The BBC revives its Computer Literacy Project for 2012 - and it's about proper computer literacy!

[Prometheus]

I am no fan of the BBC, but I have to give them some credit this time: I just heard over on the Raspberry Pi forum that the BBC are soon to be launching the BBC Computer Literacy Project 2012, the long-awaited follow-up to their 1980s initiative that got so many people started with coding and the like back then.


It will consist of TV and radio programmes, projects for learners of all ages, a coding environment supported by the BBC, and various partnerships which I don't think I quite get the gist of right now.


Also noteworthy is that their coding environment will run on the Raspberry Pi, which would suggest that it will hopefully be an open one (something that the BBC has had problems providing in the past, such as in the case of the open codec that they developed for the iPlayer, which was abandoned in favour of closed solutions that don't run on all systems, some years ago, even though the work was already done).


If they don't screw this up, this could end up being very interesting indeed!


EDIT: I forgot to add this;


Here is the official website: http://www.bbchelloworld.co.uk/


As you can see, the familiar old owl logo is back in force, too!

 

[Jourdy288]

No way! That's AWESOME, I wish they had something like this running on TV in the US...

 

[Prometheus]

^ I would imagine that quite a bit of it will be made available via the internet, so you should at least be able to get access to some of it.


And, who knows, it might start something even bigger!

 

[Mr Rob]

Are they teaching Latin? Latin?!?! http://www.bbchelloworld.co.uk/tasks.html


Oh, wait....

 

[Asmo]

I wonder if Kraftwerk will still be the theme tune?


I could never get that out of my head every tme I sat down to attempt a line of code!

 

[Fzero]

Sounds interesting, but im not seeing the same page as you are i dont think, its probably under maintence or something?


It just has a single text page stating:


----------------------------


( Whoopsy daisy )


This deployment does not exist yet. If it's a new deployment, you might have to wait a few seconds. If not, you might wanna double check this:


----------------------------


Keep us posted though pls when you see it take off, i would like to follow this.


On a similar note, i have been using that Codecademy website, which i think is brilliant.

 

[gadgetoid]

Both RaspberriPi.org and the BBC website linked appear to be down... could this be a popular initiative, perhaps? Or is this just some cruel coincidence.

 

[Fzero]

The support mailto link at the bottom of the BBC is to 'cloudcontrol.de', maybe they the ones having problems and host for both sites[?]


RaspberryPi.org is up for me though, but BBC one still down.

 

[BaDToaD]

This is excellent news. I was glued to the TV during the 80's version.

 

[Jourdy288]

Wait, that owl... I haven't been alive for very long, but... I remember an owl in Micro Men...


*GOOGLES* Ah yes, the BBC Micro.

 

[Prometheus]

Just a quick note to mention that I've split out the discussion about the BBC, its funding, and so on into this separate thread, as it's worthy of discussion, but not quite relevant to the Computer Literacy Project 2012.


On that note, getting back on track: I discovered that the reason the website is now absent, is because the information got out a little early, after it was unveiled at a teaching event. Still, let's give it our support, folks - it's a brilliant thing to see returning!

 

[Asmo]

I imagine they'll have a better attitude to games this time round - Ian McNaught Davis, who presented the original, used to despise computer games. I've a clip somewhere of him practically holding his nose as he reluctantly shows that computers can play games, dismissing them as an 'appalling waste of time' for such a serious piece of equipment. Ironically, many of those glued to his show were eager to learn precisely to enter the world of computer game creation.

 

[Miner49er]

I imagine they'll have a better attitude to games this time round - Ian McNaught Davis, who presented the original, used to despise computer games. I've a clip somewhere of him practically holding his nose as he reluctantly shows that computers can play games, dismissing them as an 'appalling waste of time' for such a serious piece of equipment. Ironically, many of those glued to his show were eager to learn precisely to enter the world of computer game creation.

Yes, I've seen that clip too - he is a bit of an ass. Games are a great way to learn how to program but things move on don't they? That's what used to annoy me about consoles, I always though "how are you meant to program on those things!".


This BBC thing is fantastic though. Must get my hands on one or two of those Raspberry Pi's - why can't I order one on the website? Does anyone actually own one yet? If so, can somebody direct me to a page selling them please?

 

[Prometheus]

^ The boards completed manufacture yesterday, and it's expected that they should go on sale before the end of this month. If you want to get in on the first batch, sign up to the mailing list on their website (the form is on the front page), as the whens and hows of availability will be announced there first.


The first batch of 10,000 will be limited to one-per-address, though.

 

[Miner49er]

^ The boards completed manufacture yesterday, and it's expected that they should go on sale before the end of this month. If you want to get in on the first batch, sign up to the mailing list on their website (the form is on the front page), as the whens and hows of availability will be announced there first.


The first batch of 10,000 will be limited to one-per-address, though.

Signed up now. Thanks