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

[Jeanne Langfeldt]

I am thinking of getting my daughter an Apple with OSX (BSD).  There are
easy-to-use interfaces, and UNIX is easily accessible.  Also, the schools
tend to use Apples.  I prefer BSD, and have been getting into running it on
my servers.  I tend to use Linux on my laptop, because there is more support
for laptops - but  a lot of my friends run BSD on their laptops (serious
geeks).
Jeanne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Megan Golding" <mgolding at secureworks.net>
To: "Tech Talk" <techtalk at linuxchix.org>
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 2:40 PM
Subject: Linux and Kids (Was Re: [Techtalk] My own Linux/Unix
bookquestion...)


> 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
>
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