--- Suraj suraj@symonds.net wrote:
I would like to share a few "lessons" that I learnt from the Demo@Schools project ... to make a change ... [through] Free Software Education:
`Computer Science' period starts from UKG, in most [private] schools, with a collection of ~ Rs. 1200/- per annum towards this `special' subject. Most schools have a `Computer Lab' and the children are taken there during Computer Science Period, about once a week. At UKG, the only program introduced is `Paint' - and children can get to learn about using the mouse, keyboard and simple tools. No text books are issued. There is a `Computer Miss/Master' who teaches these, and they take a few prints of paintings and send it back as feedback to parents as proof that their kid is progressing in `Computer Science'. Your kid will proudly say, `I did this on a computer!'. The schools have some kind of arrangement with pvt cos like NIIT or APTECH to take care of the course.
At I Std, a Text Book is issued for `Computer Science'. The chapters are: 1. Introduction 2. Hello Computers 3. Parts of a Computer 4. Uses of Computer 5. Computers at Work 6. Type with Notepad [ms] 7. Let's Paint [with ms] Chapters 1 to 5 are vendor neutral, but with chapter 6, liberal screen shots introduce ms to kids. From now on, CS is like any other subject - Q&A and Tests based on the Text Book become part of the curriculum.
Then, the pattern repeats at each higher class.
At +1, CS gets branched into C Programming, etc. I have been using the C Programming Text Book [Rs. 30/-] as a reference for the past two years, and I should say it is one of the best books I have read on CS, prepared by the Sub-Committe of IT Task Force of the Govt. Of TN. In the Preface Dr. M. Anandakrishnan, tells the students:
"In fact a large percentage of time given to solve a problem using a computer should be spent without touching the computer! Only by a disciplined approach, one can develop high quality software that is efficient and without errors ... [Programming] must be learnt by solving various problems. Problem solving is a skill that gets reinforced by rigorous programming."
The students are advised to read BWK & DMR's "The C Programming Language" [Rs. 125/-] Many topics are lucidly explained and the portions relating to scanf are not easily found elsewhere. The book is mostly vendor neutral with an exception made to UNIX and a screen shot of `Turbo C'. Possibly, FSF could request the text book committee to introduce GCC & GDB to the students.
Every text book can have some of the popular writings of RMS which could highlight the feelings of love, sharing and compassion, which our movement truly stands for, more than anything else. Though code is made up of cold logic, RMS has infused love and life into it with the philosophy of sharing. These give gentleness and warmth to free software and writings in same spirit will directly touch the hearts of people and spread the movement far, wide and deep.
HTH to frame an approach to introducing free software to children, and may be through them, to parents :)
Regards, Ramanraj.