Filtered light of orange and gold,

Evening takes the day.

Since we are talking about kids and computers, I think that we should take the discussion a little further.

The current generations of kids are fairly computer savvy. We all know if you can’t figure out something on the computer ask a kid, they usually know the answer. The reason why is simple, they have grown up with computers and never known a world with them. This being the case the knowledge on how to use them is absorbed through their skin. Just as my generation did not have to be shown how to tune a television or a radio or even to play pinball, today’s kids monkey see, monkey do computers with ease. But there is a gap.

Certainly kids do know how to operate a computer at a basic level, start programs and use them to some extent, but they do not get the more advanced functions that are available in the programs simply because they are not formally exposed to them. So, asking a kid to help program a macro in Word is fairly useless, they have never seen it done and do not know how to drill down to get the answers or read the help to find out about the function. In many cases they do not even know the terminology for advanced functions.

Another problem kids have with computers is the object oriented nature of how the programs work in the first place. In many cases they may be shown how to do something but they do not know WHY they are doing it. They learn the procedure by rote and continue on. This is not just a problem for kids, it is an issue for adults using the programs as well. Not understanding the basis for what we are doing with computers limits us all to the extent of what we can do with computers.

So, here is a radical idea… “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks…” By this I mean that the technology exists today that every child from kindergarten on up to have a laptop computer. At the schools each room is equipped with a wireless network that the instructor can download programs and lessons to each students computer. In kindergarten the kids learn simple mouse and touch pad use, say playing with a paint program. First graders are exposed to keyboard use and basic Word. Second graders learn a program like PowerPoint. Third and fourth graders being to master the programs already listed, and are initially exposed to Excel. Fifth graders get a much more formal education in Excel and basic networking. By sixth grade we should be training out children to use a database like Access or something. This is rather important for the future because learning how to write a formal query will be everything in a world of wired databases. From there it just gets advanced and may cover topics like scripting and coding. (Why coding and scripting? I do not know about you, but there are many times when I want to do something and there is no program for it, so I write a PERL script and viola, instant program. It is too useful a skill for everyone not to have.)

Along the way the kids learn about file and directory structures, how a computer operates on a basic level, how to get under the skin of an operating system and fix things. They learn what to do and how to maintain computers. They learn good user techniques, how to avoid viruses and such. They learn early on about the importance of information and privacy. Manners and Internet Etiquette are taught so they do not create enmity on the Internet and draw too much attention. There are so many things to learn, and learning them at a young age like this assures that the new generation is more than just computer savvy, but computer proficient.

This is not to say that the pencils have to go away completely, there is still room in this world for all the traditional teaching. After all, penmanship is still important in everyday life (for now), but books could easily be replaced. And there is still a need for crafts and other manual dexterity activities for proper development and the artistically inclined among us. But over all I feel that computer need to be a larger and more formal part of our children curriculum.

Postscript:
I used to say that people who did not know how to use a DOS prompt should never be let onto a computer. I mean if you don’t know how to run a computer on the command line (I know, some of you are saying “What the heck is a command line?”) you simply did not know even the basics on how a computer operates. There is something to be said for having a basic understanding on how a computer process, runs and stores data. But in todays world where the command line is all but gone I have to give in to the fact that most people do not know the basic operation of a computer. This is one of the reasons that I mentioned coding and scripting. Coding and scripting forces habits of learning basic computer operation and in many cases what a command line really is. So, let’s just say I have higher hopes that the newer generation will not be ignorant about the marvel they are using.

Post Postscript:
One of the cool things this may bring about is the understanding that a computer is not a toy meant solely for game playing. A computer is a tool and when properly used a very powerful tool at that.  Personally I do not play too many games on my computer, it is too much like a tool and it is hard for me to think about it like a game box. Hopefully we can raise a generation of artisans that use this powerful tool in ways we may never have dreamt of.