This week, for the 1%, I want you to click on the link and read the article and watch the associated video. The article deals with Raspberry Pi, a stripped-down computer that will enable children to learn to code.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34922561
The device runs an open source operating system and is based on the Python programming language that is growing in popularity, particularly in the GI industry. After reading the article please post your comments. Comments may be based on the following guidelines:
- Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Might the complexity of code put children off?
- Importance and relevance of programming at the level of children
- Reasons for making the Raspberry Pi open source
- Anything else you may want to add.
Please make sure you post your comments by Friday of next week (18th).
Paul
I think this is an excellent idea. I don’t think that the complexity of coding will put some people off. Some children who are not interested, and never will be, will think that it may be to complex but for children that are interested they will find it amazing and challenging. This is what it is meant to be doing in there first place teaching our kids the basics and challenging them to complete coding. I think this is vital as software keeps evolving these days and the coding language will a requirement in all schools in the future just as Irish or English is now. I think that it is also vital that we teach coding to our kids at a young age so that they can learn it and progress to more complex matters as the y get older.
ReplyDeleteI think the reasons the article use for making the resource open source are correct. Just because someone cannot afford a learning opportunity in coding does not mean that should be restricted forever. I think that it is vital that everyone has an equal opportunity in learning.
Whilst I do think that this will be a fundamental skill to have in the future I think that it is important that we don’t lose sight of other subjects and that we should not solely focus on coding/computing.
I think it is a very good idea that Raspberry Pi is being used in the classroom to encourage children to engage with computing and to learn how to use code. Like foreign languages, children are able to pick up new skills quickly and easily, without thinking too much about it. I think it’s the same with programming languages – if they are introduced to the likes of Python from a young age then it may become second nature to them. Raspberry Pi has been designed specifically for younger children/people without years of programming experience therefore the complexity of code should not cause any problems.
ReplyDeleteA benefit of the Raspberry Pi Zero is its accessible price, allowing more people to get involved. As it says in the article, despite being a commercial success the aim is to “enthuse and inspire young people about computing” which I think is great. With so many jobs requiring IT skills and programming in particular, it is definitely important and relevant right now to encourage young people to learn these skills and develop an interest in developing new technologies. The fact that Raspberry Pi is open source allows it to be used in various types of projects (this was just posted today - https://opensource.com/life/16/3/how-i-use-raspberry-pis-help-my-kids-sleep-better) and it means the product itself can be modified.
The comments on that article complain about the fact that you still need to buy other components to use the Raspberry Pi but it’s still cheaper than buying a PC which is definitely a good thing for schools. It also doesn’t take up as much room – it’s crazy that it’s so small!
The Raspberry PI is just one aspect of a very good and necessary idea. I remember back in the eighties that the same very good idea was around then: Get more kids interested in computers – the idea has been refined to: Get more kids into coding. In the eighties the BBC Micro was integrated into our education system with very much the same aims that the PI foundation has attempted today. The whole idea has had a resurgence, in part because of the skills shortage but also the progression of technology and our children’s’ own digital expectations. I have heard stories of two-year-old infants able to hold and intuitively ‘swipe’ their parents’ smartphones effortlessly playing games, yet my elderly father seems unable to answer an iPhone. Because children are relaxed with computers it is highly relevant to introduce them to both the concepts and practical uses of programming constructs at an early age – the PI is an ideal vehicle for this, although there are various others available.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of the PI is seen by some as its major benefit, however I doubt whether that is really the case, in the UK anyway. The PI is basic and needs suitable peripherals which all come at a cost. Even with the purchase of peripherals it remains an inexpensive yet powerful learning tool. It is a good basis for coding experience, utilising Python – the flexible, free open source language, but I think it’s main strength is that it is not a toy. With the correct sensors and interfaces school-children can produce solutions to real world problems, in the classroom and at home. More than a million PI’s were shipped worldwide last year (a third of which were used in education). I fear that a large proportion of the other two million were purchased by those middle aged parents who are rekindling their past liaisons with the BBC Micro, but hoping to be seen as assisting their children’s education.
If coding can be seen as mainstream, in the same way as literacy and numeracy, there are benefits for our society, which today relies so heavily on technology.
I think introducing coding and computing to children in the classroom is a very good idea. As someone from a geography background, I have never had any experience with Python or any other programming language until now. I am now realising how important it is to have a working knowledge of programming in GIS and I'm sure things are heading that way in many other industries as well. I feel that if children are introduced to programming from a young age, they will pick up the skills quickly which will make them much more employable in later life as the demand for these skills increases.
