Re: Programming languages for the very young

From: m-coughlin (m-coughlin_at_comcast.net)
Date: 01/28/04 

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:57:36 GMT

Jerry Petrey wrote:
>
> John Doty wrote:
> >
> > Logo might actually be a better choice here. You can do "amazing
> > things in real time" with it, but it's better insulated from the
> > messy hardware details than Forth is. If you're concentrating on
> > teaching the physics rather than the operation of the machine,
> > I'd go with Logo.
> >
> > It's a real shame that Logo is seen as a language that's only for
> > the very young. While it may be the easiest language to get
> > started in, it's a pretty sophisticated language, interactive and
> > good at encouraging well-factored code.
> >
>
> I would certainly agree with you on Logo. It is a great language
> for kids (or even adults). I used to teach some introductory
> computer classes to kids in the 8 - 11 years old range using Logo
> and they loved it and caught on fast. Read the language inventor's
> fantastic book "Mindstorms" (by Seymour Papert) for a fascinating
> analysis of computers in education, Logo, and the child learning
> process.

    Here's an important point that gets overlooked. The inventor
of Logo wrote a textbook. The inventors of C wrote a textbook so
influential it is just known as " K&R ". The inventor of Forth
never wrote a textbook. Its a difficult handicap to overcome.

     A friend, who has a terrible time coping with computers,
just asked me what programming language she should learn to try
to overcome her handicap. I told her to go to the library and
find a book on Logo. I'd rather advise her to study Forth, but
there is nothing she can buy today about Forth that would meet
her needs. 

--
Michael Coughlin    m-coughlin@comcast.net   Cambridge, MA USA

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