[Edu-sig] when and why should kids learn Python?

[kirby urner]

This Codepen is dual purpose in that the company I work for (one of them)
teaches with it, so I can say I'm promoting / recruiting for one of our
other (not Python) classes.

https://codepen.io/pdx4d/full/RjwrvG/

Ironically though, I'm actually coming to the conclusion that the "game
card" is over-played, by which I mean, we take kids' love of computer games
and suggest their hearts' desire is just a heart beat away.

But that's not so:  knowing how to code well enough to make games of real
interest (to them), takes time.  Lots of other tasks are more realistic:
making art, slide shows, ads, stories... along with rather simple game-like
activities.

But you've gotta focus on a lot of syntax and semantics first.  We need to
be up front about the need for concentration and practice.  Programming is
"hard fun". You don't learn Python in just a few hours, especially not if
it's a first lexical (not block-based) language.

The tiny games and game fragments that are within range, *may* be enough to
galvanize an ongoing interest in coding, but in a minority of cases.

Instead there's a sense of betrayal, of bait and switch, as "game
development" is oversold.  Simple animations would be fine if that's what
we offered.  Storyboarding and cartooning with Python -- makes sense.  But
the games they play incessantly, day in and day out, are often multi-user,
plus they're slick and well thought-out.

I'm more of the school of thought that if Learning to Code is to become a
mature aspect of the everyday curriculum, it'll need to merge in a lot of
math topics.  Bootstrap is already a big step in this direction.  I see
many signs that this merger is well underway.

In sum, I'm for using Python when there's related age-appropriate math we
might code around, such as the Sieve of Eratosthenes or prime factoring.
Functions, plotting, geometry... all good.

I'm against using Python as a "game development platform" with kids who are
too young to understand that their favorite computer games are not good
examples of what they'll be able to code any time soon.

My belief is CS has for so long has been an after school "computer club"
activity, that it still feels a need to pander, sell itself.  Math, on the
other hand, is a required non-elective subject between you and a high
school degree.

Now that coding has emerged as more of a priority in our culture, thanks to
many factors including industry pressure, it's starting to count towards
math credit in some cases, and maybe becoming a tad less obsequious in
recruiting?

The curriculum at Stuyvesant High School in New York City seems
appropriately serious, not all that game-oriented.  They're more Racket /
Scheme based than Python, and were that way prior to Bootstrap and/or
CS4ALL.

They do have some Python content though, judging solely from their website.

I followed their link, under resources, to http://codingbat.com/python
which I'm liking, though it's small.

Kirby
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