Languages used in class

[mirhagk]

I kind of agree with Terrance that a powerful language could be used, with an easy to use library. I personally think with C or C++ it'd be hard to ignore many of the concepts, but with a language like C# it's fairly easy to write code without fully understanding things like pointers and objects (at least at the beginning).

I think a simplified IDE with a simple graphics and I/O library but done in a powerful language would satisfy students better than just making an entirely new language just for learning (like Turing is). It'd let advanced students get in depth, and use powerful features without forcing other students to have to learn them. I don't know if anyone has ever seen LinqPad, but it's basically a lightweight IDE for C#. It lets you write basic expressions, simple statements or full fledged programs. This concept might be useful for students, as they could write simply math expressions to start out, then simple statements, and then learn how to make an entire program. Coupled with an easy to use graphics/form library, it could be a powerful tool to teach.

[Insectoid]

The argument could be made that schools don't want students to use powerful languages, because students can be pretty immature and could potentially cause a lot of damage to the school computers. With Turing, teachers can rest easy knowing there isn't a whole lot of harm the students can do. But I doubt that's a significant factor.

[mirhagk]

If that is a factor then the schools are dumb. The student would have to be extremely smart to cause any real lasting damage.

The most damage I can see the students doing is deleting files on the local machine, or crashing the local machine, both of which are temporary things because school machines are imaged (at least from my experience). Both of those examples are also already possible in Turing.

With access to the command line (through Sys.Exec), access to file I/O, and networking the language is just as capable as any to cause damage.

I do agree that with default install Turing is probably the easiest language for students to learn. But by adding some decent libraries and an IDE to another language, those languages could be just as powerful.

EDIT: As an example of what I mean picture the following:
http://smallbasic.com/ but with C# instead. Already with VB it is pretty powerful, but VB is declining in usage lately.