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 next week (20th).
Paul
I think the idea is good, although I'm not suite sure that we have the teaching skills in schools to be able to use it effectively.
ReplyDeleteBy this I mean it'll mean either teachers being trained how to teach it or bringing in an external teacher. When I say, 'trained how to teach it' I mean that most teachers teach courses or programmes because they have to, not because they are interested. So while I think its a good idea, I also think that for it to really give children an interest in programming it will need to be available and interesting to them outside of school too, for them to want to go and find out how they do more than the basics taught to them by their teacher.
For some children the complexity might put some of them off, but as long as they know the basics that all those children need, for other who have an interest it will be important for them to be able to share their programming and to get feedback from peers. This has already been seen by children making apps (generally games) for mobile phones and sharing them.
By having it open source it will enable what is programmed to be shared which will be a big pull for children because they like to show off and get praise in the form of feedback for it.
As for it being manufactured in China, is this not just a recurring issue. The UK is too dear to make anything. I like the idea of things being made in the UK but not a lot of people in the UK would be able to afford it if it was made in the UK; so then the whole thing would fail. Its kind of a trade off decision that has to be made, if you want something at an affordable price (which this is very affordable) then it has to be made else where.
Fiona
I love it. Definitely a good idea. While teaching children to code might be one of the aims, I think that can be interpreted as “children, young and old”. I was really tempted to buy one when they came out in 2012, and was tempted again by the Raspberry Pi 2 which was released earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing stopping me is the lack of time to play with it :-(
My view (as a professional computer programmer) is that early exposure to complex programming is fantastic for mental development! We shouldn’t shy away from complexity. Life today is full of complexity so young people are well advised to develop the mental disciple that comes from thinking of complex issues in a structured manner. For me, it’s a form of meditation and as such is invaluable to mental health.
Lots of alternatives to the Raspberry have been released demonstrating the popularity of the idea.
A friend of mine runs a maker space in Romania where workshops using the Arduino (one of the many alternatives to the Raspberry Pi) are very popular.
The maker movement (of which Raspberry Pi takes part) is an exciting concept which is putting power back in the hand of people. It’s a reaction against the disempowerment that is occurring today as people can’t fix their own cars any more, throw away their printers with the first error message, and trust computers without any idea of what is going on behind the screen. Open source software is an integral part of this; it’s putting power back in the hands of ordinary people. The results are incredible. Open source software has become some of the most used and reliable. More servers on the internet are using Linux than Windows. These are exciting times!
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ReplyDeleteFirstly, I think it’s a great idea. Programming is a highly useful skill for children to learn. It teaches them problem-solving, creativity and communications skills and in today’s world where children of all ages are very tech-savvy (my one year old can easily work her way through an iphone), there’s probably no better group to teach coding to than children. There are many programming games and apps (such as Scratch, Hopscotch and Daisy the Dinosaur) to help teach children to code in a fun way which I think would distract from its complexity.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Raspberry Pi uses an open-source operating system adds to the affordability and accessibility of the device. Linux is a rich and powerful platform and said to be more stable, and requires less powerful hardware for comparable tasks than other commercial operating systems. It can be customized to perform almost any computing task and is a great learning platform.
The intention of using Raspberry Pi to teach children programming means affordability is a high priority. Manufacturing out of the UK is presumably an attempt to maintain costs per unit low and to therefore be able to sell the product at an affordable price. However, I believe in late 2012 they relocated manufacturing to South Wales where they currently have a factory.
I also like that Raspberry Pi is powered by a mobile phone charger, cutting down on the excess of electronic waste and complimenting the European Parliament’s decision for the introduction of a common charger for all mobile phones.
From what we know so far, looks a great idea, but as Rory-Cellan Jones said, the benefits of this project will have to be evaluated once the children, or any citizen curious to learn the basics of programming, start practicing with it. The Raspberry Pi seems to be a valuable tool to enhance the knowledge about programming, nevertheless the quality of the tool is a percentage, high or low, in the success the project. Experts from varies disciplines will be involved in developing a strategy that take into account social, cognitive and tendencies issues, among other, in order to contribute to familiarise new generations with the science that is behind almost every single tool we use in our day-to-day. Despite there is and there will always be professions in which programming is not present, programming is becoming more and more important in disciplines in which few years ago was not necessary at all; and computers will be a vital element within all the professions of the future. For this reason, even for those children who will not use this knowledge in their future careers, it will be useful to improve their computer skills. On the other hand, if we think in the vast amount of applications created every day, the generation to which the creators of these applications belong had no access to tools like Raspberry Pi and its education programs associated, therefore the creativity in the field of programming and its real life applications seems to have no limit.
ReplyDelete(Not sure if published correctly, sorry if submitted twice)
I definitely think the Raspberry Pi is a great idea and surely the cost and simplicity will attract (has attracted) many buyers. A cursory search on the internet shows that people appear to have taken to it well and have been quite innovative in its application, from internet doorbells to solar panels.
ReplyDeleteI feel that recent advances in technology have already shown children’s propensity to adapt to new technology and I expect that many children will welcome the opportunity of learning coding. Having looked at the “The Zen of Python” it would appear that the main language tries to be as accessible as possible with it’s emphasis on beauty, explicitness, simplicity and readability. Programming is definitely a great skillset to have and the earlier children learn any language the more proficient they will become, leading to a new generation of more programmers and software developers in the UK which can only help boost the UK economy in the long term. Of course the outsourcing to China was obviously a blow to the whole “bootstrapping the UK economy ideal”, but really this seemed inevitable if the cost of the Pi was to be kept to a minimum. It didn’t take as long as expected before production switched to using Sony’s production facilities in Wales..
The democracy of open source will mean that the Raspberry Pi will benefit from a self-enhancing diversity and the concomitant innovation such as those examples mentioned above.
The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B was released last month (February 2015) and is, by all accounts, even more suitable for learning in schools than its predecessor due to its enhanced flexibility.
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DeleteI think the Raspberry Pi is a good idea conceptually as it is a cheap computer that has a high level of functionality.
ReplyDeleteMy son has them at his school but they have not really used them as they arrived late in the year. They did not do much more than putting them together and briefly looking at the software. He thinks they would be good for controlling cars and robots.
As far as teachers being able to understand them, his teacher is specifically a computing teacher so would not have a problem. It may be harder for junior school teachers who would not need to have such a depth of knowledge re computers, but I do not think this should be a problem. There should be some teachers in each school that would be interested, I am sure.
From the video, the computers look like "proper" computers i.e. they do not look like toys which might put some children off. I think it is important for children to be exposed to the inner workings of computers as they are surrounded by them. It is an easier and safer way for children who are keen to learn about computers than taking the back off their expensive personal computers.
I feel the concept of the Raspberry Pi is a good one. I think every child has the ability to learn and understand the most basic programming code. It may even help entice children to study computer programming in higher education, who may down the line create more interesting and advanced computer systems and software.
ReplyDeleteWith Raspberry Pi being open source it encourages users of all ages to give it a try and experiment. It gives people the chance to play, learn more and perhaps control their interactions with the internet, computer games, computer systems etc., which I believe can only be a good thing.
User friendly functionality and the low cost price of the product makes it quiet affordable meaning every child can engage with programming. It also encourages sales which results it a big profit margin. This money can then be used to further develop Raspberry Pi and perhaps entice more people to computer programming.