing experience to show the children how to use the device. Not all teachers/parents have computer experience especially the older generation.
This is a great idea. Nowadays kids are being taught via ipads and interactive whiteboards, gone are the days off overhead projectors! This is naturally the next logical step. With brains like sponges it the right time to invest in the UK programming skills future.
ReplyDeleteOpen source is a great way to keep the cost low and avoid the wealthy/poor divide that unfortunately arises with technology (iPad as an example). Everyone in the UK can afford it allowing opportunities to all to further their skills.
It would have been perfect to have the manufacturing also in the UK but again the cost is lower. This is the new technological era. Children need this stimulation.
I agree with Nichola , there will be a need for adults to have the skill in order to mentor the children. Can we meet this demand to make it successful?
Overall it's an exciting advancement worth keeping an eye on!
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ReplyDeleteThere’s nothing wrong with the idea at all – any IT experience taught at an early age is never going to be a bad thing. I wouldn’t get too hung up on the complexity issue, either. As someone rises up the educational ladder they’re supposed to be filtering out the things they really don’t like/can’t do so this will probably end up being an extension of that. The world still needs plumbers and builders.
ReplyDeletePersonally, depending on one’s definition of “children” this is best left at GCSE level or above. Ultimately, programming is a niche in the IT industry – there’re plenty of other areas to focus on but a basic knowledge of ICT is pretty much mandatory for most areas of employment. However, forcing kids to learn the complexities of computer architecture in the hope that every single one of them becomes an IT professional carries no more weight than assuming every biology student will become a brain surgeon. I’m all for broad teaching criteria but not at the sacrifice of freedom of choice. Most schools, as far as I’m aware, have ICT courses and this could fit in nicely there. Having said that, the PI isn’t a new discovery and I’m pretty sure a lot of places already use it.
I haven’t much to add to open source: open source == good. It’s also cheap which I think resonates more with school uptake than anything else.
This seems like a great idea. The younger that children are introduced to coding or computing the better. They very often pick up complex concepts and methods much faster than adults. The complexity of coding may deter some but it would really engage many others. As Rachel pointed out, Coderdojos have become very popular and it's amazing to see what kids as young as 8 or 9 can do.
ReplyDeleteThe use of opensource software makes sense as it keeps the cost down and allows the wider community of developers to contribute to the evolution of the device and operating system.
It's not surprising that the devices themselves are being made in China. The manufacturing sector in the UK and Ireland will always struggle to compete with lower cost economies. It's one reason why focusing on innovation and skills development is so important. The Raspberry Pi seems like a step in the right direction.
The concept of the Raspberry Pi itself I believe is great! Being a low cost solution it instantly makes it attractive to large potential customer base. With a search on YouTube and the general web it is amazing to see what people have managed to develop using the Pi! In terms of its use in schools it appears to be a fantastic practical approach to get children excited about technology.With that being said I would prefer to see this being introduced at secondary level education as opposed to primary level where a greater emphasis should be placed on general IT skills in my opinion that are more beneficial in preparing them for their future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the extensive use of computers in all parts of our lives will make the knowledge of computer programming imperative for the future generations. In this context, programming language skills as with any language learning process should start from an early age since this way it can be absorbed easier and the mind can find innovative patterns to work with it. However, I think it is very difficult for a kid to sit on its own in front of a computer and concentrate on learning code without any further incentives and guidance, partly because of the lack of maturity which is normal in these ages, and partly because of the lack of a real teacher who will use his/her personality and knowledge to intigue their minds and at the same time keep their interest and attention. Obviously there are always exceptions like for examle natural born talents who can learn how to program on their own without any external help, but I think the rasberry pi is addressing the vast majority of children regardless of any talent since it is a commercial product. The fact thet it uses open source helps in keeping its commecial price low, which can give the product a marketing advantage, in the sense that people tend to buy new products just to try them, however, if it doesn't prove useful, I doubt that it can have a long term commercial success. Finally, the fact that it is manufactured in China as with most products today contributes to its low price, but may have an impact on the quality of the final product.
ReplyDeleteAs with the majority on here, I agree this is a fantastic way to introduce young kids to computer programming - learning skills at a young age that some of us are only being introduced to during this course! Being able to learn these skills at a younger age may perhaps be able to learn language for coding and programming much easier than someone who is only beginning to learn later on in life.
ReplyDeleteAs for the idea of Raspberry PI being an open source platform would not only make the product cheaper, but would open it up to a wider range on people to use.
I also think the raspberry Pi is an excellent idea. Children can develop language based skills much quicker and with greater ease then adults. I believe that coding is extremely relevant to childrens education as it is such a relevant skill in todays workplace and the pi will act as a stepping stone to more complex coding for children. I think the product should be open source as to ensure the device gets more use and so more children benefit.
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