Programming for kids

Logo

In the purest sense, LOGO is a programming language; it is a full-featured computer language derived from LISP, the language of artificial intelligence. More important, however, LOGO is a language for learning. It is the right tool to teach the process of learning and thinking. LOGO provides an environment where students assume the role of teacher.

Squeak

Squeak is an open source version of the Smalltalk programming language/environment that is already widely used in constructionist teaching. There is a community already building educational applications that could be used on the OLPC.

Scratch is a scripting environment for children being developed at MIT which is built on top of Squeak; http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/llk/scratch/

3D Communication

Sketchup is a very powerful 3D modeling program that is very intuitive and easy to use. After watching me for only an hour, my little 6 year old sister was making some pretty cool looking houses with rooms, stairs and such with absolutely no help. This ability to communicate in 3D is a very useful skill. The creators of the product have shown a deep commitment to helping advance education, (E.G. software is free for students and educators), and might be interested in this project if someone contacted them.

But is there a Linux version? --Walter

It is closed software. Sketchup was bought by Google recently. It is unlikely (but not impossible) to have this software under a free license. -- Mathias Schindler 02:30, 4 April 2006 (EDT)

No Linux version, non-free, we will certainly not ship this. --Ivan Krstic

Python

Python is free, open source, clear, object-oriented, many advantages. Code is very good readable, very short, huge libraries, cross platform, large and growing community. Easy to learn. Programmers find that they tend to write very stable code, which is easy to understand by others. This is why it is included in the OLPC Python Environment.

There has been serious work done on teaching Python to young people, including the Livewires program in the UK

Processing

I have searched many websites during the last hours. I believe children love quick results and graphical results. I find this one is worth having a look at it. It seems to be free and available for Linux: http://processing.org/

Although it looks complicated. Haven't tried it, just providing the link.

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I believe children love quick results and graphical results.

This sound to me like #Logo. Anyway I don't think this should turn into a language-war. I guess the laptops could come bundled with language1 and language2 and language3 if they all fit in. But to be useful, the laptops need come be accompanied with something else. The language interpreter/compiler is, of course, not enough. What do we need to put in there to make the use of the language educational?

Nelements

Nelements is a generic 3d knowledge representation system that can be used to represent knowledge in a language of thought.

Free Software

• Debian Junior Programming