On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:43:39 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

The notion that all these schoolchildren were just waiting for a cheap
board to program at the bit level is a bit silly, in the same league as
when years ago they expected that all women would learn to become car
mechanics.

Down to bit level or even machine code I agree but a *very* broad
understanding understanding of how a PC works

If people are expecting that lots of pis will be used in this way, why
weren't these people already doing it - using the Arduino?

That is an interesting one. The lad has a Lego NXT set, he's built a
couple of things from the book and done the programs for them but
that's about it.

He's recently found a couple of mods for the Minecraft game, he's
attempted to build a 10 bit computer in it, got as far as a handful
of registers and an adder all built with basic logic gates. OK he
found how to construct a latch and 2 bit adder with carry in/out from
the web rather than work it out from first principles but bunging
those modules together to make a 10 bit functional unit he did.
Another mod for Minecraft provides a simple programming language that
can control objects in the Minecraft world. He's designed,
constructed and programmed a 3D printer with that! OK it's only a 4 x
4 x 4 matrix but it does what it is supposed to do.

So why has the NXT essentially sat in its box? When I was his age I
would have killed for an NXT set. Is it the physical building of a
machine? It's very quick to "build" and change stuff in the virtual
Minecraft world both the "machine" and program that controls it.

Mind you, if "computer classes" at schools consists of them being forced
to learn about ****ing Windows and being bored learning to use Word and
Excel, then that is a waste that could usefully be stopped.

Word and Excel do need to be taught, a school leaver these days needs
to be reasonably proficent or they are a rung or three down the
employabilty ladder. Being able to change font/size, understand
header/footer, insert something from excel or an image etc. Just the
basic elements that enables them to produce decent output, this also
extends into pretty much all the other subjects as well, use of
computers to produce work, reports or present experimental results is
everywhere.

Some one said a plumber doesn't need computing skills, not directly
for plumbing maybe but these days running a business completely with
pen and paper is almost impossible(*).

What is missing from the curriculem is anything about PC hardware,
the internal OS workings or application programming. A lesson or
three with some old hardware to examine, doesn't have to be
functional just so the pupils know what a motherboard is what it
does, what a hard drive is and what it looks like inside etc. That
would reduce the fear that most people have when it comes to almost
all technology. The basics of how a PC boots and runs in "black box"
form, the layers within the OS and how they fit togther to produce
what people see and use and some simple programming.
The last is probably the hardest, what do you get pupils to program?

(*) If only because VAT and Tax returns or moving to be online filing
only.

--
Cheers
Dave.