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

[Arthur]

Chuck Allison wrote:

>Hello Arthur,
>
>Tuesday, May 10, 2005, 6:47:24 AM, you wrote:
>
>A> If in talking about programming and children we can only be realistically
>A> talking about a small subset, we cannot really be talking about Python as it
>A> is.  
>
>A> Isn't talking about Python as it is more on-topic.  This isn't a list about
>A> a subset of Python, after all.
>
>I don't think so. The way we humans learn incrementally, I think we
>all learn a subset first. Besides, practically no one knows everything
>- we all live in a subset. This is especially true of C++, for
>example. When we teach, we naturally start small and expand the
>"subset" according to the sequence we feel is most "natural". This is
>an important key to teaching and learning. Hence, we are always
>learning. We can be very productive knowing a subset of anything, but
>we do well if we continue learning. If only perfect programmers were
>allowed to program, nothing would ever get done (and there would be no
>programmers).
>
>  
>
Just fighting an old battle - feeling that Python and "kids" (however 
that word might be reasonably defined) gets disportionate
attention on edu-sig relative to its actual significance in the 
framework of Python and education, as I happen to (I think reasonably) 
conceive of it.

It's a battle I would be  more than happy to lose - but only in the 
field, not in the saying.

Art