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Ask Slashdot: What To Tell High-Schoolers About Computer Science?
First time accepted submitter lsllll writes "I got drawn (without my intention) into three 20 minute sessions, talking to high school students about computer science and programming, and am wondering what are some of the things I should talk to them about. I have previously done the same thing for a forty minute period, and all the students wanted to talk about game programming. My only game programming experience dates back to the late '80s and programming a few games (some which ran on top of Novell's network) in Turbo Pascal. Since then I have done lots of database design, web interface programming, and systems configuration and integration. I am pretty fluent with Windows and Linux, but my contemporary programming skills are somewhat limited to Coldfusion, PHP, Javascript, SQL and bash scripts. Should I talk to them about different aspects of computer science, what it's like to work full-time in the computer industry, or do I make the sessions just question and answer, since 20 minutes might not allow me to talk and do question and answer?"
I think it would be a good idea to discuss with them how computer science effects different aspects of society. I think the reason they like to focus on game programming is because that is the only exciting thing about CS they soft of understand. Here's a few things you could talk about application wise: - Control systems (aviation, industry, trains, subways, superfast cars, etc.) - Trading robots - changing market dynamics - Open source and the web Just a few ideas. Q&A is fine if they are up for it, but give them some focus points up front. Cheers!
If they are passionate about it it is a fun and rewarding career, with lot's of job opportunities.
They won't get outside much, they will need to stay active after work to not get fat, and that programmer != sys admin.
I'd especially tell them what it ISN'T. There are a lot of misconceptions about what computer science actually is and a lot of is perpetrated by well-meaning adults who tell kids "go learn about technology" and glom computer science into that extremely broad category of "tech".
I work for a youth organization, and I always have kids watching what I do and going "Cool, can you teach me how to hack?" Invariably, they get disappointed when I show them how to ssh into a remote machine and recompile the kernel instead of breaking into a DoD mainframe and launch missiles at China or something. And anytime I do try and generate interest in actual programming, it is hard to get past the "How do you program games?" point. Let's work past printf and scanf first, junior.
It's a toughie. IANACS, but I've taken programming and numerical theory classes and it can be tedious and detail oriented. It's hard to put that up against a generation who has a lot of instant gratification when it comes to their experience with anything technology related.