Re: [seul-edu] [Fwd: Re: Language to teach 10 year olds]

[Manuel Gutierrez Algaba <algaba@gmx.net>]

At 02:42 p.m. 10/07/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Manuel Gutierrez Algaba wrote:
>
> > I personally *loath* any visual programming language, and much more the
> > so-called
> > the graphical languages, some of them with a good reputation, why ?
> >
> > Programming is sometimes like climbing a pyramid, once you've filled a
> > level you have to start the next upper level,
> > graphical languages have a limited number of resources, so the number
> > of  pyramid levels is very limited.
>
>I don't completely disagree with you, Manuel, but remember that we're talking
>about 10 year olds here.  It might be a pretty good idea to let them make a
>graphical representation of the program and then attach actions and data 
>to the
>various elements.  Once they get adept enough that they're bored with 
>that, you
>can introduce more rigorous, powerful languages.

Well, one of the nicest things about programming and about computer learning
in early ages is that they *hardened* the spirit, of course, that's a 
personal opinion,
we live in a society where too many things are too easy to get, and 
specially for
children: CD's collection, food in the refrigerator,.... a kind of 
fast-easy civilization.
Well, computers are sometimes like a wall of bricks, you encounter some 
unsurmontable
problem and then you suffer and finally you find a solution and you're 
happy and you
appreciate your own effort and you're happy about it. These moral values of 
computers
are even more important than "raw abstraction".
I know that they're 10 years old, but maybe it's worth a bit of confidence 
in the
ability of children to surpass problems, a 10 years old is not a dumb....
And yes, the easiest they get things, the dumber they're. Maybe in the next 
thirty years
we'll experience university students that can't barely read...

If it's too easy they'll forget it easily, if it's a bit hard they'll learn.
--------
MGA