PreTeenPatience2015

Introduction/Definition/etc

On Friday the 13th, I donated two RaspberryPi single board computers to a teen program, after a technical guy didn't show up to talk about a geeky flight simulator project...

Body

So I've been looking at 3D printing again, and starting up the JerrySpaceIdea near me, but in a half arse type of way, I'm not that good at dealing with people, as GeeksRule2014 and much of this online space might attest..

I finally wander in to talk to the teen coordinator, or similar title, at the appointed time, a Friday afternoon when the entire community center is taken over by teens, preteens and perhaps some parents, leaving the elderly, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, concerned citizens out in the dusk/dark, where, in the old days, we would be helping raise the kids, in a community organizing/ it takes a village type of way...

So, having done GeekingOutWithRaspberryPi2012 now three years hence, and finding people didn't know what the little machine was, much less have them, I followed some stalkers/ security/ encouraged by a little/ big bird told me to donate a new and old RPi to make up for what I had hoped someone else would help me do, sell technology, peer based support and learning, community building and empowerment, and a GeeksRule2014 type bicycle / rail/ bus trip out to the mostly white affluent 'burbs...

That fell short and I was left holding the bag, as it were, or giving the bag, note: no actual bags involved

The provided WinDoze machines do not download, that takes q staff machine, not a staff account logged in on the teen machines...

Visit the office machine, with two or three kids, some rather hyperactive, ADD like or what I call Short Attention Span Theatre,and download on a staff machine, and cannot put the BerryBoot loader on an SD and MicroSD card, because, low and behold, lack of planning / foresight, they desktop doesn't have a media card reader/ writer, unlike what I'm used to a laptop/ notebook machine and even some desktops with multicard readers, even as an accessory on a old 3.5 inch floppy slot...

No Joy: reads, it didn't work as intended, no holiday like happy kids faces seeing new technology, for them, working and playing on the kid oriented machines, even it it is playing different games, instead of writing, say python dames for themselves, working on learning electronics, admittedly school like, on off time, but how the other kids perhaps do better in school.

You see there may be jocks, brains, and perhaps both....

Turns out the next day was Pi Day, 3.14.15 or in my date format 2015.03.14

They had pi, but could not eat pie...

Conclusion

Summary of experience or similar

Gimme type kids, not that these were, but some in the community are, are difficult to please, gimme, then gimme more, and pretty soon you are an ATM, not a person.  Admittedly, teens and preteens, and even adults need a lot around here, not that it is entirely empoverished, but the feeding frenzy type of eating a load of pizzas is a possibility with teens in the afternoon, much less, adults.

Ironically written on St. Patrick's Day, when green beer and rememberances of PatrickAsSaint about PatrickSnow and other David O'Brien Memorial  are a litllle fresh in my memory, but not really what it was about, giving back, some tax like contributions, but how a guberment bearaucracy or autocracy deals with it, is another matter....

I never did write up the Governor's visit and being asked to leave, threatened with a can I talk with you privately, we have a letter for you if you choose not to leave ,and possibly being the doormat on the way out, move this traffic cone so we can park, when asked to leave the building/ area, but having peer based security functions nearby...  Only to be asked/ yelled at shortley thereafter "What Are You?"  "A wigger", I replied not knowing who was barking at me, likely a security/law enforcement guy and a brief visit from something like Virginia nobility and/or a ruse...

Discussion

A place for feedback on the page presented

What patience do you think kids should have?

Is the South Park Ritalin type segment, a reality?

What running around and exercise on a Friday would you like to have, options for ?

What if you are technical, a wallflower and don't want to do sports and/ or have the social skills to converse well with other peers?

Could you, perhaps, learn some technology that might be useful in microcontrollers, 3D printers, robotics and even aerial robotics, say like the AdaFruit.com LadyAda ask an engineer GeekFest available online, some nights, perhaps weekly?

Maybe learn with others face to face?  While jocks and other play basketball during March Madness...

Page History

20150317 Jerry

• Jerry created this page to blog about some staff and teen interactions in the community, and how giving back can really be taking a toll on me, thought perhaps just tired from 30+ miles biking x2...

License

Creative Commons Share and Share Alike, NonCommercial, Non Derivative

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