A way to get kids interested in programming, perhaps

[wtd]

http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/llk/scratch/index.html

[md]

Looks cool, I can see it apealing to younger kids but after a little while I think it would get boring and they would either move to a more powerful language (good), or leave it for something else (probable). I do think it would get those who don't know about it interested though.

[Martin]

I think Flash is a great way to get kids into programming. Hella-expensive though, unless you get university discounts.

[bugzpodder]

how about logo

[MysticVegeta]

bugzpodder wrote:

how about logo

Thats how I started to program. I remember the teacher teaching us logo/turtle movements in grade 2&3 (not in canada) Then I was interested in programming, so my dad taught me BASIC about 4 years later lol. Then I learned Turing in grade 9 and still in process of learning Java/C++ but it all started with logo.

As for flash, I wouldnt agree becasue it deals with actionscripts which is Java mostly and it could be confusing and if the subject is jsut animation, its not much of a programming.

[Tony]

Martin might be on to something there...

Personally I feel that kids need to see some visual result of their work as soon as possible to get hooked in.

When I was first taught Turing, my teacher started off with drawline and drawbox commands... seemed kind of silly at first, but when we got to for-loops the objective was "use a loop to move your drawing across the screen" rather than "display a list of numbers". Clearly a student who's starting out would be much more interested in seeing the former. I was.

With Flash you can draw detailed pictures right away. Animate them even. Introduction of the ActionScript is a tricky part, though when taught as a tool to extend the animation, it should certanly appeal to consept one would be more interested in -- seeing visual results. The basics are as simple as Movie.Play; and all of the syntax is listed on the side by categories.. one could just scroll down to find a command that makes sence.

[wtd]

MysticVegeta wrote:

As for flash, I wouldnt agree becasue it deals with actionscripts which is Java mostly and it could be confusing and if the subject is jsut animation, its not much of a programming.

Actionscript is ECMAScript, which is another name for Javascript. Java != Javascript.

[wtd]

Tony, I think Scratch has pretty much all of the stuff you mentioned there, and doesn't require dealing with, "why do I put a semi-colon there?" questions.

[MysticVegeta]

wtd wrote:

MysticVegeta wrote:

As for flash, I wouldnt agree becasue it deals with actionscripts which is Java mostly and it could be confusing and if the subject is jsut animation, its not much of a programming.

Actionscript is ECMAScript, which is another name for Javascript. Java != Javascript.

Isnt there a lot of resemblace between them though?

[codemage]

I started with logo too (and then basic).
The 'visualness' makes the structures of repetition really obvious.

I try to do a lot of graphics stuff when I teach. You can bait the kids to learn a lot of the drier theory and features of a language by sprinkling it with graphics - and it makes it far less boring to evaluate.

[wtd]

MysticVegeta wrote:

wtd wrote:

MysticVegeta wrote:

As for flash, I wouldnt agree becasue it deals with actionscripts which is Java mostly and it could be confusing and if the subject is jsut animation, its not much of a programming.

Actionscript is ECMAScript, which is another name for Javascript. Java != Javascript.

Isnt there a lot of resemblace between them though?

Not really, no.