[aclug-L] FW: Defeat the Windows Monopoly, Teach Your Kids Linux

["Dale W Hodge" <dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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From: Linux_Desktop_Apps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 12:44 AM


LINUX DESKTOP APPLICATIONS --- February 21, 2002
Published by ITworld.com -- changing the way you view IT
http://www.itworld.com/newsletters
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HIGHLIGHTS

* An educational game is making headway in the fight against Windows by
  teaching children about Linux using numbers and shapes.

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Defeat the Windows Monopoly, Teach Your Kids Linux
By Eric Foster-Johnson

Fight the monopoly domination of operating systems and applications.
Teach your kids Linux. You, too, can fight the power.

It remains such a stereotype that kids learn to program VCRs while
their parents still have trouble setting the VCR clock, let alone
learning to program the machines. Kids learn quickly, and the so-called
high technology doesn't seem to stump kids at all. I know my four-year-
old can recognize the cancel button on dialog windows and she cannot
even read yet.

Kids don't seem to have much problems with Windows, launching programs,
and moving the mouse. So, take advantage of the great learning ability
of kids and teach them Linux. As they grow, they will be familiar with
Linux and hopefully won't want to use Windows as they grow.

To help teach kids how to use Linux, you might want to start with a
desktop environment such as GNOME or KDE and then add in some age-
appropriate games. You can find links to a number of Linux games at
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a12 and
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a13

One program stands out for teaching kids on computers, GCompris.
GCompris provides a learning game for children that includes a number
of simple games intended more for the younger set than those who enjoy
Quake or Civilization. The games teach children numbers, shapes, and
telling time, although some of the games concentrate on algebra for
older kids.

Games are built on top of boards, which use the GTK Canvas widget.
GCompris comes with a number of boards, described at
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a3 GCompris is named
after the French phrase j'ai compris, which means "I have understood".
The game supports a number of languages.

Download GCompris from SourceForge at
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a0 A full
manual is available at http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a6

Hey, what better way to defeat the Windows monopoly than to train your
kids how to use Linux?

About the author(s)
-------------------
Eric Foster-Johnson has written 14 books on Linux, Unix, programming
and open source tools. Eric can be reached at erc@xxxxxxxxxxxx or at
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a10
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Linux in education report #23
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a9

LinuxForKids
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a11

GCompris
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a7

Debian Jr. Project
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a2

Young Scientist Linux Users
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a1
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ITWORLD.COM NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Index of Linux Desktop Applications
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a8

OpenOffice.org Suite Delivers
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a4

Ogg What?
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a53011a76028222a5
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