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Software Engineering Demo for a K-5 Career Fair?
gmjohnston asks: "A local elementary school is having a Career Fair in a couple of weeks and I
volunteered. The idea is for parents with various jobs and careers to show and tell the kids a little bit about what their's is, why they think it's interesting and rewarding, etc. It's to try to give kids a little early exposure to some of the diverse kinds of things one can do with one's life. I'm a software engineer, so I'd like to show something that has to do with programming or Computer Science, but which would be interesting
to an elementary school student." What would be the best way to illustrate what a software engineer does to a group of primary school kids?
"I'm trying to come up with something like what got me hooked way back when, which was when my Organic Chemistry professor in college showed me a listing of a Basic program (Basic Plus on a PDP-11/70 running RSTS/E if you must know) and I realized that, computers relied on a bunch of instructions that tell the machine what to do, and that if I could change the instructions then I could make the machine do what *I* want it to do! I'll have my laptop with me and I'll be at a table that the kids will be able to gather around and see the screen (or potentially do something themselves on the laptop, depending on what I come up with). Of course, showing them the kind of code I really work on (software development tools) would likely instantly bore them to death. So, the question is: What should I show? If other Slashdot readers have done this kind of thing, what did you do and how did it work out?"
Set up a little Basic introduction, the old 'Hello World' schtick. 'Help' them type out the code (all 2 incredible lines of it!) and watch them marvel in thier instant command of the computer.
I'm honestly not whipping out a stupid Political Correctness stick, but try to think of demonstrating something that has a big /COOL/ factor for both sexes in your class, or demonstrate two things, each of which might appeal to either sex. Demoing Madden 2004 might work for the boys, but will probably be a bore to the girls.
I'd suggest showing off software about music, the WWW, instant messaging or IRC, or non-NeoMasculine games a la Madden.
In the end, consider asking any kids with your family or friends what they think is cool PC-wise. They should be able to give you insights that an adult wouldn't have the perspective to realize, and will help make your presentation a winner.
I don't know how long or indepth this fair thing is, so you might have to adjust. ... which doesn't mean their to stupid to understand the interessting parts of what you do! In fact, 9 year olds can be even more on top of current scientific/technical things than the usual grown-up. It's just all about explaining it in a way that it doesn't bore them to death.
You should completely splitt between what you do on your job and what computers can do. Prepare a show-and-tell only lecture and pratice to explain things in a way kids of this age will find interessting. Maybe tell a story or two of interessting tidbits of your profession in general. Keep in mind that they (children) have a different sense of humor and less concepts of apstraction
The other thing is a practical one, which lot have provided suggestions to allready. I'd like to point out that you might want to explain to someone who isn't the usual future geek and all into gameboy and electronic toys allready the nature of computers and how to program them. I'd suggest a simple program that displays the fascination of automation. Maybe a very simple, tile based turtle program enviroment with your own simple set of commands (go, stop, on, off, forward, backward, left, right, north, south, east, west,... you get the point). It should be good enough to display the basic concept of computers (programmability and automation) but be easy enough to do in a time where a group of kids each can get their own shot and everybody can watch without getting bored. Both units, the show and tell and the little programming part shouldn't take any longer than 30-45 minutes each for a group of 10 children. Anyone more curious should have a chance to ask you more questions though.
My 2 cents from a geek who's been a teacher for some time aswell.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I would argue against fractals. Although the code is reasonably simple, it is very mathematical, and that is not something modern children can understand. In fact, for the fifth grade, games are pretty much the only option, since when a kid thinks of computers it's either games or homework. And you definitely don't want them to associate computer science with homework; you'll ruin their surprize when they go work for EA.
You need things:
On the whiteboard you write the Requirements:
The CPU is only allowed to execute instructions that are written on a whiteboard by the Engineer.
The CPU is to be as literal as possible when interpreting the instructions - so if the instructions are:
Then the CPU should pantomime throwing something, because the Program does not include the instruction "Pick up the ball".
Start with just the "Requirements" on the whiteboard. As the kids come up, you explain the rules, and let them tell you what instructions to write down.
You can even have a bit more fun - if a kid starts suggesting your standard juvenile crap ("Have him scratch his butt <snicker>") you can pull a Donald - "You have been caught goofing off at work - YOU'RE FIRED!".
If you are real meanie, you can even do more of the experience:
www.eFax.com are spammers
I've actually done this at the local schools.
It's a great deal of fun, and believe it or not, it won't bore them. Adults fear engineers (especially software engineers) because they think what they're doing is something that they cannot do.
As a result, they actively ignore your attempts to educate them. They think it's just out of reach and would rather appear rude and bored than stupid.
Of course, kids don't know this yet. They're fully willing. They most certainly will understand graphs, functions, tries, and so on. They'll understand it because [as we know] it's not hard, and they're not yet programmed to avoid it.
Show them LOGO; Show them C; Show them the inside of what they think a computer is, then smash open the hard drive and toss the platters around.
They'll love it.
Show them what it means to hack, and how much enjoyment it can bring. Show them your adhoc EIDE hotplug system (so they can try it at home) - show them anything you can. They most certainly will follow.
I must say, there's nothing quite like a third-grader asking why we "don't just all use assymetric cryptography all the time", or how the world let Ben Franklen get away with messing up the plus-minus on battery schematics.
The teachers monitoring you will roll their eyes, but the kids _will_ get it.
GAAAaaahhhhhh!
Quick - learn smalltalk and tote along some toys from Squeakland.
The next generation will thank you someday ...
"But all your emitter and collector are belong to me!"
Actually there is a such thing as software engineering with a precise legal definition currently recognized by Texas.
The problem is that the term is terribly misused. The first comment I read here involved endless coffee and coding - that's not software engineering.
Analogy:
Software engineering:coding::Civil engineering:plumbing
Another analogy:
Computer Science:software engineering::Physics:civil engineering
The problem is that software engineering is such an embryonic field right now - there are effectively no widely recognized standards of practice, no standardized testing, etc. for it to come to the same level as most other engineering disciplines.
The coders aren't doing much to change this, nor are the true computer scientists. Ultimately, CS will have to contract to a more self-contracted science, coding will revert to a trade, and software engineering will somehow emerge in the middle.
It's not MS/Oracle/etc. that need software engineering, nor are they driving it. It's coming out of Boeing and other large traditional engineering firms dealing more and more with code that DO take responsibility for their work (that's one of the first tenets of a professional engineer) and have no comfortable way now of determining if the work of their individual engineers is good or not.
Bottom line, from the perspective of a professional engineering firm, MS and all other software firms that follow their model of deniability of responsibility are absolute train-wrecks. At some point, a MS buffer overflow or some other dipshit problem will cause a major direct and obvious financial or human life crisis and the Congressional hearings will begin. Software engineering as a widely recognized discipline will be the result.