Date: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 13:00:33 +1000 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: David Caldwell <caldwell_david@hotmail.com>, FreeBSD Chat <chat@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Beginning user's OS (was: Here is a really odd question!!!) Message-ID: <19980704130033.12105@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <19980703124514.H358@freebie.lemis.com>; from Greg Lehey on Fri, Jul 03, 1998 at 12:45:14PM %2B0930 References: <19980703010915.6825.qmail@hotmail.com> <19980703124514.H358@freebie.lemis.com>
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On Fri, Jul 03, 1998 at 12:45:14PM +0930, Greg Lehey wrote:
> On Thursday, 2 July 1998 at 18:09:15 -0700, David Caldwell wrote:
> > Hello,
> > My name is David Caldwell and I have a question that is sure to generate
> > some curiosity amongst those who read it (as well as some laughs).
> > I would like to know if this is a "good" operating system to start a
> > young mind in learning to use a computer?
The operating system that they are motivated to use. You show them a
range of what is available, and give them the perspective required to
make a choice. In the process you might find out a little more about what
their real motivations are. Tell them it's a temporary system for trying
out, stand by to make up for any educational deficiencies in the chosen
operating system, and be ready to switch to another after a suitable
period of learning (about the children and about yourself, as well as
about the operating system).
> > Here is what I am proposing so that you will get a better understanding
> > of what I am asking for.
> > I have a9 year old daughter and an 8 year old son who both have more
> > curiosity about "how does your computer work Dad???" than I did when I
> > bought my first TRS-80 model 3.
It's hard to know what children really mean when they say things like
that. Often they don't have a clear idea themselves until they're given
more information and experiences. Could be that the strongest part of the
motivation is one of the parts that the child cannot articulate: they
want to have an interest in common with an admired adult, and perhaps by
doing so they will earn a place beside him while he engages in the
activity which currently separates him from them. If this is the case, to
put them in the corner with a unix box studying manuals while you "work"
with windoze would be the cruelest thing you could do.
Consider the number of times you, as a parent, have played sports you
detest, sat through disgusting TV shows, driven the family to noisy
uncomfortable places, put on a silly hat, or read mind-numbingly stupid
stories in order to enter your children's world. Why wouldn't they want
to do the same to enter yours?
Children have different timing. To harness their interest they need quick
rewards and short range goals. Every activity is potentially frustrating
to a small growing human, and even the easiest and most rewarding task
will teach them about consistent effort and waiting for delayed rewards.
There is no need to impose a large extra dose on them.
> > My son at this moment is having some
> > difficulty with his reading skills and doesn't really try that hard when
> > I try to coax him into reading to me,so I thought that I would use his
> > "want to know about a computer" to good use and set him up with a crash
> > box 486 and a totally different operating system than the windows unit
> > that he sees me working with.
I don't know about children, but when adults are learning to read for the
first time what they need is success, success, and more success. They
want stuff they can read and enjoy or benefit from fairly quickly, not
reading matter that reminds them of their deficiencies and makes the
reading experience memorable for its unpleasantness or humiliation.
Surely children have these feelings too. If children are similar, reading
computer manuals in order to learn would be a massive turn-off for both
reading and computing.
> > I am at a loss as far as my daughters math skills but any suggestions
> > there would be helpful.
I have taught basic mathematics to adults and children who needed special
help. In nearly every case, their main problem was a history of failure
with mathematics and the belief that they will always fail in the future.
It takes a great many experiences of success in the absence of failure
over a period of time to correct their view of their relationship with
the topic. This is very hard work on the part of the teacher or helper,
but when followed to its completion you generally end up with someone who
is so impressed with their own ability to succeed that it's damn hard to
get them to stop talking about numbers! It is common for children who
have been given self esteem through solving their maths blockage to
become better at mathematics than their peers. Not only do they know
they can do it, they have pride and motivation that comes from within.
When approaching computers, look carefully at the balance between failure
and success as viewed from the learner's perspective. Control this
balance and you control learning, motivation, and your own credibility
with them when it is time to offer advice that seems contrary to their
current limited experience.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
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