[Edu-sig] a modest proposal.

[Jason Cunliffe]

> > aka 'English'
> I'm not following.  Are you finding merit in the proposal?
> If so, tactical or substantive.
> If tactical, please revert to secure lines.
> It is self-defeating to discuss tactics this cynical in public.

It's a beautiful day and I was just feeling silly/playful. Did not
understand your cryptic proposal, but it somehow reminded me of topic I
introduced several orbits ago -- about the scope, interest and value of
using poetry/literature etc as tool to teach and explore programming.

In this case today, I was flippantly struck that English [or for that matter
most directly human-human languages] fits the spec:

Case insensitivity.
One based indexing.
Its numerics look like you are using a calculator.
Etc.

Well perhaps not the Calculator Numerics type font, but that's an option ;-)

Still feel there may be great value in using/including our regular language
[English being a personal default] as a way to explore ideas of programming.
As a way to help develop early base skills for computer programming.
But also, inversely, as a way to inform our notions of "regular" language
[such as English].
That speaking writing thinking English [substitute your preference here] is
a form of programming. Certainly there are rules, adaptations, syntax,
references,assumptions, context etc.

I was brought up on lots of parsing lessons with little diagrams attached
[UK c1960s] Had a love/hate relationship with these. To be honest I have no
idea how it is done now in schools in various countries.

I wonder if one could induce a deeper awareness about language in general to
help kids understand at all levels what many of the principles are and give
them wider skills [by immediate example] for approaching languages,
communication. Implicit in that is human-human, human-computer, one-one,
one-many etc.
The assumed mission has been 'computational literacy'. My spin if you like
is then 'literate computing' or 'communications literacy'.

Focus being on the exchange of meaning and message. From what/whom to
what/whom...
What are the parallels, examples and assumptions we can draw on between our
mother tongues and computer programming.
Lost and Found in translation etc.

Happy Passover.Easter.Spring to you all
-- Jason