Children's computer education and the Debian tradition

The so-called children in this article, including older children. Obviously, today's children all play with adult computers. However, adult computers are not suitable for children, but for children's innocent minds. Let's make it clear that the pre-installed items in today's computers are almost all unsuitable for children. The fundamental problem is that those things are indeed too complex, too cumbersome, too utilitarian, and too vulgar as compared with children (including older children. So what should we do?

Children do not need a browser to learn computer at first. The Internet does not need to be understood. In today's environment, which operating system does not include browsers? Which of the following is suitable for children? Endless fights and poor tricks ruined the children's innocence. Today, the ultimate goal of a solution (simplified content version) that sellers bring to their children is to cultivate their future users as soon as possible.

In my opinion, Debian's valuable traditions, rich resources, and self-starting USB flash drives provide us with new opportunities. We can imagine that the children use different USB flash drives each semester. For children in lower grades, USB flash drives do not include browsers, fight games, or media players. The content of the USB flash drive textbook must meet the syllabus requirements. No additional content is available. Children cannot see any commercial software license marks in the USB flash drive, making the USB flash drive textbooks (all of the software) completely their own (legally ). Some basic concepts must be understood, such as what is desktop, panel, and icon ). They must understand what they want to learn in each icon (double-click with a hand. Click open or close. Of course, you need to know how to start and shut down. After class, take the USB flash drive textbook home, and use an adult's computer to continue playing at home (it has nothing to do with the computer operating system of an adult ).

Debian left us with a rich set of free software resource libraries and advanced software package management methods (live self-start and APT upgrade modes ). Without the two, we do not dare to talk about the self-starting USB flash drive business. According to the Debian model, the content of the USB flash drive textbooks used by students of different grades is not "carrying a huge schoolbag" (everything is included ), instead, you can learn what you want to learn. (You can perform Controllable network upgrades at any time according to the teaching syllabus ). The Learning sequence should be from simple to deep, and should be gradual, for example, learning the key-hitting method, finding friends on the LAN, drawing on the computer, playing songs, Fan Wen writing and text editing.

In fact, low-capacity USB flash drives on the market are cheap ". USB flash drive textbooks can be recycled after one semester. You can continue to use them after centralized processing (software upgrade) (of course, a certain service fee will be charged ). In fact, many of the "electronic content" that children learn are available in the edubuntu release. For senior students, there are also in www.gnomefiles.org. USB flash drive textbooks can be purchased by schools in a centralized manner or rented in a centralized manner ).

At present, there are usually 60 seats in the computer classrooms of primary and secondary schools, and the equipment is outdated, especially non-LCD display, which is very unfavorable to children's eyesight. According to the survey, according to the current price in the Zhongguancun electronic market in Beijing, if all the above-mentioned computer classrooms are changed to 19 inch LCD monitors, there is no hard disk or optical drive in the trunk box, including the classroom LAN, 0.15 million RMB (less ), this can be done.

In August 16 this year, the Debian international community will celebrate its 15th anniversary. It has two most important successors: knoppix (the first live self-starting Technology) and ubuntu (Universal desktop applications ). What we need to know is that Ubuntu firmly inherits Debian's Free Software tradition and is qualified as a mentor to children.