[Edu-sig] slashdot: Teaching Primary School Students Programming?

[Arthur]

Elaine wrote:

>When I was the computer teacher in a primary school
>back in 1983, I taught Logo. Everyone loved it!
>
>-Elaine
>
>  
>
The problem might be the "progress" of Logo since 1983.

When I go to:

http://el.media.mit.edu/Logo-foundation/logo/programming.html

I see the potential of Logo in introducing kids to programming 
abstraction.  One types within the framework of a defined syntax, and 
gets immediate results, or informative errors.

When I take the next step and look at major current implementations - I 
downloaded StarLogo and NetLogo - I am confronted with Logo environments 
with lots of GUI doo-dads.  And lots of ambiguity about the purpose of 
this environment.  Is its primary focus to introduce programming, or to 
explore computer simulations for the benefit of what it is the 
simulations teach us.  There *is* a fundamental difference.

It is hard for me not to describe these environments as 
"self-involved".  That is always the problem with these kinds of 
environments - to me.  One, in some sense, must "submit" to them, with a 
promise of rewards if one does so.  But the kids most likely to excell 
at Logo are, IMO, also the ones least likely to be the ones comfortable 
with submitting to an imposed (not selected) environment.

The solution is simple - simplicity, less environment.

Why is this obvious to me, and lost on the MIT folks?

Art


>--- "Paul D. Fernhout" <pdfernhout at kurtz-fernhout.com>
>wrote:
>
>  
>
>http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/27/000248
>  
>
>>Teaching Primary School Students Programming?
>>Posted by Cliff on Saturday August 26, @08:25PM
>>from the toddlers-as-coders dept.
>>Education Programming
>>NotesSensei asks: "Recently I was teasing the
>>teacher who runs the 
>>computer club in my sons' primary school: 'You teach
>>the kids only how to 
>>use software but not how to make software.' Today I
>>got an email: 'OK, 
>>you're in: teach them programming.' Now I wonder
>>what language should I 
>>pick? My first lesson will be the board game c-jump,
>>but after that? The 
>>contestants are: Kids programming language KPL (ab
>>VB.net derivate; Java 
>>using BlueJ; Greenfoot (and the BlueJ); and HTML.
>>Does it sound like I'm 
>>on the right track or should I try something
>>completely different? We are 
>>looking at primary 3-5 (that's 10-13 in this part of
>>the world). Where can 
>>I find inspiration for the curriculum?"
>>
>>===
>>
>>Python is mentioned there, along with a lot of other
>>suggestions.
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