[Edu-sig] A case against GUIs in intro CS :-)

[Arthur]

> From: Rodrigo Dias Arruda Senra [mailto:rsenra at acm.org]
> Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 12:49 PM
> To: Arthur
> Cc: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] A case against GUIs in intro CS :-)
> 
>  Moreover, a good communicator may be capable to convey multiple-
> perspectives
>  competently. Perhaps that makes more sense in other domains than in math,
>  and maybe that is why we have this different perspectives about it
> <wink>.

Maybe, maybe not.

Turns out that I got a little flummoxed trying to make it through "Practical
Common Lisp" cover to cover.

Backing off, and digesting a few chapters of another Lisp introduction,

"""
Successful Lisp:
How to Understand and Use Common Lisp
"""

http://psg.com/~dlamkins/sl/

helps immensely.

Yes, it could get expensive.  Thankfully "Successful Lisp" is available
complete online (not my first choice - I'd rather own it, and may
eventually.)

More generally, the whole idea of approaching Lisp is to get another
perspective on programming. Obviously there is no good way to effectively
communicate the Lisp perspective from, say, a book on Python. One of the few
points of consensus on edu-sig seems to be the usefulness of learning
multiple languages as a means to gaining (what I call) dimension, as a
programmer.

I have read great books on analytic geometry, and great books on synthetic
geometry - but no great books giving each approach equal weighting.  Its up
to me to synergize.

In the end, I have yet to understand there to be a great difference with
tackling programming and math.  Of course I took the approach of in fact
learning them together, as one undertaking - adding some cross-dimension to
each undertaking.

I am leaning toward an unprovable "not" on the thesis that learning and
teaching math and programming are truly distinct domains 

Kirby seems to have an idea or two along these lines. ;) 

But he and I seemed to have started here with that perspective, seem to
maintained it, and seem to be quite unconvincing to many others.

But I shouldn't speak for Kirby - noticing him to be fairly capable of
speaking for himself ;)


Art