Re: Teaching programming

Fred Schouten (fschoute@mail.isbe.state.il.us)
Sun, 21 Jul 1996 19:33:02 EDT

Barry Hussey writes:
> I believe that in the age group you are dealing with, that the HTML
>would serve well as a beginners language. It will teach the basic
>theory of programming (no pun intended). I have seen too many young
>students introduced and confused by LOGO and BASIC. Starting your
>students out at this early age learning the first steps to control of
>the machine with HTML sounds like a great idea to me. Some may not
>agree, but I won't lose any sleep over that either.

I'm having a real problem with this thread. We seem to be concentrating on
what programming language to teach in school (even starting in 2nd grade),
but we have spent little time discussing whether to teach programming at
all and for what reason.

What is the outcome of such instruction? Is programming being taught in
order to help students acquire problem-solving skills? To help them with
critical thinking skills? Or is it being taught as a vocational course? Or
-- perhaps -- it is being taught becaus ethe teacher thinks it is a "neat"
thing to do?

Before I would consider allowing programming to be taught in my school
system, I would want these basic (pun intended) questions answered!

Any thoughts, anyone?
Fred

===========================================================================
| J. Fred Schouten, Ed.D. |http://web.isbe.state.il.us/peohs|
| Director of Curriculum and Technology | fschoute@mail.isbe.state.il.us |
| Peotone Unit District #207U |---------------------------------|
| Peotone, Illinois, USA 60468 | Phone: 708-258-3236 |
===========================================================================