i just forwarded this on to the appropriate people. really good suggestion.
mike chambers [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Brunt [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 1:10 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Macromedia listening? is RE: ColdFusion for kids > > > This is a truly great thought Kay (IMHO). And Dick you are > right Word-Excel > are diabolical for creating good plain html. I wonder if someone at > Macromedia is listening, maybe there could a stripped down > free DWMX lite > distributed to schools to help kids learn basic html skills > in the way they > do best, by visual example first then slowly bring them into > the code and of > course CF. > > Mike Brunt - CTO > Webapper Services LLC > Blog - http://www.webapper.net > Downey CA Office > 562.243.6255 > AIM webappermb > > Web Application Specialists > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dick Applebaum [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 8:35 AM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Re: ColdFusion for kids > > > Some additional thoughts: > > Be sure to show him where/how to access CF online docs. > > In one of his first programs (actually a series of programs), have him > create and manipulate a list of whatever interests him. > > It is important to use a list in application, not a textarea (where he > can massage a single data entity) > > Point out to him that the list will disappear when his session ends. > > Then have him save the list to a file > > Next have him retrieve the file, display it in a select box > > Next have him add items to the end of the list > > Then add items to the middle of the list > > then delete an item > > then update an item in place > > After he is proficient with this, show him how to do this with a db > rather than a flat file. > > So, now you have a 13-year-old who understands HTML, CFML, SQL-- watch > out! > > Dick > > P.S. There is a member of this list who was/is a teenage prodigy with > CF (and quite a few other web technologies) -- Dave, if you see this, > you could provide some real-life experience for input! > > > > On Saturday, December 7, 2002, at 08:14 AM, Dick Applebaum wrote: > > > Kay > > > > what a great idea! > > > > Don't know of any existing tutorials, though. > > > > Just some thoughts: > > > > Once he learns html well enough, CF shouldn't be too hard > for him-- in > > fact, you may have trouble keeping up! > > > > The key, I think is being able to pique his interest. > > > > Do they have computer labs at the school he attends. > > > > As a challenge, you might have him try to duplicate some of the > > programs they use/write in the lab, on his web site-- > likely, CF/HTML > > has more power and presentation capability then what they use in the > > lab (excluding word, excel, etc). > > > > If he has friends with email accounts, set up a mailbox for > him on your > > site -- then have him develop a simple CF program to: > > > > 1) send mail > > 2) maintain an address book of his friends > > 3) receive mail > > > > This could evolve to his own little email client. > > > > At some early point, introduce him to a simple database, say for his > > email clients > > > > Ask him what he would like to have on his web site -- what interests > > his friends -- likely the data processing needs of a > teenager are not > > too different than our own. > > > > Does he collect anything -- write a program to keep track of it! > > > > If he has access to a digital camera or scanner, then have > him create a > > photo album/slideshow where CF and a simple db is used to > store image > > metadata for search, display, etc. > > > > He could do the same thing for his audio. > > > > Not really CF, but he might like playing with SVG or Flash for some > > graphic & animation effects. > > > > A really cool capability, for when his skills have > improved, is for him > > to write a chat program that all his buddies can use (with secret > > passwords, etc). I think there several several offerings > in the tag > > library that could be used as a starter. > > > > Then, have him write a tutorial to teach his friends, etc. > > > > Before long, you'll be asking him to answer questions about CF! > > > > I have a six-year-old grandaughter & we are email pen pals > -- the kids > > have no fear! > > > > Be sure and share the results with the rest of us! > > > > Dick > > > > > > On Saturday, December 7, 2002, at 07:11 AM, Kay Smoljak wrote: > > > >> Hi all, > >> > >> My little brother, who's 13, is just starting to learn HTML. I'm > >> storing > >> his personal site on my CF5 account. He wants his site to be cooler > >> than > >> anyone else's at school, so I was thinking of making him a > simple CF > >> tutorial - maybe using cfinclude to get a header on each page, > >> displaying and formatting the current date and time, stuff > like that. > >> Before I do this all myself, does anyone know of anything similar > >> online > >> already? Or, any suggestions for what I could include? > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Kay. > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm