Professor Tim Bell: Computer Science Unplugged
April 27th, 2010Tim Bell, a University of Canterbury Professor of Computer Science, developed a series of materials for teaching computer science concepts to children, “Through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.” He calls the curriculum Computer Science Unplugged.
He spoke about Computer Science Unplugged on Radio New Zealand’s Nine To Noon with Kathryn Ryan today (MP3 audio– This link will expire soon).
Becky and I are keeping Owen, our two and a half year old son, away from screens as much as possible, but we have been thinking about how to carry out an appropriate introduction to computers for him at some point (many years from now). I was thinking that something along the lines of LOGO or BASIC would be the way to go. But after looking through Computer Science Unplugged I think that focusing on core concepts through play would provide a much more valuable foundation. The material is essentially timeless in the world of computers.
Interestingly, Google provided the funding to Professor Bell that allowed him to make this material available for free online (hard copies are available for purchase). What does it tell you when Google is interested in making a child focused computer science curriculum available that has absolutely nothing to do with dazzling whizbangery, or even using computers at all? My guess is that the always connected iZombies, who are resulting from the TwitFace generation, aren’t going to be able to cut it. Google knows this.
Where does all of this leave parents of very young children right here and now?
In summary: We’re all trapped on the Death Star and Darth Vader wants our kids to learn powerful concepts, early on, so they grow into adults who are capable of serving The Empire.
Seeing the big picture is grim. It is ugly. It is terrifying. As a parent, I must acknowledge the fact that, yes, Darth Vader has made sure that these tools are available for free. But I can use careful discernment to gently give our son the guidance necessary for him to understand that the tools should be used to serve his interests, and not Vader’s.
Via: Computer Science Unplugged:
Teach Computer Science without a Computer!
Computer Science Unplugged is a series of learning activities that reveals a little-known secret: Computer Science isn’t really about computers at all!
CS Unplugged provides an extensive collection of free resources that teach principles of Computer Science such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.
CS Unplugged is suitable for people of all ages, from elementary school to seniors, and from many countries and backgrounds. Unplugged has been used around the world for over fifteen years, in classrooms, science centers, homes, and even for holiday events in a park!
Get Unplugged Now
And it’s free!
You can download Unplugged activities as individual PDF files from their pages on this site, or download a teachers’ version of the collection as a single file.
Lots more on this site.
But it’s worth browsing this site. You’ll find supplementary material for each activity: videos, links, plugged-in follow-up activities, photos, feedback, curiosities and more. We’re also working on links to curricula, and new material is being added regularly. Printed versions of the Unplugged material are available for purchase, and proceeds from sales are put back into the project.
(By the way, we had noticed that Computer Science does seem to involve computers sometimes, and many of our exercises lead on to doing activities on computers, but the Unplugged approach is a great way to get students thinking about computing before they get distracted by the technical diversions that can inhibit thinking while at the computer.)
I hate computers, like the ring of power, in reality they only have one master. I consider them the evil fruit by which the tyrant elite develop, discover, and enforce their methods of control of the mundanes, yet, I must have computers to function in my business.
How do I reconcile these two facts ?
My children display definite asocial tendencies when left with the screens for any appreciable time, we (my husband and I) have also observed this in other children we have watched closely.
Our cooperative homeschool is considering banning all the techno-crack because we have seen far too many examples of previously involved, outgoing, and committed students turn into i-zombies, once exposed to the screen. Although this observation is anecdotal, I suspect the ptb know this effect, for it is too commonly seen for them to not know.
Why else would they let us keep the things ? Orwell’s nightmare accomplished: the diminishment of thought down to what can be expressed in twitbook.
Who will be writing the letters future historians will need in order to create histories of our time ?
Who will be left who can still write eloquently, when this process is finished ?
2L8 4RL ? Y DUDE. ANFSCD.
(the last is for you python fans, out there)
cybele
Kevin, I didn’t have “powerful concepts” instilled in me at an early age, but I seem to be able to use the internet for what I need it for – access to the world’s storehouse of information and communicating with people via blogging, etc. I don’t twitter, yo-ville, facebook or play video games and don’t see any dissadvantages in my life.
Owen needs to know how dep and how far apart you plant shit. That’s what my boy is being taught. At 9 years old he only does computer stuff in the once a week class at school – he has no “screen time” at home. Healthy, happy, playful and productive, straight A’s, won the spelling bee, aced the MAP tests and does chores without complaint. And my absolute most favorite? Still believed in the Easter Bunny this year.
Prolong the innosence!
@dagobaz
In NZ, there’s a publicly funded and parent run organization called Playcentre. There are no computers at our Playcentre, and, wow, it’s a fantastic environment for the kids. But Playcentre is only available until the child turns five. The school is right across the field from the Playcentre and the kids usually just go there once they turn five. The school is packed with computers.
