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What Should 10-Year-Olds Know About IT?
stephendl writes "I have been asked to give a computer based talk to a local primary school. It is part of an after school science club and I have a pretty free rein to talk about whatever I want for 10 minutes. The children will be aged 9 and 10 and will come from a range of backgrounds, there will be a parent of each child present too. My initial thoughts for the subject included the history of computers, the components in a computer and what computers are used for. Does the slashdot community have any suggestions, experience in this area or tips?"
9-10, you say? How about, NOTHING? C'mon, they should be learning the fundamentals (three r') at that age. Adding in "IT" will only muddle things for them. We try to stuff to many things into kids minds too early. Keep their lives simple so they can actually learn what fundamentals, not what YOU think matters.
Talk about what they are used for first. Add other stuff if you need to fill time. Make sure to mention things like atms and videogames having computers in them. And cars, cellphones, cd players, etc. The best thing you can do with your ten minutes is make the kids think that computers are everywhere, at least for a second or two, before they stop listening. Your next goal should be to reach the parents who haven't yet figured out that computers are an increasing part of reality and that computer skills are essential. Your likely audience and time limit prohibit much more than that.
Ten year olds are not going to care about cpus, memory and such. The ones that do care will already know more than you can tell them in ten minutes.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
Find out what they know already (ask them), and build on it at the level they can handle.
Explain how the computers they use are connected on the Internet, and what makes up the Internet. Explain that thousands of organizations have their own "mini-internets", that connect to the internet and also to all the computers within the organizations. Explain what those computers are, what they do, how they are different from the computers that most kids know about, and how there are other things on the network besides computers too. And then explain that IT designs it, builds it, makes it run, fixes it when it breaks, and upgrades it as it goes along.
Maybe not a direct answer to your question, but related to this topic I wanted to add this thought:
Computers are entering our lives at every level and sooner and sooner. Children are born nowadays in an age where they rather learn to type on a keyboard than learn how to breath.
Being a little geek myself I am the last to say that I'm not having fun fiddling with these damn nice machines, but still remembering the days without computers I do belive that children first need to be able to be children. Childhood only lasts for such a short time it is a shame that even this period of their live is invaded by these machines. Children should play, outside, with each other, In Real Life.
There was a time I believed that every child should have a computer in class as soon as possible is something I've left behind me for a couple of years now.
Let children be children first, they'll have time enough afterwards to discover the wonderfull virtual world ... in there.
Remember, young audiences will be bored to tears if you regale them on things they already know, or the history of anything unless it's exciting.
Our 9 and 10 year olds already know that "computers are used for everything". They probably don't care (yet) about how they came into being. Instead, why not focus on what no one tells these kids: that the age of the Internet and the personal computer gives them a degree of unparalleled personal power.
Show them how computers only ever do what a human tells them to. Give them fun logic puzzles and explain simply how they are really just programs. Explain how the ability to use logic and creativity together make the computer a powerful tool. Illustrate how computing gives them choices -- they don't have to use the software (not even the OS) that came with the computer, they can do whatever they can figure out how to do.
Talk about the cool things computers will be able to do in the future. Have them work with a really simple encryption (secret messages! cool!) method, and explain how businesses and individuals use more complicated versions to keep their private messages private. Just about all kids love the idea of secret messages -- use it!
Don't lie. Don't tell them it's all easy. Do tell them that it's all possible, if they work hard enough to learn. Make computing interesting and accessible, don't bore them with history and "hey, computers control your car, your games, and even the clock on the wall!"
You have a very potent opportunity to motivate and educate. Don't waste it! Make sure every kid -- and especially the girls -- know that working with computers is rewarding and not just for "smart kids".
We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex—but Congress can. – Cullen Hightower
Ask at the outset:
- Which have Nintendo, PS2s, gameboys, etc.
- which have computers already?
One Idea: Have a Show and Tell. If they're not tech savvy, keep it very high level (this is a CD Rom drive, you put CDs in it, like music CD's or ones with software on it).
Show and Tell Ideas:
- Bring an old computer, open it up, and point at the major components.
- Tell them what software and hardware are, bring some CD's, and some burned CDs.
