On 2004-10-08 22:51, Kelly Fitz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> �will participate in almost every intellectual transaction
> that goes on in the university.� Calculus is generally considered part
> of a liberal education�truly educated people know something
> significant about calculus. Calculus is the study of rates, and rates
> are important to many fields. Perlis argued that computer science is
> about process: Its specification, its execution, its composition, and
> its limitations. And process is important to everybody. "
This I can agree with and yes, I do believe that at a university level
computer skills and possible some high level programming skills should be
required. But as I understood the message that started this thread it was a
question about 8-14 year old students and here I don't think that programming
for programmings own sake is important (if someone use Agentsheets, which is
very nice, for explaining something I wouldn't object).
But if I look around and see what is happening at schools, I would prefer
that kids learn more fundamental things, and currently it looks like it
difficult enough to get the time and resources to teach these things. I do
believe that basic skills in math, physics, chemistry, biology, languages,
litterature is more important than programming for programmings sake.
If you use programming in a "natural" way to help the students learn about
biology then I think it's great (assuming that the programming part becomes
just a tool like a magnifier glass).
But as I read the first message it wasn't about using programming as a tool
but rather learning how to program in general.
jem
--
Jan Erik Mostr�m www.mostrom.pp.se
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