From: Richard D Riehle <laoXhai@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Computer Programming for Everybody?
Date: 1999/09/13
Date: 1999-09-13T12:32:01-05:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <7rjceh$92t@dfw-ixnews15.ix.netcom.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 7rikv9$ibg3@ftp.kvaerner.com
Regarding the teaching of computer programming to elementary school
age children.
In article <7rikv9$ibg3@ftp.kvaerner.com>,
"Tarjei Jensen" <tarjei.jensen@kvaerner.com> wrote:
>I think it is a hideously bad idea regardless of language employed.
>I don't think anybody at that age need to learn to program. There are a lot
>of other things that needs to be learnt and mastered.
It would seem that we need perspective on what kind of problems
we expect children to encounter and solve. We need to understand
they are still chidren and "fun" is an important part of their
education process.
Young students can learn to feel comfortable with computers and
software using some language that presents programming at the right
level of abstraction. Logo, Python, or Scheme might be just the
ticket for this kind of thing. Let the children learn through their
playthings. A problem solving tool that encourages curiosity, inspires
experimentation, and has the side-effect of being lots of fun is going
to be more useful than a doctrinaire view of good software practice.
Most children are smarter than we might think.
The important thing is not the choice of language. Rather, it is
that these young students learn something about problem solving with
software abstraction. We all learn to "put away childish things"
as we grow older and these students will adopt more sophisticated
tools as they progress through their education. I am not convinced
that Ada is appropriate at this level of learning. I am absolutely
certain that languages such as C, C++, and Java are not suitable.
Richard Riehle
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-09-13 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1999-09-10 0:00 Computer Programming for Everybody? Ted Dennison
1999-09-10 0:00 ` Raymond Calande
1999-09-10 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-09-11 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-09-12 0:00 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-09-12 0:00 ` mitch
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Mike Hall
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-09-13 0:00 ` John Duncan
1999-09-14 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Tarjei Jensen
1999-09-13 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle [this message]
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
[not found] ` <7ronav$shf@dfw-ixnews7.ix.netcom.com>
1999-09-22 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1999-09-23 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-09-23 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1999-09-27 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-09-27 0:00 ` Marin David Condic
1999-09-14 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
[not found] ` <Pine.HPP.3.93.990915162218.958A-100000@merle.acns.nwu.edu>
1999-09-22 0:00 ` Wes Groleau
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