- If you have an old hard drive, say a 200 Meg or something silly like that, OPEN IT UP. Yes, this will completely ruin it. Make sure to mention that if you do this (!). Show them the read-write head.
- Open up a CDRom Drive. Pass it around and show the major parts.
- Explain Google and Wikipedia if you've got a net connection, show some big sites, ask for interests and then show them sites. Warning: this could eat time quickly, and you've only got 10 minutes.
- Show them the connectors and how they're all different shapes to make sure you don't plug the wrong thing in the wrong place (reduce fear)
- Get a chip, and show how the chips are connected on the motherboard with traces (wires).
Of course, if your audience is savvy, you can't impress them with cool tech, you could always do the science discussion route and explain binary numbers. But, they're a little young for that.I have always thought the primary purpose of education was to provide perspective so people make better-informed and wiser decisions. Perspective includes reducing fear levels to allow for rational thought and contemplation.
Rational thought allows for inspired choices later based on whole sets of info you can't provide by rote learning.
So: Inspire, have fun, and show that no matter how complicated something looks, it's made up of simpler things that can be understood and manipulated by people who are interested in doing that.
Tell them that it never stops getting interesting, and if they're bored, to imagine what other people find interesting about it and see if that's interesting to them.
Just my 5 cents.
Unitarian Church: Freethinkers Congregate!
1) They'll probably be telling YOU stuff you don't know about IT.
2) Screw the theoretical/historical talks. You're talking about 10-year olds, not uni students. Get a projector and hands-on show them something interesting and fun. A game might actually not be a bad thing. Perhaps a simple game programmed in some BASIC-like language, preceded by some extremely brief examples of how writing somethign in the program and then running it results in the computer actually doing what it's told. Those who are likely to get interested in computers will be fired up by that. Those who aren't, well, they aren't. Perhaps page-down through the slightly more complex game to show them how long the program is, and tell them "that's about 1000 lines of code - nowadays computer games tend to have X bazillion lines of code, but the result is a bit more impressive!" and give them a brief demo of some modern game - perhaps even play the demo movie from a game.
Daniel
Carpe Diem
I don't think 10-year olds should need to know much about IT in general. Its just not important for them.
Basic schooling is enough. I'm not even sure what to teach them about IT? some Network-basics?
How a browser/mail client/... works? Word processing? programming? Its all not important for them.
They will learn in automatically when they grow up or show an own personal interest in those things.
Sorry to be alarmist, but here are two examples:
My step-daughter, 12 years old at the time, had bveen given the talk about not giving out private information online. In spite of this she gave out her phone number to someone online. When the person called my wife answered and talked to the person. He was not the 13 year old boy that he had told my step-daughter he was; his real age was off by probably 20 years. We then iterated the safety issue of what she had done and as a consequence she couldn't use IMs or email for 2 weeks.
I got an Instant Message from my 11 year old niece; her newly chosen screen name was "SmoothnPink99." The screen name had some meaning to her that was innocent, but of course might mean something else to an unsavory character. I called my sister and let her know politely that her daughter had a new screen name that is not the best choice to a pre-teen girl.
So bad stuff can happen to kids while online.
I'm not saying this is the only thing you should talk about, just suggesting that you speak a few sentences on the subject. The point is parents, teachers, etc., have some say in what kids at that age should and should not do when using a computer, what information the kids should not disclose, etc. You don't have to spell it all out in gory details, just say enough to make the point that a responsible adult can and should help set guidelines.
I have a 9 soon to be 10 year old son. He has been using the computer for almost 3 years now.
Initially we started him with "This is the computer, and here are the ONLY games you are allowed to play", (Reader Rabit and programs sold by his school.) He got to learn the comonents fo the computer like how to handle a CD and such. We had a Knoppix CD where he was able to load and play games on.
He then started learning about programs like paint and office applications for some of his school projects. So he was allowed to use those programs, since there was really no harm in doing so. (Notice that access to web content is still not permitted.)
We constantly made it known that he is not to open any programs that he was not allowed to. Even though he had access he was not *allowed* to use them.
