After thinking a bit I decided to teach me to program my 8 year old daughter.
"Reason? Why not. At the end is an activity which has been interested and it seems relatively feasible.
Now, what does it mean for a child of 8 years to learn to program? I thought a while about this. I thought about that math level only able to add, subtract, multiply, just learned to divide and now are starting to teach fractions. Why do I consider their level of math? Not because we need much mathematics to schedule today. Previously if you needed something more, but not today. The question is programming exercises that I can send.
But this led me to reflect on what language you teach. I first teach BASIC (using QuickBasic or something similar). At the end of the day it was the first thing I learned, but with 14 years not to 8. Then he planned to pass it from BASIC to Visual Basic, Real Basic as the programming today has to do with the graphic, windows, etc ... but I thought maybe I could make that step a few months would be complex. This led me to return back to my arguments and I thought if the BASIC call attention to a child who is already playing with the Wii or the DS, all graphics. Then I thought
LOGO. The LOGO programming language has so many older the BASIC, but is aimed at learning how to move a turtle across the screen. Then they go putting more concepts. But back to the same ... Will it be able to call attention to a "turtle" is not just a triangle on the screen? Painting no.
In this I found a programming language based on Smalltalk, and designed by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to precisely program to teach children. The programming language and environment called Scratch. For those who do not speak English "start from scratch" means "fresh start" so the name seems appropriate.
Scratch is a programming environment where a single window see objects of the program (usually they are "sprites"), the code associated with these "sprites", language options and the execution window. Thus we have everything on hand.
programming itself is done by attaching colored blocks as if it were a LEGO construction. For example here is the code that causes the program to start and move the cat ten times, ten steps each time and turn 15 degrees. After 10 repetitions heard a meow and terminates the program.
Interestingly this method of adding programming blocks is very similar to that used on the Google App to schedule Inventor Android. The App Inventor is an environment for rapid development on Android and uses the same technique, albeit a bit more elaborate.
short. Teach a child to program 8 years? Yes, but if you really care. Scrath help the environment you are interested then you can create your own stories programming for each "sprite" behavior. So I'm going to embark on this project and I will count the results as well as concepts go telling that I teaching my daughter.
One important thing that I would. What is necessary for me to teach Japanese to my daughter? Obviously I know Japanese, otherwise it should send my daughter to school with someone who knows Japanese ... So by that same token I understand that it is reasonable to teach children to program if we set ourselves, although not in Scratch.
Can I be learning as I teach it? Obviously. But it depends on the parent's ability to learn. Always have to go several steps ahead. In principle to publish articles discussing the concepts I will explain later the child, but do not guarantee anything if the parent * has no prior knowledge of programming ... in any language.
We'll see who gets tired before, if I teach or learn it. I
Scratch left links. The program is available in Mac OS X, Windows and Ubuntu from the official website. You can make the blocks and the program is in many languages, including English. So the block "and wait to play sound XXX" may be called the "play sound XXX and wait."
page at MIT for Scratch. The page detects our language, but if not, in the upper right is a dropdown to select language. Includes
a English forum where we can discuss with other users.
Finally, I present the first "sprite" you learn to move in Scratch. Is this nice kitty.
* Father: I know some right-thinking mind tell me why do not you get a parent ... but good thinking that is what we do not seem to know that people are in Castilian the generic masculine is used, so if, if you are a mother interested in teaching your child ... or daughter ... transition element or program can do. :-P
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