Are we giving access to computers to kids too early?

[Tomm]

We are giving computer access to kids too early.

Do you agree ?

 

[RC1970]

I think everyone should learn to do programming. We need to get people to learn to think logically.

 

[brewmama]

Some countries are not only introducing computer lessons in primary schools,
they are also pushing for computer programming lessons for school children.

Do you agree ?

Coming from a Waldorf school orientation (for my kids at least), and reading all the literature on how damaging screen time can be on young brains, I think it's a terrible idea.

 

[Tomm]

Coming from a Waldorf school orientation (for my kids at least), and reading all the literature on how damaging screen time can be on young brains, I think it's a terrible idea.

Certainly, it is, although I have an IT background myself.

(1) Children should spend time to learn and memorize all the basics.
If their foundation is not firm, they'd have learning problems later.
In this life, there are more important things to learn than computers.

(2) If we allow them to search anything just with Google, they'd
not know how to use dictionaries, encyclopaedia and other types
of reference books. They'd become lazy.

(3) Letting them to learn how to use computers would open the door
to playing games and net surfing, which could be harmful for them.
Net surfing is known to have the potential of destroying concentration and
reading ability. Also they'd spend less and less time with books, and
more and more time with games.

Good habits should be formed as early as possible.

 

[RC1970]

Help I seem to be stuck in a anachronous wormhole.

 

[RC1970]

How many Microsoft engineers does it take to change a light bulb?

...

None, they simply define darkness as the new standard.

 

[pgp_protector]

Some countries are not only introducing computer lessons in primary schools,
they are also pushing for computer programming lessons for school children.

Do you agree ?

Started programming in Elementary school on a Vic20.
Helped with Spelling, Typing, Math, Logic, Science, Physics, Music, Electronics.

 

[AirPo]

Some countries are not only introducing computer lessons in primary schools,
they are also pushing for computer programming lessons for school children.

Do you agree ?

It won't be long before coding is considered a basic skill like reading and writing.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Coming from a Waldorf school orientation (for my kids at least), and reading all the literature on how damaging screen time can be on young brains, I think it's a terrible idea.

Learning programming has almost nothing to do with just parking someone in front of a screen. It's about developing the thought processes required to analyze and solve a problem. It's very similar to math, except that it's less abstract and allows you to build things quickly. I've barely used my programming skills at all int he last several years, but I use those analytical thought processes every day.

 

[seashale76]

Some countries are not only introducing computer lessons in primary schools,
they are also pushing for computer programming lessons for school children.

Do you agree ?

This was done back in the 80s when I was in primary school. I learned Basic. Learning to program is better than just knowing how to use apps and programs.

 

[brewmama]

Learning programming has almost nothing to do with just parking someone in front of a screen. It's about developing the thought processes required to analyze and solve a problem. It's very similar to math, except that it's less abstract and allows you to build things quickly. I've barely used my programming skills at all int he last several years, but I use those analytical thought processes every day.

And there are other ways to develop the thought processes, which Waldorf uses. Computer use can begin at a later age.

 

[FreeSpirit74]

Certainly, it is, although I have an IT background myself.

(1) Children should spend time to learn and memorize all the basics.
If their foundation is not firm, they'd have learning problems later.
In this life, there are more important things to learn than computers.

(2) If we allow them to search anything just with Google, they'd
not know how to use dictionaries, encyclopaedia and other types
of reference books. They'd become lazy.

(3) Letting them to learn how to use computers would open the door
to playing games and net surfing, which could be harmful for them.
Net surfing is known to have the potential of destroying concentration and
reading ability. Also they'd spend less and less time with books, and
more and more time with games.

Good habits should be formed as early as possible.

Wow... for someone in IT you sure are being very obtuse about the benefits of computers and computer technology.

#1 - Really, I should tell my father that. He used computers throughout his career, starting back in the 1970's. He;s also done his share of computer programming along the way. Oh... BTW, he graduated Summa cum Laude from Union College with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, 15 years after getting his A.S. in Industrial Lab Science (he took a lot of math and science courses for both of those degrees). Both of my brothers took AP Computer Programming in high school 30 years ago. My uncle worked for IBM in Research. All of these guys excelled at math, science and other technical studies. When they first got computers in my elementary school in 1983, my oldest brother was brought over (as a HS junior) to help teach the after school computer classes that were offered.

#2 - When I was attending college in 1995-2000 I had one teacher who required us to use the Internet for at least one source when doing research papers.

#3 - At 40 years old, I am part of the very first generation that made video games popular. We had an Atari 2600, plus numerous hand-held, as well as board, games in my house when I was growing up, and when I wasn't playing Atari I was reading. FYI I tested at an 11.2 grade level for reading and language arts when I was in third grade. Even today I enjoy playing Hidden Object and other puzzle and time management/problem solving games on the computer. Trust me, my reading ability and concentration have not suffered one bit.

FYI when I was taking computer courses in middle school (1986-1989) we had a computer lab where they let us sign up and play computer games like Annam, Oregon Trail, the Carmen Santiago games, and Master Type, which helped you work on your touch-typing skills.

