No. 66 - AMA ⫶ Plays & Toys ⫶ Paul Klee sweater

One needs a way to keep track, a memory

My name is Linda. I write a bi-weekly newsletter about computer science, childhood, and culture - and 9 685 of you are listening. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with anyone who may find it helpful.

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Thank you for the lovely questions for the AMA. Answers include thoughts on piecing together the entire universe from scratch, boring hair advice and a potential community project for fall 2024.

Why did you get so interested in computer science education for young children? Why not older kids? From what I see, your work mostly focuses on younger children, so I'm curious about what took you there.

Purely selfish reasons. For me, early childhood is the pinnacle of life. Young children are the ultimate philosophers, lucid thinkers, and teachers. I create work that makes technology feel as enchanted and real as the children.

or

To be a kid requires difficult / 
detective work. 
You have to piece / 
together the entire universe from / 
scratch

- Karen Russell, "The Ghost Birds"

You've defined your own work in the world (as an illustrator, programmer, educator, author) rather than seeking out a position at a company and simply filling it. I'm curious what has helped you in times where you felt uncertain or unclear about the space you were carving for yourself and the work you wanted to do?

Writing this, at the end of 2023, I feel more uncertain and unclear about my work than ever - a lot of big projects I've been working on for several years are not out yet, and there have been dead-ends, unknowns and curiosities that I shouldn't have followed. I am still determining what I'm returning to in 2024.

What helps is measuring my work over long periods. And for that, one needs a way to keep track, a memory. That's why the yearly reviews are essential for me and a big motivation for writing these letters.

It seems you are constantly sifting through, reading, and annotating so many different articles, interviews, books, and pieces of art. What tools do you use to keep track of what you read (especially online articles) and organize your annotations or thoughts on those pieces? 

I still use RSS! After ten years, it's almost silly how often I start my day browsing through favorite blogs and other feeds, and most of my ideas come from this habit, not from Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or some other algorithmic feed. More recently, I have followed newsletters, but even then, I order through RSS. I used to be an avid Google Reader user, but I have now replaced it with Feedly. This year, I made the switch to Are.na.

In addition, I have a simple text file called thoughts.txt, where I post things that I find extra relevant per month. I also often use iPhone notes and always carry several physical notebooks with me.

I was wondering if you have any future plans for Hello Ruby?

The playground, even though it's not entirely Hello Ruby-related. It's been a project that has remained on the back burner for a decade, resurfacing now and then, and finally, I'm on the verge of fully formulating what it's about.

There are still many stories left in little Ruby's universe (LLMs! Cryptography! History of computers! More on algorithms and data structures!). Still, I grew tired of the (English-speaking) publishing industry and its many challenges. Last night, I had a Ruby-related dream for the first time in ages, so this newsletter may serve as a better platform to explore ideas..

How can someone get involved with Hello Ruby outside using the resources?

Something I've been terrible at! This newsletter's classroom section showcases how educators use Hello Ruby resources. Still, among you, there are so many talented, knowledgeable, and helpful folks I could involve more. One thought has been organizing a masterclass in Helsinki once the playground opens in late fall 2024, including a week of educational experiences around the Nordic education model and Finnish computing culture.

What are your thoughts on education right now? Where are your concerns. Regarding the problems in this area, what do you think is the most important one?

I work with a very narrow part of education - mainly in the pre-kindergarten computer science field, so I don't have strong opinions about the entire field of education.

(Most people who do base their ideas on their own or kids' experiences of school or doom & gloom headlines - instead of asking educators).

But one policy-level idea I keep repeating whenever asked is to invest in educators. Whether it's craft materials, professional development, reasonable group sizes, or quality teacher education, it's the only way to solve the many problems the sector sees.

Do you have a family? If you don’t, do you plan on having one?

I have a lovely family, but I've mostly chosen to keep them out of the public eye.

The cut and color that you ask in the hair salon?

I've had the same hairdo for as long as I can remember; I ask for shorter and side bangs. The color has changed dramatically, from dark brown to red to platinum, but I always return to highlights.

Pictures are stills from a video on the pedagogy and philosophy of computing I published earlier this year called Grammar of Computers

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Linked List

In computer science, a linked list is a linear collection of data elements whose order is not given by their physical placement in memory. But here it is a selection of things I’ve been reading lately.

• The Eames Institute released a virtual exhibition on Toys and Plays. "Toys are really not as innocent as they look. Toys and games are the preludes to serious ideas", says Charles Eames. I've found much inspiration in their work with toys in the past, so I am looking forward to digging in. There is also an accompanying book to purchase. 

• The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. What lies behind 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 and 64? What about 5, 8, 13, 233 and 39088169? It is a lovely resource for finding the (hidden) meaning of sequences of numbers.

• These instructions for knitting a Paul Klee Sweater make me want to find my yarns and needles.

• A dear friend is looking for afterschool clubs, mainly in the Gulf region, Japan, and Korea, to help playtest a new multiplayer game they are developing for kids. The game focuses on training cooperation, communication, and social skills, and the gameplay is unique. Write to me if you have any thoughts!

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Classroom

I’m hoping to surface and share stories from all of you and I’d love to see your creations! Here are a few teachers using Ruby in creative, fun and inspiring ways.

Alydiane Lacerda is a teacher from Brazil who does marvelous, memory-filled experiments. Inspired by What do computer scientists think about? activity, she had the children play dress-up. I do love these. Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Alan Turing, and Hedy Lamarr are there.