Raspberry Pi is a lightweight and inexpensive computer the size of a credit card. It is an excellent tool for encouraging computer curiosity in children and teaching them to program. We have created educational activities using Raspberry Pi aimed for learning the basics of programming for children aged between 8 and 13. We used the programming language and environment ScratchGPIO that is based on the programming language and environment Scratch created for teaching programming to elementary school children. Scratch uses blocks that eliminate unnecessary difficulties encountered by novice programmers, while the interactivity and appearance of the environment attracts the children. Prepared activities stimulate logical thinking, teach basic programming constructs and encourage creativity.
|