Teach a Kid to Program – Wired How-To Wiki
October 27, 2009 at 11:55 am 3 comments
You don’t have to be an engineer to program a computer. In fact, programming is like learning another language, which just happens to be easier the younger you are. In many ways, learning a programming language at a young age equips youth with skills that will be very marketable in the future, no matter what profession they decide on later.
via Teach a Kid to Program – Wired How-To Wiki.
There are some interesting suggestions on this page. I hadn’t thought about Basic on a TI calculator as a syntax-light intro to computing.
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Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: computational thinking, computing education.
1.
Alex Rudnick | October 27, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Oh, writing basic on a TI calculator was a huge deal when I was in high school! Maybe it still is?
It has at least three giant benefits: (1) it’s good for making programs to save you from having to memorize formulas (as long as the teacher doesn’t notice), (2) you can write the programs right there on the calculator, instead of paying attention in class, and (3) all of your friends in high school have the same platform, so you can share your program with them if you make something cool.
2.
Ian Bogost | October 27, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I really want to try SmallBasic, but I never boot my Mac to Windows :/
3.
Eugene Wallingford | October 28, 2009 at 11:21 am
I use Chipmunk BASIC on my Mac.
Our Math Ed faculty place high enough stick in programming calculators that they are in the process of eliminating all vestiges of computer programming from the HS Math Ed curriculum here — even as an elective technology course. Sigh.