With the holidays approaching, there are always gift fads that explode in popularity, only to fade away soon after. Remember the Furby? How about the Tamagotchi? There uniqueness belied significant flaws and limits in terms of functionality.
This year, I have a request: Every child should receive a computer for the holidays. Do I sound crazy? Maybe. I’m not talking about any computer, though. There companies that are making computers more accessible. The catch? You have to build the computer! To generations not in the K-12 world, this may sound intimidating. However, as could be seen during our school’s Hour of Code activity from last week, kids are ready to get their hands dirty with technology. Raspberry Pi has been around for several years, although it has been more popular in the UK. Essentially, this is a $40 computer that can be programmed infinitely with the right fiddling. Kano, another UK group, has combined the power of the Raspberry Pi with other computer hardware to give consumers the chance to build a desktop computer–complete with storage, a keyboard, the opportunity to play games such as Minecraft, and the chance to customize and add games to the computer. The Kano system and the Raspberry Pi computer provide incredible flexibility and opportunities for endless creativity for young computer programmers. With a price point between $40-$120, our future leaders have never had better access to opportunities for innovation in the realm of technology. We simply need to put the tools in their hands.
As you do your holiday shopping this year, you don’t necessarily need a big, flashy box. Buy one of these computers, and your young programmer’s world will change.
techieteacherblog 