Greg, use computers. What is a lot more interesting is that there are >(embodied) thoughts you can think by programming that you cannot think >any other way, just as there are thoughts you can only think with >writing, sculpture, maths, a violin, etc. This is how a computer is >different to a car, or fishing - programming computers provides a >*unique* means of *self*-expression, the possibilities of which should >not be denied anyone.
I have had the misfortune of having to work with software developers who view their craft as art rather than engineering. I suspect that the goals of giving students a 'flavor' of programming (with a view to a rounded education) and training them to be software engineers result in sufficient divergence of teaching requirements that the two cannot be taught to the same class. Perhaps we need to divide students into two groups. Those not going on to be professional software developers get to do some programming. The would be software developers have to wait until they graduate. >Ken Perlin is working on this very thing. From >http://www.gamegirladvance.com/archives/2003/03/04/ the_destiny_of_games.html >"In a breathtakingly dense five minutes, [Perlin] critiqued the culture >of passivity and argued for universal procedural literacy to combat it. >Citizens who can *make* things, he said, would understand that they can >affect the world; if we institute programming languages as part of the >general education of all, we will be helping to guide a revolution in >the way people think and act. Imagine if a child knew how procedural >thinking worked - imagine if programming became like writing, like >literacy, not a technical skill learned by engineers, but a fundamental >language of self-expression naturally used by writers, artists, >musicians, anyone. Way beyond open source, it was a manifesto for >democratizing access to cultural participation at the most basic >level." Sounds like this guy needs to start taking his medication again. derek -- Derek M Jones tel: +44 (0) 1252 520 667 Knowledge Software Ltd mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Applications Standards Conformance Testing http://www.knosof.co.uk ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PPIG Discuss List ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Discuss admin: http://limitlessmail.net/mailman/listinfo/discuss Announce admin: http://limitlessmail.net/mailman/listinfo/announce PPIG Discuss archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/discuss%40ppig.org/
