[etoys-dev] Re: repeat-tile

[K. K. Subramaniam]

On Friday 09 April 2010 09:18:55 pm Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> On 09.04.2010, at 17:37, K. K. Subramaniam wrote:
> > I have seen kids drag turnBy:5 tiles multiple times into a script, then
> > try to use the repeat tile before they stumble on the fact that repeat 5
> > turnBy: 5 is same as turnBy: 25. Understanding angular magnitudes seems
> > to take more 'cooking' time than that for linear magnitudes. Is it
> > because one has to run one's eye over 'empty space' to gage angles? I
> > don't know.
> 
> That's more of a mis-use than use, right?
From an adult's PoV, yes. From a kid's PoV, no. That is the way some kids pick 
up numeracy. See Deborah case study in  page 118 of Mindstorms. 
> > When placing elements along a circle, it is easier to use repeat tile
> > than to dup individual tiles.
> > 
> >    self heading: 0.
> >    12 timesRepeat: [ self dosomething. self turnBy: 30 ].
> > 
> > or
> > 
> >   self heading:  0.
> >   60 timesRepeat: [ self dosomething. self turnBy: 6 ].
> 
> This sounds pretty equivalent in spirit to turtle graphics to me (even if
> you're placing objects and not just marks).
Repetition occurs in many places including graphics. Visual thinkers tend to 
use graphics heavily but think of weavers, potters, musicians or dancers. See 
Ron Eglash's research in http://csdt.rpi.edu for its ties into many cultures 
around the world.

> In any case the discussion showed repeat is too useful to remove or even to
> hide. But moving it to the pen category seems like win-win to me. You
> still can use it for anything else but it would encourage to use it with
> pen drawings.
Thanks. Repeat tile has an important role to play in developing numeracy. It 
helps make the connection between 2+2+2+2 and 2x4.

Subbu