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Java tutorial for elementary school students

category: general [glöplog]
Code:main = putStrLn "hello world"


Seriously though, Adok, you shouldn't go anywhere near children. The same for Java. Logo, Processing, and the like ftw.
added on the 2008-02-05 14:17:21 by blala blala
Preacher: well yes, actually I forgot the target was elementary school when thinking of JS.

Afer a nice discussion with my wife (she is sound with pedagogics) actually the important thing is to really spur the interest so the kid knows this does exist and eventually will go to something more 'serious' in future.
Scratch does this well, but still fails in being a "real" language: something you can see adults using and that gives the "empowering" feel.

BASIC was fullfilling the purpose nicely when I was a kid, I don't clearly see what would fit now...
added on the 2008-02-05 14:44:32 by makc makc
at the age of 11 they should be taught the art of homoerotic jokes, so they can join #coders and mingle
JavaScript is the way to go today imo.
makc, it was you who also mentioned JS...
Code:alert("hello")

this doesn't really get simpler. then you can go on with more complicated things like alert(5+6)... installing Firebug to Firefox takes like two clicks, and then you have a debugger too.
added on the 2008-02-05 15:16:13 by Ger Ger
Ger: indeed. Then i was asked how I would explain the DOM to our funny 6yo when they ask - it's just uneeded complexity. I'd keep JS for a teen still.
added on the 2008-02-05 15:43:38 by makc makc
bdk: daddy, what's "void"?
added on the 2008-02-05 15:47:08 by makc makc
well, don't :) DOM is not only complex but most importantly it's boring. It's not nearly as fun to create hypertext documents than, like, games... but DOM!=JS and imo JS is still the most accessible language these days. So you can go on with any other library but DOM, such as SVG, or your homebrewn FunLibForKids...
added on the 2008-02-05 15:54:01 by Ger Ger
document.write()
added on the 2008-02-05 17:09:04 by makc makc
Quote:
imo JS is still the most accessible language these days.

huhh? and what about logo, scheme, smalltalk, python, or even a dumbed-down haskell? or countless other languages?
added on the 2008-02-05 17:49:11 by blala blala
i'm seriously interested in how you'd dumb down haskell. not meant ironically.
added on the 2008-02-05 18:15:25 by skrebbel skrebbel
skrebbel:

Well, I think you can simply pretend to not heard of the advanced features. Say, you use only the built-in types and simple algebraic data types, the IO monad without hearing the word 'monad', no type classes apart from the default ones, etc. There is a project called 'Helium' along these lines, specially for teaching.

I mean, at the heart Haskell is just a pure functional language, and that's not scary at all. The syntax is also quite friendly: how could it be easier than "mystuff = dothis withthis andthis" ?

And you can always write an embedded DSL for your kid, say turtle graphics a la logo, and introduce features later, one at a time, as they are needed.
added on the 2008-02-05 18:28:21 by blala blala
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added on the 2008-02-05 18:36:48 by ham ham
I heard 'Superbrain' is what Adok asks people to call him when he introduces himself, and few comply!
What speaks against an architectural design tutorial for elementary school students?

What speaks against a quantum physics tutorial for elementary school students?

What speaks against a music composition tutorial for elementary school students?

And, the most important, what speaks against a being less geek tutorial for elementary school students?
added on the 2008-02-05 20:05:19 by texel texel
And just one thing more... Gifted children are able to read O'Reilly books.
added on the 2008-02-05 20:06:53 by texel texel
Quote:
bdk: daddy, what's "void"?

haha! philosophy trough computer programming! ftw :D !
added on the 2008-02-05 21:02:34 by bdk bdk
texel: as for that, ungifted engineers can't code a for loop
added on the 2008-02-05 23:14:47 by makc makc
for loop

I DID IT! I'M A GIFTED ENGINEER!! OMG!!!
added on the 2008-02-05 23:39:06 by rmeht rmeht
most languages shares the primitives of loops / valuegiving/ if then. the rest is cosmetics. =)
added on the 2008-02-06 00:00:58 by Oswald Oswald
(if (= "pouet" "scene") (display "dead") (display "rulz") )
added on the 2008-02-06 02:28:49 by rmeht rmeht
and Caml, yes CaML! have you thought of this wonderful yet quite unknown (outside the french kingdom) language that can teach you all the programming styles (functional, imperative, objective), isn't this marvellous ?! :-)

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added on the 2008-02-06 10:14:02 by Zest Zest
Too many programming languages already. When will computers be able to understand human language, so you can just tell it what to do in your own words, without any strict syntax rules? If in doubt it should just ask questions until it understood what to do completely. That would truly be user friendly.
added on the 2008-02-06 11:39:31 by cruzer cruzer
zest: ocaml is not at all unknown, and has the slight advantage that there is a dotnet version (f#) by microsoft; regardless, i prefer haskell :)
added on the 2008-02-06 12:04:17 by blala blala
COBOL
added on the 2008-02-06 13:48:37 by waffle waffle
How about APL?
Either they turn out first-grade mathematicians on then they go insane..
added on the 2008-02-06 13:49:34 by Preacher Preacher

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