ReplyDeleteThe Raspberry Pi appears to be ideal for use in education. Firstly, it's low price makes it accessible for schools which may need to purchase several machines. The small size means they will not take up too much space inside the classroom. Children learning programming at school are unlikely to need a high specification computer so the Raspberry Pi should offer sufficient power. The article highlights some of the expected uses of the device which are made possible by it being open-source. This means it can be customised specifically to be used in education and it may also allow children to practise coding using the source code itself.
I think the Raspberry Pi fills a very necessary gap in the market for affordable educational technology for children. Most schools now expect pupils to have access to a computer and an internet connection in order to complete homework assignments, and many children have mobile technology such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. I think that, whilst this has helped ensure that children are familiar with the 'goods' delivered by these technologies, Raspberry Pi helps them understand the processes involved in creating these goods. The complexity of coding can only be overcome by learning, and will be a subject that some pupils enjoy and excel in whilst others do not, much like any other subject, and I think that watching the Pi perform something that you have coded it to perform will provide an incentive and sense of achievement for many pupils. Most importantly, the affordability of Pi and its open-source status can provide opportunities for children to become involved in a subject which might otherwise not have been available.
ReplyDeleteMost industries and services now rely heavily on technology, and introducing new generations to coding as a mainstream subject, rather than a specialism, can only help further the knowledge and innovation required of future technologies.
I disagree with the idea that the complexity of coding might put children off. Like everything, there is a basic level to begin with, and complexity can be added slowly as skills increase and confidence grows. Children prove time and time again that when they are young and their minds are still easily moulded is the best time to introduce learning to them. Just look at the ability of young children to pick up language; this same reasoning can be applied to coding if it is rightly treated as a language. As with anything to do with children, the key is to make learning fun. Many schools are providing opportunities to young kids to pick up the basics by holding extra curricular 'coding clubs' (see www.codeclub.org.uk/ for more information), which teach kids the fundamentals of coding through fun projects such as building robots, animations, and basic web pages. The Raspberry Pi has ensured their appeal to young children by creating MinecraftPi, which users can programme using Python to manipulate the all too familiar world of Minecraft.
ReplyDeleteCoding is becoming more and more recognised as an essential skill to supply young people with, as our society increasingly relies on technology with computer code at its foundation. Those children who learn these skills early will move into the professional world equipped with the skills that are required to make a valuable contribution, rather than waiting until the point in their lives at which career discussions are starting to happen, and suddenly realising that they are 'playing catch up' with those who have been immersed in coding from an early age.
So, as the need for coding skills is deemed necessary, so are the tools on which to learn. The Raspberry Pi has occupied that niche, being there at the right time to exploit an explosion in interest in coding education. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has maximised their contribution by setting up their ‘Picademy’, (www.raspberrypi.org/picademy/) which offers free teacher training tools and certification, ensuring their position as the leading suppliers of coding hardware to education. The open source nature of the product makes it cheap to mass produce; a saving that is passed on to the consumer, as well as appealing to those who share the open source ethos, which in effect creates a large, diverse support community where users share experience and wisdom purely for the love of knowledge.
A combination of this targeted training and excellent marketing as an education device, a huge support network of peer users, and an accessible price makes the Pi an obvious choice for educating large groups, and explains it’s phenomenal success. The Raspberry Pi zero has taken this one step further and is occupying a price point previously unseen in computing; this is a computer device which can be bought with small change.
The market for such devices is soon to be flooded with competitors, so the Pi has established itself as the ‘benchmark’ to which others must exceed. It is human nature to trust what you know, and so for competitors to knock them off their position as market leaders, they must significantly outperform them both in terms of cost and usability.
I think what Raspberry Pi is doing in introducing coding to children is a good idea. It allows school children to be introduced to computer programming in a fun and interactive way which captures their imagination. Raspberry Pi run lots of cool competitions like this one https://astro-pi.org/coding-challenges/ where the winners code could be ran by Tim Peake in space! Also with computer programming becoming an increasingly important employable skill to have, introducing it to school children will be of benefit to those who wish to pursue a similar career path.
ReplyDeleteA great advantage of the Raspberry Pi is that it is opensource and therefore it can be customized to meet the needs of the end user. Furthermore another benefit is that it is very inexpensive and is small in size, therefore making it attractive to buy.
