From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: fc89c,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gidfc89c,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,baaf5f793d03d420 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6154de2e240de72a X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: brashear@ns1.sw-eng.falls-church.va.us (Philip Brashear) Subject: Re: Should I learn C or Pascal? Date: 1996/07/19 Message-ID: <4sntoi$i71@ns1.sw-eng.falls-church.va.us>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 168843624 references: <4sf9e7$kl7@news.jump.net> <01bb73e3.1c6a0060$6bf467ce@dave.iceslimited.com> <4sjmtk$e95@herald.concentric.net> organization: None newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-07-19T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <4sjmtk$e95@herald.concentric.net>, Mark McKinney wrote: > >This raises a big concern I have always had about how programming is taugh >in general. Problem solving techniques, style, methodologies etc. should >be taught or learned prior to a programming language. The "this is how you >do it and then this is how yu do it well" approach seems highly >ineffective. >-Mark > > This reminds me of the high school English teacher who said "Teach them grammar in elementary school, and I'll teach them how to write (compose)." How do you learn grammar without writing (composing)? How do you learn problem solving techniques, style, methodologies, etc. without actually solving problems, creating programs according to certain styles, using a programming language to apply a methodology? Might as well try to teach a child the mathematical discipline of knot theory before teaching her how to tie her shoes! Phil B