RegGuheert Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Back on Prime Day, we purchased this Raspberry Pi kit for DS14 for Christmas. While MomsintheGarden and I are both electrical engineers with experience designing systems with embedded controllers, that was back in the stone ages and we have no experience with Raspberry Pi. I have quite a bit of experience with Linux and also have experience programming in quite a few different languages. DS14 is just now learning Java programming through TeenCoder and hopes to become a mechanical engineer eventually. As such, we think this learning toy might be appropriate for him. He is a hard worker who has a high degree of sticktoitiveness that should help him deal with the inevitable frustrations he will face with Raspberry Pi. As such, I thought I would open a thread to gather thoughts and experiences about the Raspberry Pi so that we can learn from them. If you have ever given a Raspberry Pi kit to any of your children, can you please answer the following questions for us? TIA! - How old was the child when they received the kit? - Was the kit well-received? If not, why do you think that was? - If it was well received, how long did the kit hold its appeal? - Did you end up wishing you had purchased a larger (or smaller) kit? If so, why? - Does the kit we ordered have the parts you think are essential? If not, what do you think we will be wanting going forward? - Which programming languages does your child have experience with for the Raspberry Pi? Which do you recommend? - What online resources did you find that were most helpful for Raspberry Pi? Finally, we are interested in any other thoughts you might have regarding this topic. We don't know what we don't know, so any information will be helpful! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 All of these questions are difficult for me to answer because it's not my thing. I know my kid got more than one of these things starting at 12. My husband is very into this stuff so he could definitely help. DS did do the teen coder Java as well. If that was specifically useful, I really don't know. I think I'll e-mail my kid these questions. Maybe he can give better answers! (He is now 14, almost 15.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 I think I'll e-mail my kid these questions. Maybe he can give better answers! (He is now 14, almost 15.)Thanks! Getting that information from his perspective would be terrific! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 We are also considering purchasing this book for DS14s Kindle Paperwhite: Raspberry Pi 3: Beginner to Pro - Step by Step Guide. It's only $2.99 on Kindle. Hopefully that price holds as it does not seem possible to purchase a Kindle book as a gift. (Maybe I'll sneak onto his Kindle and make the purchase without his knowledge!) The reviews look good. Does anyone have experience with this book or others from that author that you would like to share? Are there other books that you recommend instead/as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 - How old was the child when they received the kit? 10 & 11. We bought at Makerfaire this year because this model has Bluetooth and my kids asked for it. We bought just the raspberry pi 3 for $35, not a kit. My kids choose this Lego case from Amazon. It fits very well. https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-compatible-SmartiPi-Raspberry-camera/dp/B00UDP0052 We have plenty of wireless and Bluetooth keyboards and computer mice in the house. We also have the cable to hook up the raspberry pi to our 40" tv :lol: - Which programming languages does your child have experience with for the Raspberry Pi? Which do you recommend? Kids are trying Python and C on it. Not tried Java on it yet. - What online resources did you find that were most helpful for Raspberry Pi? What we found useful Everything here which is the pi website https://www.raspberrypi.org Their Facebook page for seeing what other kids are up to with their pi https://www.facebook.com/raspberrypi If you have a Lego mindstorm http://www.legoengineering.com/introducing-brickpi-lego-bricks-with-a-raspberry-pi-brain/ If you have an arduino https://www.raspberrypi.org/magpi-issues/MagPi07.pdf Raspberry pi magazines. We read at Barnes and Noble. There are plenty of raspberry pi books there too. E.g. https://www.raspberrypi.org/magpi/ If you child is interested in Beowulf cluster using raspberry pi. http://www.zdnet.com/article/build-your-own-supercomputer-out-of-raspberry-pi-boards/ If he decides he likes Linux OS as much as programming, he can try for the RHCE certification. I have an expired RHCE certification. https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/ex300-red-hat-certified-engineer-rhce-exam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Thanks, Arcadia! That's very helpful! I will share this information with DS14 after he gets the unit for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) - How old was the child when they received the kit? I think we got an earlier version of that Canakit Pi kit a couple of years ago. I think ds was 10 when he got it. He has several Pi's now... a nice Rpi person gave him one at a meetup and he bought another one with a better driver... Anyway. - Was the kit well-received? If not, why do you think that was? Oh yeah. He's a total Rpi kid. - If it was well received, how long did the kit hold its appeal? The kit itself and the projects in it... maybe for five or six months? But the Pi itself for much longer... - Did you end up wishing you had purchased a larger (or smaller) kit? If so, why? Hard to say. Ds did a bunch of the intro projects and then moved himself on to other things and didn't finish the other stuff. Over the last couple of years, he's bought a bunch of different Pi pieces for different things. In the end, the best projects he's done have been things where he read about it in Make or on Instructables or something and then bought the individual components and canibalized things. Having a fund for him to do that might have been better. But it's hard to say. - Does the kit we ordered have the parts you think are essential? If not, what do you think we will be wanting going forward? Yes and no. I'm not an expert, but IME, yes, that's a solid kit, but he'll still need other stuff as he chooses other projects. Ds used the Pi to make a thing for his Destination Imagination team that played music. He needed speaker things. He turned it into an "arcade machine" and bought a bunch of buttons and a joystick. He did some sensors and camera project and had to buy those things. And sometimes he needs some specific wire or something that wasn't in the kit and he buys it. I think every project you read about online will have a different little piece you need. - Which programming languages does your child have experience with for the Raspberry Pi? Which do you recommend? Ds has been more interested in the electronics element of the PI. He has learned to solder and combine it with Arduino things and to build interesting design things around it and combine it with other components. He does know a little Java and, of course, Scratch, and... something else? But mostly he has taught himself how to download other people's software and do projects that way. Even that has thrust him into using Raspian and some other under the hood things. But programming isn't the only aspect of the Pi, I guess. - What online resources did you find that were most helpful for Raspberry Pi? Ds just surfs Instructables projects and read Make to get ideas. And he's a member of a maker space. And he dreams up stuff. And then once he dreams it up, he just looks online and searches to see if anyone has done anything along the lines that he's thinking of and if he can tweak it. The Raspberry Pi magazine MagPi is really good and I think it's still free online (it's quite pricey in the US to get the print editions).Finally, we are interested in any other thoughts you might have regarding this topic. We don't know what we don't know, so any information will be helpful! Thanks! The Pi community is cool. If he can find a Raspberry Jam, that would probably be good. Or a makerspace that's teen friendly. For my ds, it's been one of these things that sometimes I feel like we/he have wasted money going down an avenue that he doesn't ever finish the project for. There are bits and pieces of electronics stuff all over the house (if I have to step on a tiny Arduino button again, I will lose it - it's worse than a Lego). And he sometimes goes months without making anything new with the Pi or any of his various components. But then he'll get into a flurry of activity and make something really neat. It's been good for me to see something be so child-led. And even the dead ends have been educational for him. He has gotten a lot of confidence from being able to go online and figure out what he wants to do. Edited November 27, 2016 by Farrar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) Thanks, Farrah! That's very encouraging! DS14 is the sixth of seven children (slightly behind his twin, DD14). I had offered to purchase Raspberry Pi for both DS26 and DS18 at different times and they both turned it down. The bottom line is that both of them are PURE programmers who want little to do with hardware. As a "hardware weenie", I didn't really understand that, but I think I get it now. The level they have attained in software is quite high. All that to say that I get what you are saying about the Raspberry Pi being something that could be used by those not focused on the software side of things. I cannot tell if this will suit DD14, or not. He can be hard to read. I bought the unit on a whim and we will see how things go. I would not be surprised to see it go either way with him: He could really get into it or it might just become another trophy for his dresser. I guess the challenge is finding an application that gets him really excited about the possibilities. BTW, I wonder if anyone has invested in something like this kit of sensors. It's a bit pricey, but I get the impression that there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem with these things: if you don't have a bunch of actuators and sensors, the child may not ever get interested in what they can do, but if you purchase all the actuators and sensors up front, you may find out that the student is not interested anyway (or they just get overwhelmed). Perhaps your idea of a budget for add-ons is the best one. Anyway, DS14's birthday is in April, so that would be a good time for the next addition if he is so inclined. Edited November 28, 2016 by RegGuheert 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 That is a lot of sensors. Ds would go nutty for them, I think. He bought himself a kit of maybe five or six sensors at one point - it was way less. I think it's better to get the books and magazines for inspiration and then from there to buy the very specific parts. Though, that may just be my kid's approach. Another kid might be better at having a bunch of materials and using those to be the inspiration. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 It's a bit pricey, but I get the impression that there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem with these things: if you don't have a bunch of actuators and sensors, the child may not ever get interested in what they can do, but if you purchase all the actuators and sensors up front, you may find out that the student is not interested anyway (or they just get overwhelmed). I find electronics is unlike Lego. You can't have too many Lego pieces but too many electronic pieces without an electronic parts organizer (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Akro-Mils-10144-20-Inch-16-Inch-Hardware/dp/B003P2UOCO/) can be overwhelming and a pain to find the correct part. We have RadioShack, Frys Electronics and Hobbytown here so my kids just go and window shop then decide which part they want to buy. Let him look at other people's projects online, read at Barnes and Noble (because library has less raspberry pi books) and let him come up with a shopping list. Then you tell him how much you are willing to sponsor and he can rank the items he want to buy first. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) Mathematica is free on the Raspberry Pi if your child wants to experiment with it, Mathematica was common when I was in college. https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/getting-started-with-mathematica/ Edited for weird autocorrect. Edited November 28, 2016 by Arcadia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 Mathematica is free on the Raspberry Pi if your child wants to experiment with it, Mathematica was common when I was in college. https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/getting-started-with-mathematica/ That's very cool! The Raspberry Pi just paid for itself! DS18 had to take a lab on Mathematica this Fall in which he completes 10 rather-complicated projects in the tool. They were quite impressive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 Back on Prime Day, we purchased this Raspberry Pi kit for DS14 for Christmas. While MomsintheGarden and I are both electrical engineers with experience designing systems with embedded controllers, that was back in the stone ages and we have no experience with Raspberry Pi. I have quite a bit of experience with Linux and also have experience programming in quite a few different languages. DS14 is just now learning Java programming through TeenCoder and hopes to become a mechanical engineer eventually. As such, we think this learning toy might be appropriate for him. He is a hard worker who has a high degree of sticktoitiveness that should help him deal with the inevitable frustrations he will face with Raspberry Pi. As such, I thought I would open a thread to gather thoughts and experiences about the Raspberry Pi so that we can learn from them. If you have ever given a Raspberry Pi kit to any of your children, can you please answer the following questions for us? TIA! - How old was the child when they received the kit? - Was the kit well-received? If not, why do you think that was? - If it was well received, how long did the kit hold its appeal? - Did you end up wishing you had purchased a larger (or smaller) kit? If so, why? - Does the kit we ordered have the parts you think are essential? If not, what do you think we will be wanting going forward? - Which programming languages does your child have experience with for the Raspberry Pi? Which do you recommend? - What online resources did you find that were most helpful for Raspberry Pi? Finally, we are interested in any other thoughts you might have regarding this topic. We don't know what we don't know, so any information will be helpful! Thanks! Noooooooo! My husband has a dozen of these. One day there was a blinking red light in my bedroom. I asked what it was for. He informed me that "the satellite is overhead." Well then, I guess this is information we need ????? He works from home and uses them to monitor whethe or not an offsite computer system is up and running. He uses them for all sorts of things. I wish I could take the conversations I've tuned out about them and redirect them to you. I'm sure it's very interesting if you're into these things. We just have sooo many blinking, wired up, little boxes that it's maddening. It looks like someone is trying to build a time machine on the back of the piano. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 Noooooooo! My husband has a dozen of these. One day there was a blinking red light in my bedroom. I asked what it was for. He informed me that "the satellite is overhead." Well then, I guess this is information we need ?????Love it!! He works from home and uses them to monitor whethe or not an offsite computer system is up and running. He uses them for all sorts of things. I wish I could take the conversations I've tuned out about them and redirect them to you. I'm sure it's very interesting if you're into these things. We just have sooo many blinking, wired up, little boxes that it's maddening. I, too, have a large collection of items with blinky lights! But my little boxes do not process information. Rather they process power. They are called "inverters" and there are about 100 of them strewn about. My justification? 54 of them provide all of the electricity for our house. Perhaps a support group could be started with you and MomsintheGarden as charter members! ;) It looks like someone is trying to build a time machine on the back of the piano. :) :) :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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