This is a fantastic idea and I think that children would actually embrace the technology. Children are now used to using other devices such as tablets and pc’s, but the Raspberry Pi would be their own. The fact that it costs £4 means that they can experiment with the device and also means that they will have experience of caring for a piece of hardware at a young age.
ReplyDeleteIn recent years programming has become increasingly important, and if children are shown programming at a young age, and taught in a fun way, then they will reap the benefits in the future. Children are taught math and science in order to learn about the world they live in, and therefore a basic understanding of how to engage with computers should also be added to this list.
With it being Open source, it allows students to use it in a variety of different projects and when students feel more comfortable with it, they can modify the Raspberry Pi for different uses.
While there is no doubt that teaching children about coding is very important and beneficial, I think schools should also look into teaching children about the industry as a whole and encourage pupils to pursue careers in IT. There is an obvious gender diversity problem in the industry and if coding is taught to be something “cool” at a younger age, then it will perhaps allow more children and indeed more young women to become interested in the field.
I think Raspberry Pi is an excellent way of introducing people to the world of computer programming. It’s been widely reported that the UK is facing a significant skills shortage with around 1 and a half million digital professionals needed over the next five years. Technology such as this in my view will play a pivotal role in fostering creativity and developing much needed digital skills. However, for Raspberry Pi to remain relevant in an increasingly busy market it will have to continue to innovate.
ReplyDeleteThe earlier we introduce people to coding, the less it will seem like a daunting, complex skill viewed as only attainable by technical boffins and computer nerds, so it’s imperative that it’s aimed at children and the young. I think we sometimes forget how quickly children learn new skills, for example many primary schools are now teaching foreign languages like French, which would have been unheard of 20 or 30 years ago. As long as children are provided with a good educational environment, a knowledgeable teacher and a willingness to learn then I don’t see why the average child couldn’t quickly get to grips with coding for Raspberry Pi. Certainly a big draw must be the ability for children to get ‘hands on’ with the technology and being able to put it to a wide range of usages, such as baking raspberry pie (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23286230) and in a sense it’s the modern day meccano kit!
For Raspberry Pi to flourish it’s crucial that it is kept open source. One of the main advantages of Raspberry Pi is that it allows users to experiment and create what they want - in my view open source facilitates experimentation. In addition, Raspberry Pi’s humble price-tag and the free availability of open source software means that it’s available to anyone with an interest in computing, particular the young and those in the developing world.
The Raspberry Pi device certainly has a diverse range of uses as you have mentioned in the link...used to control the cooking times of food in a microwave... sounds like something students could do with!
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ReplyDeleteIt still amazes me that living in such a technologically advanced era, computers and programming etc haven’t been added as a compulsory subject for the younger generations at primary level. In school I was always put into music classes rather than IT so my computer knowledge before university was relatively limited- which now I see was wrong because it took me a while to catch up with everyone else even at university level.
ReplyDeleteCompleting this masters course, I am aware of how important IT actually is and how GIS/ programming is being adopted into a range of disciplines across the board. I am aware that GIS has been introduced in some primary schools which is a great idea but I personally believe every school should run at least one course to introduce it to the younger generation. As said in some of the previous comments, younger children pick things up quickly and generally seem to have less preconceived ideas about how difficult programming can be.
Even more attractive about the Raspberry Pi device is that it is free- perfect for the targeted audience. Also, almost every job I have looked at recently requires some level of IT skill so it would beneficial to each individual in that respect also.
I think the Raspberry Pi is a good idea. Like Stephanie I left school with limited ICT skills as I always preferred playing sports so introducing Raspberry Pi and programming in school would be really beneficial. But when we are talking about ‘children’ are we talking about primary school or secondary school. It is amazing how quickly primary school children pick up on new technology for example Ipads and Iphones. However is there really any need to introduce programming to them? Yes some children may pick up on it but I don’t feel it is something my 9 year old cousin would enjoy learning about. In terms of secondary school children introducing Raspberry Pi would be more beneficial here as this is the age when pupils start to realise their own talents and having Raspberry Pi as an option would be of great benefit to them.
ReplyDeleteAs many of you have mentioned above, one major selling point of Raspberry is its very affordable price. When I first read the article I couldn’t believe that something which can be used in a variety of business etc was so cheap! I thought this was great until I read Joe McC’s post that all the extra bits come at a cost. In order for Eben Upton to keep to his mission it is vital that Raspberry Pi is opensource. This will allow users to customise their applications and help expand their skill base when it comes to applying for jobs.
