Linda Liukas - Programming Playgrounds

If code is the colouring pens and lego blocks of our times – the tools of creation – how do we teach the curiosity, joy and wonder to our kids? Linda has been looking at programming and play: how to create experiences that go deeper than just learning logic. What if you could learn technology by climbing, running or crawling? What if a children’s playground castle was not only a castle, a ship was not only a ship - but a computer, that can take a thousand forms. While playing, it’s up to the children to decide whether they’re the hero of their favourite game, the data inside the computer, or something completely different. This talk summarises Linda’s three principles of play and a few experiments she has learned with little Ruby and the journey she has had as a children’s books author and playground builder. --- About Linda Linda is a bright new voice on global technology education from Helsinki, Finland. With her Hello Ruby books and philosophy she brings a Nordic playful perspective to the sometimes serious world of computer science. Translated into nearly 40 languages, this children’s picture book series asks: What else is there to technology education than “Learn to code”? If computer code is the Lego block of our time – a tool of creation – how do we teach curiosity, joy, and wonder to our kids? Currently Linda is building a playground to Helsinki where you can learn about how computers work without a single screen. --- This talk was held at the eleventh "beyond tellerrand" conference in Düsseldorf: More information about beyond tellerrand (#btconf in short) here: https://beyondtellerrand.com