QL2K wrote: > Well we have the same problems at school, college and university in > France... > > And I don't know about you all, but what I do with my son (recently 6 years > old) is we are working together some computing courses. > At this time we are working on ORIC with commands like : > > PRINT "2+3="; 2+3 > SHOOT, EXPLODE or PING and so one. > > And he already knows how to deal properly with CLS or RUN commands. > > My daughter (5 years old) want to do the same when she was able to read and > write. > > It other he have to be familiar with both the keyboard and the BASIC syntax > he asking me for small listing of programs in order he typed it on ORIC. > (Well it's an ATMOS as the ORIC 1 have a keyboard that is quite hard to use > by childs). > > In a few time we will work on QL, I'm working on the restoration on his own > QL. > What's he true too, that is my childs sayed that QL, ORIC and Amiga > computers are pretty. The PC is without this think that made these others so > attractive. > > Finally, he prefer work on that such of old computers instead of his own PC > where there is a lot of games or so but where creativity is not so easy to > make in action. > > So I definitively agree with you when computer history should be learned at > ITC or equivalent courses. > > Jimmy. > Isn't it an interesting situation, where we find that "old" computers are more interesting, or more fun.
My eldest son is four and he already has fun using his laptop - he can use the internet (firewall controlled of course) and run his games and education programs - but what he really wants to learn is "daddy's old computers", he likes looking inside and was fascinated watching a soldering iron being used! Of course, part of it is that he is at the age where he just soaks up information, but I think more than this, it is that he wants to learn, not have everything done for him, and that is the beauty of the old computers. As soon as he can read properly - at the moment he only recognises odd words and names - I am going to follow your example to teach him basic programming. He wants to learn already . . . By the way, I used to love the ATMOS! When I was a kid, a friend had one and we had great fun with it. At the time I had a BBC B - which seemed much more serious - and then a QL (well the QL was officially my Dad's for work). _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
