Computerwisekids

Parents are always asking me if they should buy a device for home and what kind of device is best for their kids.

The choices are almost endless. It is a Vegas buffet with non-stop choices for every palate. You can easily get tempted to over indulge, and if succumb to gluttony you will suffer miserably. I am describing my choices to buy computational device for work and play.

A key mistake is to buy a device the child is using at school. School administrator have made a decision to use a device at school with a different set of criteria than yours. They often have budget constraints and vendor relationships to consider. Individuals can take advantage of special deals, last years models, open box specials and more. School computer choices seldem reflect individual needs.

I discourage parents from sharing their personal computer with their kids. I have seen too many kids accidentally downloading a virus and other junk on the machine. There are some things that should be considered "off limits" for kids and Mom/ Dad's computer should be one of them.

So, parents buy your kids their own computer.

What shall we buy? Let's not beat around the bush. Buy your child a traditional computer or laptop and not a tablet or phone.

I recommend buying a computer/laptop (MAc or PC) for these reasons:

• Has a mouse and keyboard making is easy for young students to use the device easily. For example: Art programs, Spreadsheets etc. are very cumbersome to use on tablet that dont have a mouse and keyboard.
• Open source software is available for PC's make the this device attractive. There are many free programs that are wonderful to use. My favorite being TUX paint and Sketchup.
• No limitations on using Flash websites. Adobe Flash is used on many educational websites that host excellent math, science & english language games.
• Cost are comparable to all the devices out there.
• To write code, students need a computer. To code in Python, C++, Javascript and HTML etc. you need a PC. Swift Playgrounds is the only iPad app available to teach coding for iOS.
• Computer last 3-5 years, it can be upgraded (PC's more than Macs)