In the first part of this two part series, we discussed why ClubCompy has the best approach to teaching kids about computer programming. In part two, we delve into the reasons why kids need to learn about computers and computer programming.

Gathering clouds

I knew from age 6 that I wanted to be a programmer. Specifically, I wanted to
make video games. I had caught the computer programming bug, and I would do
whatever it took to learn and become proficient at it. When I look back, I
realize that I have had to put up with a lot of hassle and disappointment
because the technology was so crude and the industry was still new. I believe
the only reason I stuck with it was that my increasing sophistication as a
person happened to match the increasingly sophisticated computers I was working
with. It just happened that I was born at the right time for me to succeed.

Today I see a gap widening between those who truly understand the technology
and those that do not. We have an education problem. Children today are awash
in technology but gain no deep understanding in it. Technology education
focuses on creating on users, while the world needs far more qualified
operators. I fear for these up-and-comers, for they are clearly not being
prepared to do the hard computer work that will be required of them as adults.

My word, things have changed

I began the work on ClubCompy by interviewing adults about introducing kids to
computers and programming. A common response was "Could you teach them on
BASIC like we had when we were kids?" (BASIC was an beginners' computer
language found on many home computers in the 70s and 80s.)

The answer is a "mostly no". We want to give kids a relevant experience with
today's tech, and BASIC has a lot of limitations. Other responses pose a larger
issue: many adults today who had some introduction to computers do not
understand how much computers have advanced in the past 30 years. If we are to
educate kids on computers, then that education needs to stay relevant while
respecting the explosion in computing power and communication. Let me
elaborate on how much things have changed with a compare-and-contrast:

I cut my teeth on the Commodore 64, the best selling single model of computer
of all time. It had only 65536 bytes (64K) of memory, started in a console tied
to the Microsoft BASIC language interpreter, and accepted only commands typed
in on the keyboard. The brains of the thing, the main CPU, was an 8-bit MOS
6510, running at a pathetic 1 MHz. The C64 was heavily co-processed for video
and sound functions because the main CPU was far too slow to do those jobs
itself. You could save files to 5 1/4" external floppy disk drive on disks that
held 180 KB (per side, you physically had to flip the disk if you wanted to
access content on the back!) Input devices included the built-in keyboard and
attached joysticks, paddles, and mouse. You could buy dot-matrix printers and
connect to crude online services with an analog modem over the plain old
telephone system.

Computer programming for the C64 was necessarily pretty simple back then. Only
a few layers of software insulated programmers from the physical hardware:

• 
  
• Your BASIC language program
• 
  
• The Microsoft BASIC v2 Interpreter (in ROM)
• 
  
• Hardware: CPU, memory, video, audio, I/O
• 
  

It was possible to know and understand everything that the Commodore 64 was
capable of doing. People have uncovered all its secrets and memorized its
entire layout to become complete masters of that domain. It was not uncommon
for commercial products on the Commodore 64 to be written by one or two
software developers, because that's all it took back then.

Today it's common to see 3 and even 4 GHz multi-core machines with 4+ GB of RAM
running with nVidia or ATI hardware-accelerated graphics and high-fidelity wave
sound cards. A huge variety of mass storage, print shop quality laser and
inkjet printers, and fast networking devices connect us to a global
inter-network. Worldwide communication is nearly free of charge. Available
input devices are similarly vibrant today, with multitouch and haptic
interfaces available beyond the long established list of keyboard, mouse,
joystick, camera, and microphone. Yet even beyond the hardware, what makes it
all work, what makes it possible, is a layering of software in modern
computers. Compare running a Tasty program at ClubCompy to a BASIC program on
the Commodore 64. The layer cake of software and hardware doing things for you
from top-to-bottom today is, roughly:

• 
  
• Tasty Language program lines of code, written by you or the kids
• 
  
• The Tasty Language Interpreter, written by us using JavaScriptS/CC
• 
  
• The Compy Shell and FlipBuffer engine, written by us in JavaScript
• 
  
• JavaScript Interpreter/Engine running inside the web browser
• 
  
• Your web browser (Firefox, etc.), probably written in C, C++, and Assembly
• 
  
• Software libraries and components
• 
  
• Platform-specific APIs (Win32, X-Windows/Posix, etc.)
• 
  
• Device Drivers and the Operating System Kernel (Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux)
• 
  
• Hardware
• 
  

That's not the half of it! There are scads of optional, adjunct layers and
supporting software scattered all throughout that list. You have the option of
OS virtualization. Your browser may support plugins. The pieces of your
hardware in your computer have "firmware" programs running in them ... heck,
you could view the web browser through a remote desktop like WebEx or GoTo
Meeting. What do the software layers look like in a scenario when the internet
is involved? There are "Web Services" and there is "middleware". These systems
are all very fascinating and complex--and no one person can fully understand
it. As a result, it often takes huge teams of developers to write the
components that comprise today's computer software.

Things have changed so much that computer learning from the 80's no longer
applies to the computers of today. Yet the computers of today are too complex
to master. ClubCompy strikes a balance by presenting a simple 80s style
interface with contemporary technology delivered by theweb. You don't have to
buy a custom computer for your kids to use ClubCompy. They can surf to the clubcompy.com web page from anywhere and get
to work!

Techno haves and have-nots

Computers also have social and political aspects. The more people who understand computers, the less power that can concentrate in the hands of a few technocrats. One goal of ClubCompy is to make the future more accessible to more people, to encourage the growth of more producers and fewer mere consumers.

Computers are important because they are in everything. Our lives depend
on computers! To thrive in the world of the future, people must be more than
button pressers. They must understand how computers and software work. We
want children to develop their abilities to analyze and to understand the tools
they use to solve the problems they face. This understanding represents a
life-long advantage. ClubCompy offers kids an experience they may not
otherwise get.

Just how important is this?

Parents and educators value a well-rounded education system which opens minds
to all avenues of math, science, literature, the arts, etc. Computer science
education probably belongs somewhere in between social studies and music. If
this education does not happen at school in formal classes, then it must happen
at home or in the library.

The Pitch

Here is the pitch and your call-to-action: you will want ClubCompy for your
kids because we offer an authentic learning experience with computers and
computer programming. You will want it at home, at school, and at the library
-- anywhere children may learn.

ClubCompy.com isn't sugar coated. It's real programming. Even so, it succeeds
at making the process of writing programs truly fun by encouraging
experimentation -- kids just want to see what cool thing they can get it to do
next.

The ClubCompy Magazine gives our online service lasting meaning. There's
something special about words on physical paper. Everything online is ephemeral
and rooted only in the present. Our paper magazine sell solid the memories and
experiences your kids gain at ClubCompy. (And, heck, the magazine does make a great gift! ;)

Computers and the internet are not just simply another media vehicle
like TV or Radio. ClubCompy can be a creative force in your kids' lives and
give them some context on the role and purpose of computers, perhaps even
forming the basis for a future career.

Prepare your kids for a productive future with ClubCompy; buy subscriptions to
ClubCompy for your kids today!

Many thanks,
Dave Woldrich
clubcompy.com

Our Kickstarter Campaign