Then his friends from school said that they were on MSN and Yahoo and Email and were able to visit sites advertised during his TV shows. So we sat him down and informed him that not everything on the Internet was for kids and that he is only allowed to access sites that we say are okay and that he is to make up a fake identity when he is told to give personal information, NEVER GIVE OUT REAL INFORMATION. The computer was always in an open room and we constantly checked up on his activities.
We follow the rule where anything new he does on the computer he has to okay-it with his mom and I. A few months ago he got his first hotmail account and got on MSN. Again another talk on how not everyone on the internet is a *good* person and a rule is that he is NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION AND THAT HE IS ONLY ALLOWED TO MSN PEOPLE THAT HE GOT THEIR MSN IDs FACE TO FACE. We test him again and again and when he does do something wrong he is then corrected. His computer usage is a privledge and he remains under our watchful eyes while he is learning this relativly new frontier.
Remember that you will not always be ahead of your child and that you should teach him the proper methods and give them guidelines before you reach this point.
Most of the childes asked, believed that what they found on the internet is true, 100% fact, and they had no training in spotting what's not facts or how to check the sources.
Not at all surprising, and it's very unlikely that you'll ever succeed in convincing kids not to believe everything they read. Kids don't seem to be capable of evaluating factual information until they're in their early teens. Not that they don't consider some sources more authoritative than others, but their opinions of different sources seem to be very black and white, and not really based on any sort of critical analysis.
For example, because their teacher at school gives them a lot of information that everyone agrees is correct, they therefore assume that everything their teacher says is 100% correct, even when the teacher is speaking of something about which he or she knows little. Likewise, anything written in a textbook must be true, regardless of whether or not it makes sense, or agrees with other sources, and anything on the Internet must be true because the kids find so much material there that is accurate.
I haven't conducted any studies, but I from what I observe from my children, source reliability is a boolean value, mostly, without any concern for the nature of the information vs the nature of the source. I say source reliability is "mostly" a boolean value, because they do understand the notion that otherwise reliable sources can be "kidding". They understand it, but are still sufficiently gullible to be an unending source of entertainment for me ;-)
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This is an after school science club. These kids have chosen to be there and to spend extra time learning about science. IT falls squarely under that umbrella.
Kids in a voluntary, after school science club are probably already reading above grade level, and performing math at junior high levels.
I was in such a club at that age, and it was a lot of fun.
Basic flowcharting is just a structured way of looking at the steps of any process. Trust me, in limited form, it is very appropriate for children under the age of 10, they will not be harmed by the knowledge of the mighty Flow Chart. I can understand some of your issue, you start a kid on Flow Charts, next thing you know they are thinking logically, then they *shudder* start thinking for themselves, next, total collapse of society.
No, actually, I have the opinion of some guy in Kansas, and he has mine, we traded for the day! So, I am not really reponsiable for this post, it content, or the next great flame war.The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
There is very little you can tell a 10 year old that will have any relevance to the IT careers that will exist when they are 20 years old. In fact, the lead time for a 100% turnover in technology is more like 5 years.
This reminds me of when I was in high school and a recruiter from MIT came by. He gave a long lecture on this very subject. He was retired, and said he knew almost nothing about modern technology, but he did have some particularly relevant advice.
He said that the technologies that you will work on in your post-college life, the technology that will be your career path, will not even exist when you are in high school, so that anything you learned would be completely obsolete.. with ONE exception: math. Math is never obsolete, and is the fundamental basis of every technology sector. He gave his own example, he finished high school just as WWII broke out, but when he went to MIT, he worked on developing Radar, which did not even exist a when he was in high school. He spent the rest of his career working on Radar systems.
I wasn't too sure if this was a realistic assessment of my future. A few months later (IIRC this was around ~1973) I visited MIT in person, for admissions interviews and to check out the campus. One of my hosts said I should come to his Comp Sci lecture to see something really important. The lecture was about the brand new Intel 8008 chip, the first time the chip had been shown on the MIT campus. I didn't realize the significance of what I was seeing until several years later when I built my own 8080 microcomputer.
So yes indeed, the microprocessor technology I would work on for my entire career was invented just as I was graduating from high school.
