Teaching kids about computers.......................need ideas [any LAN games?]

[iamme]

I'm thinking about helping out at my church this summer with their program for elementary/middle/high school kids. They have a wide variety of subjects that they teach kids. One is computers, where I come in. The computer portion is 5 days long and about 2 hours per day.

Last year, they did some basic webpage design (I wasn't helping). I had an idea for very basic image editting. I was going to have the kids take digital pics themselves and then teach them to edit them. Really basic things, like taking out red-eye, adding titles, changing the colors around, etc.

I have a few more ideas, but I was wondering if you guys had some ideas too. There will be 2-3 kids per computer and they will have an internet connection.

 

[Martin]

teach them what mommies and daddies do at night.....


but seriously, if you want suggestions, tell us what level these kids are at.....

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak

but seriously, if you want suggestions, tell us what level these kids are at.....

i'll have a wide variety of ages. mostly 6-8th grade. i may have some younger and some older, though.

 

[notfred]

ok, like 11-13 then.

Teach them assembly. I dunno.

 

[newbiepcuser]

Originally posted by: notfred
ok, like 11-13 then.

Teach them assembly. I dunno.

Ai yo, its better start off with basic or pascal first


try this link and scroll down --->linky

You could always ask the kids, take the list down and then plan out your lesson plan. I'm sure they have some ideas for you.

 

[RobCur]

You can teach them to build computer from scratch for enjoyment and troubleshooting as well. when ever something goes wrong, this will come in handy. I believe it is the most difficult thing and most will not like it but like anything else in life, the most vital thing to know. It may someday save them plenty of time and money not having to rely on someone else to do all these labors when ever one of their component fails and they become helpless. While turning on the computer and surfing the web take the least amount of time to learn, you won't believe that even computer illiterate can do this in a matter of days with little assistance. :Q heck, I even take apart my monitor then fool with all the knobs to see what it does then tune it up. Isn't that amazing? Curiosity does pay itself once you expose it.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: RobCur
when ever something goes wrong, this will come in handy.

Hardly. easily 95% of computer problems are software issues.

I believe it is the most difficult thing and most will not like it but like anything else in life, the most vital thing to know.

That sentance doesn't even make any sense, but if you're saying that you think assembling a PC is the most difficult thing to learn about computers, you don't know much about computers.

It may someday save them plenty of time and money not having to rely on someone else to do all these labors when ever one of their component fails and they become helpless.

How often does someone actually keep an OEM PC longer than the warranty covers it? While it's under warranty, they can get it fixed for free. After it's out of warranty, it's likely being replaced by a newer model anyway. Especially if something vreaks.

While turning on the computer and surfing the web take the least amount of time to learn, you won't believe that even computer illiterate can do this in a matter of days with little assistance. :Q

Yes I would, because it's easier. Some Lego sets are harder to assemble than a PC.

heck, I even take apart my monitor then fool with all the knobs to see what it does then tune it up. Isn't that amazing? Curiosity does pay itself once you expose it.

I hope you know what you're doing in there, cuase you could really hurt yourself.

 

[jonmullen]

Originally posted by: notfred[/i

heck, I even take apart my monitor then fool with all the knobs to see what it does then tune it up. Isn't that amazing? Curiosity does pay itself once you expose it.

I hope you know what you're doing in there, cuase you could really hurt yourself.

My thoughts exactly, discharge a capacitator and boom have a nice trip to the emergency room, if your even that lucky.

 

[human2k]

Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: human2k
Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

i was thinking that at first. but i'm worried the kids may become bored. i was hoping to teach them "fun" things they can do with a computer.

 

[DanFungus]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: human2k
Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

i was thinking that at first. but i'm worried the kids may become bored. i was hoping to teach them "fun" things they can do with a computer.

nef on ATOT?

 

[MikeMike]

introduce them to all the cool things you can LOOK at on the internet!!!!

but yeah photo editing would have been something i would have liked when i was in 6-8 grade (11th now) and would be cool.

teaching them assembly and repair of computers can be bad incase they have an oem computer at home and go home and go hey mom/dad you wanna see what i learned today in class? (goes out, tears the computer apart, and breaks it)

Photoediting, and then show them how to make a webpage and then put it up ona free web hosting service so they can show there parents

 

[human2k]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: human2k
Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

i was thinking that at first. but i'm worried the kids may become bored. i was hoping to teach them "fun" things they can do with a computer.

well load up BF1942 and let em frag away!

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: human2k
Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

i was thinking that at first. but i'm worried the kids may become bored. i was hoping to teach them "fun" things they can do with a computer.

Uhhhh, JAVA games...... Or someting like that.....

Don't tell them about the parts of a computer though, at that age it would simply bore them to death. That is unless you're a really good act. Really I think a programming language that has a nice "feel" to it would probably be best.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: human2k

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: human2k
Teach em the basic parts in the pc (board/cpu/vid/ram), then teach em BASIC too see how the CPU and everything works together.

i was thinking that at first. but i'm worried the kids may become bored. i was hoping to teach them "fun" things they can do with a computer.

well load up BF1942 and let em frag away!

Heh heh, well that is kinda fun isn't it

 

[iamme]

bump for more ideas

 

[yoda291]

I find that the fastest way to teach the computer is to figure out what kids wanna do, put lockdowns on it, and let them hack the machine to bits trying to get to it. Competition and goals fuel people it seems.

It's how I learned when I was but a wee lad.

 

[RobCur]

I'm not sure what to teach them other then upgrading your pc, building from scratch, etc. You can start with what make a computer tick? giving them detail information about motherboard, cpu, ram, harddisk, floppy disk... hehe thats how I got started. See, most people only knows how to turn it on but when you ask them about how fast, how much ram, harddisc capacity, they are clueless. I'm a computer freak and some are really impressed, while others are totally freaked out at how much I am into it as they have no interest in it whatsoever. They read newspaper about someone wanting to marry a computer, thought it was funny, and try to relate me to it.

 

[SherEPunjab]

i'm too tired/lazy to read the other posts, but what if they were to create their very own websites?

teach them frontpage (yes, i know it stinks for us, but its good for noobs).

with web publishing wizard they can easily make and change content for their webpages (if you decide to upload)

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab
i'm too tired/lazy to read the other posts, but what if they were to create their very own websites?

teach them frontpage (yes, i know it stinks for us, but its good for noobs).

with web publishing wizard they can easily make and change content for their webpages (if you decide to upload)

That's a good idea, except teach them html. It's pretty easy and you can get webspace for them cheap. It has that...mommy look what I made factor on top of my page is teh sh|t and urs = teh suck factor. I like this idea. You can tie in web technologies too, how a web request is handled, what networking is.

 

[iamme]

anyone know of fun games to play over a network?

games that are rated G please

 

[yoda291]

Originally posted by: iamme
anyone know of fun games to play over a network?

games that are rated G please

rated G ... compiler error.

Actually most racing games would work ... like a mario cart type deal. Death rally was the shiznit...but eh.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: yoda291

Originally posted by: iamme
anyone know of fun games to play over a network?

games that are rated G please

rated G ... compiler error.

Actually most racing games would work ... like a mario cart type deal. Death rally was the shiznit...but eh.

thanks, i'll check for those.

any other ideas?