A Magic Square Game for 7 year olds
A small magic square game, just a step beyond addition. Comments welcome.
Archive for children_6_to_9
Class 2 Computer Science Curriculum
I have a text book in front of me, seems to be specific to a school called Kensri in Hebbal, Bangalore, so not sure about other schools. On the cover, it says “Computer Technology”. This text book is best described as a user manual for MS Paint. Each page describes one of the icons and then puts out an exercise. I am yet to form an opinion on this book but a few things come to mind based on personal experience.
Just having a computer around seems to be enough to attract a 5+ year old to play with it. Paint is simple to use and provides immediate gratification, children seem to get hooked on and learn quickly, without being coaxed or coerced or taught. So then would a computer lab not be more productive by just putting children in front of Paint and letting them explore rather than have a user manual type text book. Presumably the book is just meant for structuring activity and most of the action still happens on a terminal. But still, one can’t help thinking that this is a retrograde step: while all of modern software and UI is aimed at overcoming the deficiencies of a linear, sequential, old style book by providing richer interactive and navigational experience, here one is taking a rich UI and converting it back to the same old linear, sequential, old style book.
Anyway, the cover also says “Theme 1″, I am waiting to see what else is in store, maybe a user manual for word, excel, powerpoint etc will follow in quick succession.
The Power of Computer Simulation for Learning
We have all seen the moon and its phases many many times. Now imagine trying to figure out answers to questions like: What time does a full moon rise/set: mental imagery might just work here. On your way to work two hours after sunrise, you find the moon rising: what phase is the moon in? Gets a little harder. Next, if the moon is rising during sunset, where will it rise a week later!!!
This beautifully done simulation allows you to answer these what-ifs with surprising ease. Just drag the moon around and use a little imagination. No amount of drawing on the blackboard can convey so much so fast.
Imagine also bringing in the fact that the moon’s plane of revolution around the earth and the earth’s plane of revolution around the sun are at a slight inclination to each other and so we don’t get an eclipse every month..
Teaching Subtraction
How do you teach a 7 year old to subtract? My attempt at learning flash and also understanding the psychology of a 7yr old. Tried to make it fun/colorful, relate to situations that are very familiar in daily life, provide some adrelanine rushes, some instant gratification via bells and whistles, and some non-trivial insight as well (for a 7yr old), general themes I would probably like to weave into all material here. Have beta-tested this with a couple of kids (the transitions might seem a bit slow but that is the speed at which 7 year olds read). The speed trial is a decent hit, the show me how is a bit too dense (any ideas how to make that better?). If your kids play with it, I would like to hear their comments.
Ack: The critter cartoons above are borrowed (I have lost track of the source though), all else is home-brewed.