Moral of the story: study math. Forget the IT lecture, it will bore the kids and it will be obsolete before they even ENTER high school. Focus on the everchanging nature technology, that it will always be new tech, newer and more exciting than anything they can even imagine, and math will always be the key. Maybe you can use some elements of this story. Talk about what computers were like 10 years ago, and how things changed beyond even YOUR expectations in the last 10 years, and ask them to guess what it will be like in 10 years. Get them to use their imagination, get them excited about the future.
(Oh, sure, the BBC computer was brilliant, the Inmos Transputer was the product of sheer genius, the Archimedes was very respectable for the time - far more advanced than PCs! - and the ARM/StrongARM processors were a work of art. Care to find any of these products outside of a few specialist shops in the UK? In fact, care to find anything other than the StrongARM anywhere at all???)
Likewise, America isn't the tech centre it used to be. Most chip manufacture is done overseas, and sooner or later, it's going to occur to businesses in those countries that they can gain a massive competitive advantage by using these "local" resources. Why not? They're the ones with the experience, actually doing the work, these days. US labor is generally too expensive. Given the folks in Taiwan, etc, have the means, the motive and the opportunity to turn that work-experience into a profitable business of their own, it's just going to be a matter of time before it happens.
With software outsourcing to Asian nations and the subcontinent, it's not just the hardware you need be concerned about. Again, these guys aren't stupid. With the necessary training, and the considerable work experience they are receiving, all it'll take is some imaginitive and a little venture capital, and you may very well see major companies coming out of such countries.
Unlikely? Not really. Japan, after World War II, was a wreck, had very minimal up-to-date technology, and no history of being a major International power in commerce. With funding from the US, and an import of know-how (not all of it ethically obtained) they have cloned just about every piece of Western technology and have often made some impressive improvements.
I heard this wonderful quote for Formula 1 motor racing - "if you're not moving forwards, you're moving backwards". In technology, this is certainly true. Last week's "new thing" is next week's "old hat". Plenty of places in the US still use COBOL, AS400s, etc. PL/1 compilers are still being sold for $15,000 a seat. (Someone's buying it or they wouldn't charge it.) That's not a sign of rapid forward movement.
India, Taiwan, etc, don't have that legacy overhead. They're much freer to move forward to next-gen technologies, and that puts them ahead of the game, if they take the opportunity.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
They are pretty young. I think this is an opportunity for you to give the "science is cool" lecture -- that it is cool to be a scientist discovering new things and that scientists do good things for everybody.
IT might be a little tougher to envison than some fields, "Kids can you imagine a world without relational databases!?!" But make them aware of all the digital devices around them: cell phones, DVD players, microwave and VCR timers, alarm clocks, portable music players. Let it sink in that somebody had to invent those replacements for earlier tools and if the robots in the movies are ever to exist, a lot of people are going to have to add together their discoveries over time to achieve those future wonders.
Remembering that they are young, here's another angle. If you know they have been exposed to computers already, do you know anybody who has a working manual typewriter? Borrow it and bring it in with some paper and white-out. Let the kids somatically experience what the old days were like. After that, you could probably lead a meaningful discussion group as much as a lecture.
Numerical Analysis-
Nothing fancy. Just a demonstration of how cumulative errors can lead to errors in calculation. Example : Two calculations that should each result in the value 3.0, but one results in 3.0 and the other in 2.9999999. An equality check will fail. Sometimes, these situations aren't handled well, even in real-world situations.
Set Theory-
Just some basics. Just enough to lead up to state-transition diagrams. Once some very basic set theory and state-transition diagrams are introduced, you have the basis for modeling many systems and automata, formal methods (which I would not introduce to kids - but the concept that development does not have to be flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants is of value), and many other applicatons. Just the exposure could lead them to discover and think about a great deal more.
Security - E-voting could be an excellent topic, with already many straighforward papers and analysis worth discussing and debating. Many important and approachable arguments lie here, as well as many important infosec principles.
Anyway, these are just some ideas. There may be pros and cons that I am not considering, but I think that there should be some exposure in these areas.