Re: [PLUG] Educational Languages

["W. Chris Shank" <shankwc@acetechgroup.com>]

Kids today are spoiled - they have it too easy - <grumble grumble> In my day we had to program in C using vi while walking uphill AND in the rain! And we didn't have compiler's either - we wrote our own byte code! Why, we had to pop our own stack back then. <grumble grumble> Ah - the good old days of 8 bit computing... 
 



----- Original Message -----
From: Alex Launi <socialrevolutionary@comcast.net>
To: Philadelphia Linux User's Group Discussion List <plug@lists.phillylinux.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:02:54 AM GMT-0500
Subject: Re: [PLUG] Educational Languages

Everyone here has good ideas, but if they're high school students 
teaching them Java in the AP recommended BlueJ Environment/compiler is 
probably most beneficial for them. Give them the opportunity to take the 
AP CS exam (which is easy as pie) and get some college credit. I was 
very pissed that the AP language was such a waste of a language, but in 
retrospect java is a very good starting language since it handles memory 
for you and is strongly typed. Really for these HS students java will do 
them the most good, it will  introduce them to the concepts of OOP and 
control structures as well as give them the opportunity to take the AP 
exam. As far as books go - you will have no problem finding books for 
them on java and specifically on what the AP board thinks are the most 
important elements. --Alex Launi

TuskenTower wrote:
> On 3/20/07, Matthew Rosewarne <mukidohime@case.edu> wrote:
>> lets the students make programs they can run at home (all the 
>> programming
>> there is done on Apples).  I should think the goals of a teaching 
>> language
>
> I'll add my 2 cents since everyone else is. :)
>
> I abhor the use of IDEs when teaching.  IDEs contrary to what some
> misguided people say, disempower students and obfuscate even the
> simplest concepts.  An IDE is not a set of training wheels, its an
> auto-pilot for many development tasks.  Why else would advanced
> software writers use them?  Students need to learn the mundane tasks
> for themselves.
>
> I enjoy using Xcode and tolerate it when it gets in my way.  Don't
> turn your students into people who can't program without the IDE that
> they learned on (aka a winDOwS programmer).
>
> Your tools should be:
> -Terminal.app  (your command line)
> -Textedit.app (or if you want to spend some money, BBEdit)
> -Compiler (GCC) / Interpreter on the command line
>
> What ever programming language you choose, you should include a class
> on administering (not using) a computer.  The ability to manipulate
> your programming environment is a skill that every student needs.
>
> My personal take on teaching programming, is to teach in two phases
> with different programming languages.  Choose and interpreted language
> to start, but switch to a compiled language for advanced topics (like
> OO).  Show the students how the interpreted language can also use
> those advanced topics.  The goal is to reinforce the same concepts
> with two languages.
>
> HTH
> Amul
>
> PS: I say teach them C/C++ and Bash. Throw them to the wolves! :)
> PPS: If Java is the CS AP language, then you will need to teach them
> that PoS language/library mashup.
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-- 
W. Chris Shank
ACE Technology Group, LLC
www.myremoteITdept.com
(610) 640-4223

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