 

[FreeSpirit74]

Started programming in Elementary school on a Vic20.
Helped with Spelling, Typing, Math, Logic, Science, Physics, Music, Electronics.

Had to look that up! Ancient!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20;[3] Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980,[4] roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.[5]

 

[FreeSpirit74]

Started programming in Elementary school on a Vic20.
Helped with Spelling, Typing, Math, Logic, Science, Physics, Music, Electronics.

Had to look that up! Ancient!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

The VIC-20 (Germany: VC-20;[3] Japan: VIC-1001) is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980,[4] roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET. The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units.[5]

 

[keith99]

With the way the cost of hardware has come down, absolutely. Start teaching programming early and by Jr High integrate it into other classes so students learn to use computers to do the drudge work.


Of course some who lack those skills will not be happy when the young all have them and their own lack in that area becomes glaring.

 

[keith99]

With the way the cost of hardware has come down, absolutely. Start teaching programming early and by Jr High integrate it into other classes so students learn to use computers to do the drudge work.


Of course some who lack those skills will not be happy when the young all have them and their own lack in that area becomes glaring.


Hopefully a bright kid in a Waldorf school will soon program a computer to make it easier to design and modify knitting patterns!

 

[keith99]

With the way the cost of hardware has come down, absolutely. Start teaching programming early and by Jr High integrate it into other classes so students learn to use computers to do the drudge work.


Of course some who lack those skills will not be happy when the y

 

[iluvatar5150]

And there are other ways to develop the thought processes, which Waldorf uses.

Such as?

I don't necessarily have a problem with Waldorf, but from what I've read of their curriculum, I don't see a lot of attention given to these kinds of engineering challenges.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I'm completely in support of it. My little sisters are 8 and 9 and both learning to become proficient in programming. They are both incredibly active and have numerous pursuits that don't involve screens, so they aren't huddled around a computer all day. They're excelling in all the traditional elementary subjects as well. I see it as a skill akin to learning a foreign language at an early age. I actually feel like I'm listening to a language I don't speak when friends and people like my brother, dad and boyfriend are talking about programming-related matters. My brother is a freaking genius with it, and my dad does VC for their projects. They talk about it all the time. I wish I had begun to learn it earlier. I am going to one of the most tech-savvy universities in the world and am in awe of the talent and skills they have and feel unsophisticated in comparison. I did the opportunity to learn coding when I was young but I didn't seize it. That's a regret.

 

[Tomm]

It's not useful citing A FEW individual cases, what's important is to look at it from a statistical perspective -- you can't prove a case with only a few examples, you need a large sample. Would you trust a medicine which was tested only with 2 patients?

Your reading and concentration have not been affected because most of you are perhaps exceptional people. But what about those who are average or below? The fact is a high proportion of people have been affected by excessive use of Internet and games. Look at Nielsen's research.

 

[keith99]

It's not useful citing A FEW individual cases, what's important is to look at it from a statistical perspective -- you can't prove a case with only a few examples, you need a large sample. Would you trust a medicine which was tested only with 2 patients?

Your reading and concentration have not been affected because most of you are perhaps exceptional people. But what about those who are average or below? The fact is a high proportion of people have been affected by excessive use of Internet and games. Look at Nielsen's research.

Source? Any source that shows excessive use of the internet has a negative impact on let's say reading.

I mean something that shows that someone who spends 8 hours a day on the internet and reads an old style paper book for an hour a day would not read as well as someone who spends a half hour a day on the internet and reads a paper book for an hour a day.

That there are mindless things one can find on the net and on TV and that there are some who spend copious blocks of time on them and spend little or no time on productive or instructional activities and that such people do not develop does NOT show those mediums are per se a problem.

We might as well oppose the written word because of mindless romances and written porn.

 

[iluvatar5150]

It's not useful citing A FEW individual cases, what's important is to look at it from a statistical perspective -- you can't prove a case with only a few examples, you need a large sample. Would you trust a medicine which was tested only with 2 patients?

Your reading and concentration have not been affected because most of you are perhaps exceptional people. But what about those who are average or below? The fact is a high proportion of people have been affected by excessive use of Internet and games. Look at Nielsen's research.

What the heck does that have to do with anything? Learning to program is not the same as browsing facebook all day.

 

[whois]

Some countries are not only introducing computer lessons in primary schools,
they are also pushing for computer programming lessons for school children.

Do you agree ?

the most basic aspects should be taught.
the major problem is that the technology changes so rapidly, that by the time they reach uni, what they've learned could very well be obsolete.

certain languages, such as C and C++, have withstood the tests of time, but others, such as BASIC has fallen by the wayside long ago.
new languages are constantly being introduced, python, java, etc.

the one thing that hasn't changed all that much is the basic operations, and mechanisms, of a computer.
they still employ memory, logic gates, registers, base 2 operation, program counters, fetch/ execute cycles.
they are still architecturally the same as the ones i cut my teeth on.

so, my opinion about all of this, is to teach the hardware aspects and how computers execute code, and leave the software to uni level.
of course teaching current software at primary would be ok, but it could very well be obsolete by the time the students got to uni.

 

[rockytopva]

/* HelloWorld.java */

public class HelloWorld
{
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Programming is good for people of all ages");
}
}