[Edu-sig] K-16 CS/math hybrid

[Kirby Urner]

> While I know enough about Kirby to know I'm hitting a straw man here:
> There is virtue in writing clear simple code even for one-off scripts.
> It is the same virtue as that of spelling notes to yourself correctly;
> practice improves your skills.
> 

Yes, and Python actually helps at least with the indentation part, plus
reduces clutter overall, so you start out a couple of steps ahead.

We agree that one-offs are an opportunity -- give it your best shot.  But
don't imagine a set of harsh judges going over your code with a fine toothed
comb, wanting to peer review everything.  That's too paralyzing an image,
and will keep some students from ever getting the fun that's in programming.

Connecting back to "programming for the fun of it" thread -- don't paralyze
yourself with fears about what others will think (this is a common reason
for not going open source with interesting apps too; the author is just too
embarrassed to expose code to a community -- yet that's such a good way to
learn, allowing others to improve on what you've done).

Programming without a lot of ego is another way of stating the goal.  Don't
be so attached to your code that the idea of other people improving/changing
it drives you crazy.  You should *want* them to do that.

> Actually, I think this is a flaw in many academic endeavors.  Grading
> group efforts appropriately is harder than measuring individual effort.
> We tend to fall too easily into a competitive model rather than a
> cooperative one.  When I was at Penn, the Wharton School was unique in
> their (mostly successful) efforts to teach how to work effectively in
> teams.
> 
> --Scott David Daniels
> Scott.Daniels at Acm.Org

Yes, your experience helps confirm my sense that CS needs work in this area.

Kirby