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Can computing be taught in an interesting and engaging way? Our lad is cross with me for making him take such a boring subject. I feel sorry for him, because I felt exactly the same way.

In my day, we had to share one computer between three of us. In the early days, they were BBC Micros, into which we would have to type Basic commands, for very little gain. Later, they would be replaced by Research Machines running MS-DOS and featuring a new-fangled storage device called a floppy disk.

Unfortunately, I dropped the subject before Window 3.1 came in. I couldn’t think of anything more boring than taking computing for my GCSEs. But then, back then I had no idea how computers would come to shape our lives. Who knew that thirty years later I would be working in IT myself?

Yes, so our poor lad is stuck with it. I believe the subject could be made more engaging with the right teacher, and the right projects. After all, at home he utilizes the family computer for homework and light entertainment. Unfortunately, it seems his lessons are taught in a very dry, abstract fashion, which he simply cannot relate to.

Still, computing now rules our lives. Even the FireStick plugged into the telly, enabling them to watch their Turkish dramas via YouTube, is a tiny computer. Whatever job they take in a decade’s time will require computer skills to some degree.

I wish I could find a way to make the subject interesting for our son. If you have any ideas, leave me a comment below.