Thanks to all, especially Jeremy. still now I don't have time to read everything, but problem is complex, I agree.
as those students seem nearly unable to understand math (so I guess generally aren't used to problem solving). and they are ususally quite unpatient.. ===================== I'll explain in more detail: this might be the problem of my countries education system..., (I teach 1 year college students -- and in 3 years they should become "network admins"...) and I give them half made mini programs in Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu) and they are unable to finish them :( for example, if we have object moving in an inside of rectangle area, and when it approaches one side of rectangle -- ith should "teleport/jump" to the opposite site rectangle is (-200, -150) to (200, 150) I give one side as example (in Scratch) and they have to finish if x > 200: x = -200 most of 30% "loosers" succseed, (not without help from others). then I ask, that sides could shrink (and need variables) right = 200 left = -200 if x > right: x = left right = right - 40 if x < left: x = right left = left + 40 and they should finish it for top/bottom and this is a "damn hard" task... :/ =============== my idea for the next year is to prepair mini tests for students to: - to practice programming-like problem solving - to test their level and to see, what they lack most - help them make up minds, if they want/dare to have programming On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 3:59 AM, Andy Judkis <ajud...@verizon.net> wrote: > I think this is a really interesting topic. I've been teaching a general > "here's how computers work" class to all the 10th graders in my school for > about 6 years now. Like Jurgis, I find that about 30% of the kids just > don't get it. I'm just resigned to that, and my goal is to have them not > HATE it, and to have at least an understanding of why other people like it. -- Jurgis Pralgauskis tel: 8-616 77613; Don't worry, be happy and make things better ;) http://kompiuterija.pasimokom.lt _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig