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dornole
Geocacher
Joined: 03 Apr 2006
Posts: 353
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 Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: Raising my son for the computer arts |
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My son (12) is pretty interested in computers and programming (shocking, I know! a 12 year boy who likes computers!)
Anyway, though I come from a long line of computer programmers, including my grandpa who worked with the punch cards back in the day, my dad and 2 uncles who all worked for IBM for 35 plus years, and even my mom who wrote code at the kitchen table in the 1970s as a contractor -- I don't know anything about this topic.
Does anyone have any suggestions for nurturing the boy in this direction. I see there are various programming camps but they're expensive and I don't know if they're any good or not. He has programmed a few 2D games with Gamemaker but that's about it. He also very much likes taking stuff apart (e.g. modding Nerf guns to disable safety features and make them shoot farther, etc.)
Just looking for fun stuff for the summer that might eventually have career benefits or teach him some skills. Websites, downloads, logical progression of things to learn, camps, organizations etc. We're in the Twin Cities.
Thanks! |
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merkman
Past MnGCA Board
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 2032
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merkman
Past MnGCA Board
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Dances With Beehives
Geocacher
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Posts: 671
Location: Chaska
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casinoman
Geocacher
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 374
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Raising my son for the computer arts |
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| dornole wrote: |
My son (12) is pretty interested in computers and programming (shocking, I know! a 12 year boy who likes computers!)
Just looking for fun stuff for the summer that might eventually have career benefits or teach him some skills. Websites, downloads, logical progression of things to learn, camps, organizations etc. We're in the Twin Cities.
Thanks! |
I have a son that is 14 I got him into the Boy Scouts at a young age and he has stayed. I feel it is one of the best things that we can do for your young men. They can learn alot of leadership skills and have alot of fun, Spend time with you and there friends in the out doors.
I found out that the cacmp that we bring our guys to this summer is starting a Geocaching deal for any troop or group that wnts to try. And now our hole group wants in on the fun.
Your son can do any and all of the merit badges that he wants and all will teach him some thing he may need when he gets in the job feild.
So my sugestion is find a troop in your aera and go to a meeting and see what they are up to. You may wnat to join your self just for the fun things they may do. |
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merkman
Past MnGCA Board
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Posts: 2032
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Marsha and Silent Bob
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 6261
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 11:12 am Post subject: |
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It really depends on how your child learns. Me? I learn by example so, back in the day before this information was as readily and widely available as it is now, my father got me some books with excellent coding examples and offered me some simple suggestions on projects I should think about to get me started. I ran with it from there and to this day I find that I'm better off having a project given to me and a set of reference materials available for me to look through and while the outcome might not be the prettiest ever, it gets the job done.
If he's a learn by watching type you can try to find a poor college kid or some highschooler in AP Computer Science to give a couple of tutoring lessons. It might be a bit more expensive than a few books and vague ideas but it might be less than computer camp.
_________________
Sad state of affairs. |
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