I think that this is a good idea. While code is perceived as and is a complex subject, it is a good idea to include it in schools from a young age. Improving familiarity with computers at an age where children can adapt is crucial. I wish this had been a part of the curriculum when I was at school. I do think it is important and relevant. This will provide important IT skills and raise awareness of a new field for the students. While they may not use programming at a young age, it could definitely become relevant in further education or as part of a career, or even a hobby. The open source part of it is also a benefit. This gives the Pi device a wider appeal as it can be customised for multiple purposes. The user will also have more control, which could be beneficial for a teacher in a class room situation. Another part of the device I like is the low cost which translates to high accessibility aspect. This makes it more realistic for a school to consider.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression is that this early introduction coding to children might be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteCoding process changes your mind and makes you to think in an intuitive way, being used for problem solving in the future. Having said that, the introduction coding should be treated as a game for children, by doing so, the complexity won’t be a real issue.
Programming process might bring a creative stage for children because of the combination of different tools/ items.
The main advantage of having the Raspberry Pi as opensource is that the device itself can be adaptable according to the user needs. Also the price won’t rise as much as being under big company rights control.
The era of open innovation brings us many cases like Rasberry Pi case: young people developing brilliant ideas with really low costs. Let’s take them as example and identify the common points for being put into practice!
I think it’s a great idea to have a simple computer that children and adults can get to grips with and learn skills in computing and programming. I think the complexity of code is capable of putting anyone off, but when children see the results they can get from programming then they will more likely be open to learning more through the device. The low cost makes the device available to a wide range of people therefore wealth is less of a limiting factor for learning to program, and if the device is destroyed then it can be easily replaced.
ReplyDeleteMore and more now jobs are requiring computer skills including programming and electronics, and so devices like this help to narrow the skills gap in this regard as children learn these employable skills at a young age.
Being open source is a great feature for the Pi as it means various operating systems and applications can be ran on it, and so it can be tailored to the users needs and giving it a wider market. It also means a large support network is available online via users who have experience in using in PI for personal projects.
The technology in our lives has remained constant in the last few years. Nowadays most of the children are capable to use a mobile or a computer in a natural way than any other grown up does, so I feel the logic step in education is to try to teach programming to children.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, my school was one of those fortunate centers where we could have computer labs and we were taught how to interact with different tools, as Microsoft Word or Excel, but now, the children picks up very quickly those tools, every day interfaces are more and more intuitive and all that knowledge is very important, but we should be able to understand what the computer is doing. I feel is a complementary learning and goal, a good understanding in “computer science” leads you to a good result with applications.
Also, as other colleagues said before, Raspbery Pi is an open source, so schools are able to afford the cheap cost and let the creativity of the children grow free and learn about it naturally as the society is demanding.
The introduction of Raspberry Pi in schools reflects a shift in the way that educators think about computers and the way they are used in schools and society. I can´t think a better way to learn about coding as if it is a different language or any other subject at school.
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ReplyDeleteI think the Raspberry Pi idea is an excellent one. It gives children the opportunity to learn coding from an early age as such, making them more familiar with the coding languages. It will not put them off as it is a very simple and only an introduction to the programming language, some students may like it and some will not but it gives them a great opportunity to have such knowledge from early. I wish I got to learn Python at that age, or at least be introduced to it.
ReplyDeleteBeing so young they tend to grasp things a lot quicker and especially with technology, children now are much more keen and receptive to new technology. Some might be put off to the depth of programming, but for others it may serve as an introduction to a new field.
As have been stated many times by my colleagues, the Raspberry Pi being open source is a major way to spread the technology as it is very cheap and schools are able to afford it and being open source it can be a platform for other tools to be used and have it more geared towards a specific user.
Technology and the GI industry is expanding greatly, for children to have an early start to these industries will prove beneficial in the long run as they will be familiar with the technologies as they grow up.
I think this is a fantastic idea and a great opportunity for schools to teach computer programming to children. If school kids take a keen interest in computer programming at an early age the chances of them taking this interest with them into there futures will be huge. I would hope that many disadvantaged schools who have low budgets would get some sort of funding for this project.
ReplyDeleteSchools can make this a fun and enjoyable subject to learn giving projects that would bring out the technological imagination of a young student. I researched a website of Raspberry Pi projects for kids, which shows the fun that can be had along with the learning capabilities of programming. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/desktop-pc/10-great-raspberry-pi-projects-for-kids-3589952/