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

[Michael Viron <mviron@wsdo.sao.uwf.edu>]

>Here I have to disagree. Programming is a practical thing, not
>a theoretical thing, like walking. Children learn walking by
>trying to walk, till they don't try they don't learn. 
>
Actually, programming is a theoretical thing -- otherwise Universities
would not have a "Programming Languages" (or similar) course which focuses
heavily on the theory behind various programming languages.  This is
because it is much easier to "learn" a new language if you have a basic
understanding of the key "abstract" concepts that are common between
languages.  Nor would CS / CIS degree plans include more "theoretical"
courses (such as Networking, Database Systems, Operating Systems, and so
forth) than programming courses, if theory wasn't important.

My .02,

Michael