Linux and Kids (Was Re: [Techtalk] My own Linux/Unix bookquestion...)

[Megan Golding]

Liss Tyson recently asked about books for children who want to learn
Linux and this has gotten me to thinking about Linux and kids, in
general.

I have a five year old and she's got her own computer. For compatibility
purposes, she has Windows 98 and does just fine. I don't think I'll ever
wean her completely off of Win, because of the availability of
educational programs with commercial endorsements (Rugrats, Barbie, et
al). However, I run Linux and would love to offer her alternatives.

Since getting curious about the topic, I've found that Debian has a kids
project called Debian-Junior (http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr/).
>From the quick look I took, it seems like their focus is a kid-friendly
distro. Ok, that's a nice start.

Then, I found out about Linux For Kids (http://www.linuxforkids.org/).
These folks seem to be a clearinghouse for anything Linux and aimed at
children (mainly games and typing tutors). Like Debian-Junior, this is
another nice resource.

While Debian-Jr. and Linux For Kids are a good start, I want something
different for my child. I can find plenty of games (educational and
otherwise) under Windows and Linux alike.

I want my daughter to learn that the computer is more than an
interactive TV or teacher of repetitive drill tasks. So, I was searching
for some programming-related projects for kids.

You'll never know how pleased I was when I found the following link!
Remember LOGO, the programming language for moving a robot around? I
learned it on an Apple IIe and the robot was called a turtle. Here's a
link to LOGO in Linux:
http://www.linuxgazette.com/issue43/silva.logo.html

Are there any other good Linux programs good for kids? I prefer to stay
away from the games and flash-card type stuff and prefer to focus on
computer-related projects. I want my daughter to see the computer as a
controller for a robot, learn some basic programming, use the computer
to automate tedious tasks, etc. Too often, schools push the computer as
a tool for repetitive drill, which I think gives kids the wrong
impression about what a computer is useful for.

Meg


-- 

Megan Golding (mgolding at secureworks.net)
SecureWorks, Inc.

Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.
	-- Timothy Leary