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After watching the video on the frontpage, this sort of reminds me of Hypercard (and HyperStudio).

Anyone else nostaltic of Middle School Technology classes as me?

http://www.metacard.com/
(although sold to runrev for commercial development, getting the old metacard IDE and heading over to yahoo groups, you will find some nice geeks continuing development of the free version)

http://www.hyperstudio.com/
It's been forever since they released a new version, and there is no Linux version of the software.

http://www.squeak.org/

linky

A good alternative is Hyperstudio.

Not the cheapest but a good way to introduce all sorts of programming concepts in a visual way.

Mac/PC versions available; $69.95 for home use.

Another entry into programming is creating web pages, by tweaking them with JavaScript, and eventually CGI scripts. Really anything that allows tweaking is good, such as tweaking Mozilla or the computer desktop. Programming is about tweaking the world.

Once they feel ready to transition to a full programming language (Java, C++, etc.), there are ways to ramp up to that too. JavaScript is a great way to learn object-oriented concepts. Learning game programming really motivates kids and they learn about 3D graphics too (Nehe and GameTutorials). For building real desktop applications, NetBeans and the free JBuilder edition let you visually design java user interfaces, but something like Thinlets simplifies java development greatly (and introduces you to XML, see also other XUL-based development tools). Of course there are thousands of resources out there for learning java, see Sun's New to Java center.

Lastly, I think kids should keep a blog or a journal somewhere. If you have webspace, set them up a MovableType blog and let them tweak everything they want (adding commenting, shoutboxes, javascript goodies, etc.).

First of all, let me compliment you for making the effort. You'll find that much off the hard part has been done already. The kids (well, not all of them, but a surprisingly large number) will be very interested, right from the get-go. Part of this is because they find computers to be "fun". Another piece is that our society makes so many jokes about how kids know so much more about computers than their parents, that many of the kids come to believe it (though it's probably not true). They feel like this stuff is fun, easy, and that it's their birthright.

Your job, (as I see it) is to encourage this. At the elementary or middle-school level, you want to be building up their confidence, showing them how powerful these tools can be, and encouraging them to branch out on their own. Actual "teaching" of particular topics comes in a distant second. Actual teaching of programming comes a distant 5th place, after things like word-processing. But focus on teaching "computers" (whatever that is!) and you'll do just fine.

[NOTE: I'm sure some /. readers will disagree. I, too, remember learning LOGO in elementary school. It was a great exercise, and fun too. But I'd have learned programming without it. There's time enough for that later.]

So, now for something practical. I'm proposing that you make "computers" fun... what kinds of things do kids this age find "fun"? Well, I tried a WIDE variety of different things when I taught it (I too was given wide latitude with the curriculum. After all, I was the department head -- who was to complain! ;-). Holding discussion (I didn't even TRY lecture!) on computer-related topics was decently received, but wouldn't hold their attention for more than a few minutes. (Really... not more than 3-8 minutes.) Doing word-processing tasks was actually slightly MORE interesting, but not much.

Working our way up the ladder of success, I found that going onto the internet to look for things or look at particular sites, was considered fun, but it never struck me as being particularly effective. Also, when I tried this I encountered a small amount of resistance from school officials and parents. But the main problem was that this was a private school, and the kids just didn't find logging on and browsing the net to be anything special... they did it every day at home. You may find this one more successful with your students... but maybe not, I'll bet most of the class knows SOMEONE with a net connection (perhaps a pittifully slow one, but it's there). I also tried teaching the kids to author their own web pages. A few simple HTML tags is all they need, and they can experient on their own after that. They really enjoyed linking their pages to each others (this is ESPECIALLY strong among Middle School students, since that's the age when they first begin exploring certain kinds of interpersonal relationships with their peers), and a few made pretty interesting sites, but it was only a moderate success.

What REALLY worked for me was when I tried creative media. Getting a really good paint/draw program and simply turning them loose was an INCREDIBLE success. Everyone loved it, (especially playing with digital photos of each other which we took), they did a good job, and they were clearly learning something in the process. One person would discover the commmand for doing a "smear", and would use it. Then a friend would ask "How'd you do THAT?", and be shown. Pretty soon, EVERYONE was playing with the smear tool. Once I saw how well that pattern worked, I started taking one or two kids aside individually and "seeding" them by showing them a new technique, which would shortly get passed around the room.

I had similar success with some of the EXCELLENT multimedia learning tools that were available. Things like Amazon Trails Adventure, from MECC (cheaper), or ANYTHING AT ALL from Tom Snyder. The kids loved it, and it was particularly easy to use, since most come with pre-designed grade-specific exercises. The better ones even come with instructions on how to use them when there are far more students than computers.

But by far my greatest success came with just one program -- HyperStudio. This is a multimedia authoring program... the students could make THEIR OWN multi-media "presentations". And it's easy enough for middle-school (even smart elementry school) kids to actually work with it. Every single kid in my class enjoyed working with that, and they worked HARD, because they liked what they were doing. When they had finished, several students had created presentations that were amazingly good, and one student had created something which I doubt I myself could have equaled (but he was an amazing kid).

Well, enough of the examples. By now you probably get the gist of my suggestions... make it FUN. And try to think on the level of what a young kid would enjoy, not the average /. reader. Good luck, and thanks for contributing to make this a better world for all of us.

-- Michael Chermside

PS: I meant it about emailing me if you're interested.

• Bailey's Book House
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