When did you start using computers?

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I had a chat to a mom with a seven year old son with autism this morning, about putting a computer lab into his school. She thinks is may be a problem trying to teach a whole class about computers (a whole class = between six and ten kids) as they are mostly taught one on one. I think... it may just be a whole new world opening up for them.

So, why not ask the experts. If you're a kid, please let me know more or less your age, when you got familiar with computers and what you have used them for ever since?

Thank you very, very much!

Teach computers?

That is very much a case of those who can't teach. If you have any talent with computers you can make a whole lot more than in a teaching job. I've never come across a teacher with any skill at computing, including the huge majority of lecturers at university.


I'm 30, and I've been programming computers since I was 8. Schools don't do programming, they do boring stuff like word processing and spreadsheets (and probably emails and web searches now). Fine if you just want to be another office drone, but the real fun is making the computer do exactly what you want, and to do that programming's where it's at.

As far as I'm concerned all children should be introduced to programming as soon as they can read, as it builds logic and problem solving skills like nothing else at school, and gives you somewhere you can make use of mathematics topics, besides just answering questions from a book.

It's a lot better than just writing or typing out something, that afterwards can do little more than be read. You write a program and it can make noises and pictures, or ask people questions, and you can go in and make changes to what you've already done, so it does something else, exactly the way you want. If like me you're not very coordinated and have trouble drawing, or playing a musical instrument, it's nice having a creative outlet where all you need is the manual and a bit of patience. The best part about programming is that the mistakes you make help you learn new things.

Hi polarity - thx for the response and I absolutely agree! I also programmed straight from day 1, but then again, you and I probably come from the age where that was pretty much what you did with computers: you either played games or you coded ...

What language would you suppose 8-year olds should be learning today? Java? VB? or something more visual, less programming like HTML with a bit of javascript?

I think you can still get versions of BASIC, and there are some great educational versions of LOGO.

You could even go all out and let the kids go wild on ancient DOS hardware with QBASIC, it's not like they can break anything valuable.

If it's more modern languages you're after then ActionScript for Flash has graphics and audio capabilities, and there's a free compiler thing to save paying for the full Adobe Flash package. The only trouble with newer stuff is you need to write more before you get to see results.

I've been using computers since I was a baby!!

Ha! I've been using a laptop since I was still in the womb. Magical Girl

I typed on an old computer when I was two, but I won't consider this using a computer. I would say that I started to use my mother's laptop in third grade, to research my special interest.

I've been using a computer since I was four years old. Basically, about 12 years. I've never had any issues learning how to work it.

I started on a Windows 98 computer at 2 years old.