Reactions: 29 Nov. 94
Christian mogensen@cs.stanford.edu
http://www-pcd.stanford.edu/mogens/377/reaction-1129.html
Reading and Writing
Elliot Soloway
-
The author brushes large problems off very easily:
Let's integrate programming into all the different courses.
Easier said than done.
-
The best two projects described are (IMHO) the LogoWriter and the
Boxer, which both focus on teaching and explaining work while using
a very expressive language (LOGO). It is my experience that people learn
by explaining.
-
The Playground and Emile are both a bit fuzzy - the explanation seems skimpy.
The playground is a great concept but narrowly applied. The design
notebook appears to be an effort at dressing up an interface to a
physics simulation.
-
The idea of interactive documents is useful - programming carries a lot
of baggage. An interactive document can be smaller, less demanding to
construct.
-
I think Soloway's question to the students can be turned round and asked
of the teachers: "It's hard enough for teachers to learn how to teach
students to read and write static documents, how likely is it that they
can learn to teach reading and writing interactive documents?"
Teaching With and About Computers
Henry Jay Becker
-
Stray thought: Computers as woodcraft: an elective for those who
want to craft computer programs. i.e. a project oriented programming
class. Beyond that the computer should be a tool used in or outside of
class.
-
The reason for the lack of computer use in other classes appears to
be the dismal lack of good software. I hope most teachers would
not subject their students to drill-and-practice programs.
-
The prevalence of BASIC is not a good thing. Better (more appropriate)
languages are needed, as mentioned in the previous section.
-
I think teaching how to use an infinitely malleable tool is a difficult
task. No wonder teachers struggle with fitting it into ordinary
classes. As to why it is taught as a separate skill - we also teach
using a pencil as a separate skill at a an early age. Give it time.
Technology Infrastructure
Ronald Anderson
-
The fact that there is 'excitement' among developers is encouraging, as
is the news that new hardware is being purchased. The general state
of hardware is abysmal though.
-
The fact that only 30% of students use
a computer more than rarely is worrying. The reasons could be that
there isn't enough computer to go around and/or that there is no reason
to use it in class (poor software). On the other hand, there may be no
compelling reason to use computers in english lit. On the gripping hand,
computers are "geeky" and may be unpopular because of it.
-
Noone seems to be using the computer as a communications tool (less than 10%).
This is changing thanks to Mr. "Internet everywhere" Gore, but many schools
lack phones into the classroom, let alone a T1 cable.
-
"Lack" seems to be the word we come back to again and again. Lack of software,
lack of hardware, lack of money, lack of will.