A hot topic right now, in both programming and education, is the Scratch programming language just released as a free download from MIT. Featured on the BBC and Boston.com, Scratch was designed for kids, using a Lego or jigsaw-puzzle metaphor to construct code from virtual building blocks.
It's another children's education coup for MIT, coming soon after the $100 laptop began shipping. Moreover, it's a nice way to promote the value of usability for children. Kids are often stereotyped as quicker than parents when it comes to figuring out any technology, or selfishly absorbed by games and online chatter. Similarly, educational games can be controversial, derided as "edutainment" or branding vehicles for companies like Disney.
When you move beyond simplistic stereotypes, there's plenty of opportunity to design kid-friendly, educational tech products. Notable, usable young children's websites include PBS for Kids and Noggin.
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