Forty years of observation suggests that engaging children in using computers and in programming software to run on computers is a powerful means to drive learning. The process of writing and then repairing (also known as “debugging”) a program, which Solomon described as “the great educational opportunity of the 21st Century”, provides a basis for active learning through heuristic problem solving. Free Software enables and encourages students and teachers to engage in real science and engineering and to take responsibility for the tools and practice in their classrooms. | Forty years of observation suggests that engaging children in using computers and in programming software to run on computers is a powerful means to drive learning. The process of writing and then repairing (also known as “debugging”) a program, which Solomon described as “the great educational opportunity of the 21st Century”, provides a basis for active learning through heuristic problem solving. Free Software enables and encourages students and teachers to engage in real science and engineering and to take responsibility for the tools and practice in their classrooms. |