Needless to say, we’re not going that route. There are plenty of other reasons, the diets of most kids being a big one.
There are a handful of parents here, including us, who are sort of clinging to each other wondering, “What are we going to do about homeschool?” We don’t have the community that the religious people have. We’re just going to have to find a hall or somewhere to set up a place where we can do homeschool meetups with other families.
@comradesimba
I plan on teaching him about computers just as I plan on teaching him about guns. These are tools. Potentially dangerous, but useful tools.
When I wrote, “an appropriate introduction to computers for him at some point (many years from now),” I don’t know quite at what age screen time would begin, but certainly not by age nine.
Yeah, so I get ahead of myself thinking about how to proceed.
my amost-12-year-old son basically grew up with no tv or video games, and a computer i used for work and we used for email/web. but he took hardly any notice of it when he was at a steiner school in Japan. when he moved to nz at 8 and a half, he was immediately immersed in it at school. so he then got onto using my mother’s pc a lot too. it was definitely not a good balance, but he gained confidence because he was good with the computer even though his reading/writing/maths were way behind his peers. he later got pretty much banned from the computer at home, but then his mum got a tv and he ended up like me at his age, but probably worse. i swear tv is just much worse nowadays. we are trying to cut the tv out and increase music and other outside activities he enjoys. nz primary school curriculum is much better than most public school systems, but the computer fetish is a major drawback.
i like the sound of the unplugged thing, will take a closer look later.
@tochigi
Broadcast TV is absolutely not going to happen with us. Full stop. I’m looking forward to watching things like the Jacques Cousteau shows and In Search Of, which I was freaking nuts over, with Owen. But this is a long way off. Becky is not so sure. She didn’t have TV growing up and thinks she’s better off because of it. And I just checked and it doesn’t look like In Search Of is available on DVD. HA
What?!
Just consider this: You know the Streisand-effect and you don’t want to crash your kid later on. Just withholding information does more harm than helping a human.
See, explaining sex doesn’t happen during the age of four. You say something like “yes, we cuddle, and we like it. Thats enough. A twelve year old can, but not forced, be told about a condom or whatever he heard somewhere.
No TV? I agree completely. If some weirdo-kid lands on 4chan and disintegrates, at least he _did_ something. TV smashes every last bit (in the informatical sense) out of a kids head.
Just let things happen, though. If I had children today, I would let them watch lets say, Drawn Together or SouthPark, FOX-stuff like The Simpsons – if they manage to set up the modem or router, download it from a grey net and watch it under Linux or BSD. That way, they learn a lot about how programs work, what an OS is etc. My dream would be that my children outsmart me somewhere around the age of 12, because it has to be that way. Evolution on both sides is only possible if we let memes out and let children play with them. The Evil Empire only knows brute force, young ppl know how to enjoy something, which is more powerful in itself than money or guns.
That does not mean you should show them the video collateral murder or some raw footage, please don’t. But when they ask and are old enough, tell them whats on it and answer please every question they have – in a factual matter, not morally stained. I didn’t believe into easter, xmas and santa when I was five, just because my parents couldn’t answer where exactly they are – I had a map of the world in my room and there wasn’t any suitable location on it. There were other nations, humans and rivers, which were written on it. 🙂 Say when you don’t know it and say that you never asked yourself and you will find that out. But tell them afterwards, may it take weeks to find out, so the semantic net in the young brain just got a new knot.
A big No to the notion of serving the empire. Every genious hacker learned it under the age of ten and they are very dangerous to everyone else, empire or not. But helpful too, depends on the rest of the education they enjoyed. So young parents have the choice: teach a five year old how to hack (social) system AND teach them how to be nice, or just how to be nice (and risk them being depressed, once they see how fucked up everything is). Then stick to your decision and accept the future of your child and your own.
Blerch, broadcast TV, igitt.
Parents are most of the time THE fascist regime of their young offspring. Expect boomerang effect. (you know, it’s not because you’re throwing it far away that it won’t come back in full force.)
“dans les yeux fixement, bonjour les sentiments”
– Justin(e)
@soothing hex
I saw a video about homeschooling in New Zealand a while ago (I’m not able to remember the site) but a dad said something like:
Is it social engineering? Absolutely. Either we’re going to do it, or the state and corporations are going to do it. Take your pick.
—
Is it fascism? I don’t know about that. I guess one can make the case that just about anything is fascism.
What did you do with your kids?
Nah I’m 24 and don’t have any kid. As for the TV situation I’d probably go with homeopathic doses and try to have some fun using editing tools and recorded tv ads.