[fsug-bangalore] Knock knock.

[Ramanraj K]

>
>
>--- Suraj <suraj at symonds.net> wrote:
>  
>
>>I would
>>like  to share a  few "lessons"  that I  learnt from
>>the Demo at 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.