The goal of K-12 CS education

Edwin Pilobello edwinp13 at home.com
Mon Jul 30 16:50:15 UTC 2001


First, Alan : Thanks for the pen down prompt.  I am into SQUEAK specifically
because it is PENUP.  The fee-based Logo implementations are big on drag and
drop, penup and story telling microworld.  I had a very rude but pleasant
awakening while teaching Logo to 3rd graders.  I had planned on the
traditional graphical turtle approach for the entire class.  The first
session got us through learning all about polygonS and spirographs.

At the start of the very next session, while waiting by the door for
late-comers, a kid asked me if they could change the turtle shape.
Literally through the a side glance, I said, "Yes, just choose any shape out
of the toolbox and drag and drop on top of the turtle."  What a delightsome
"logo"-moment!  All of a sudden instead of a turtle tracing lines that
formed shapes, the turtle was a seagull flying, a dolphin jumping, a beattle
running loops, a truck racing across the screen.  I got inundated by
multiple questions coming from and going in all directions. Each kid in turn
bragged about, then taught their new skill to others.  I was a nuclear
reaction.  Yes, I did have the impulse to want to gain control of the class,
but I did everything I could to resist.  During periods of calm, I just
watched as these 3rd graders squeaked and squealed in delight at what they
were able to accomplish of their own liking.

I'm really excited about SQUEAK as a teaching tool.  I will start with high
school kids then work down to the lower grades as I did with Logo.  I'm sure
by the time I get down to the elementary school level, we would have
developed pedagogy and a less-code/keyboard intensive child-user interface.
In fact, my catalog decription for the SQUEAK class I'm going to teach in
the Fall was due yesterday.  I'm struggling to describe a class and decide
on the curriculum plan as I write this diversion and re-statement of my
primary objectives in teaching.

********

SO, IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO TOSS IN YOUR TWO [CENTS SCHILLINGS DRACKMAS EUROS
etc], THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HELP ME DESCRIBE A SQUEAK CLASS TO SELL TO
KIDS.  ABOUT 400 WORDS IF YOU WANT TO TRY.

********

Second, Ger : I happen to use Logo because it was all I could find three
years ago that suited young students.  To me it's only a tool.  What's more
important is the development of cognitive skills.  For example, after first
working though a triangle and defining the commands and arguments for FD
{steps} and RT {exterior angle}, I ask them to derive a square.  Then we
work on deriving the algorithm for calculating the turn angle for any
equilateral polygon.

So with 5 logo commands, I can exercise pattern recognition, analogies,
logical reasoning, etc.  I believe that if the kids learn the principles of
intelligence, then all that experience is transferable.  HOME CS REPEAT 10
[REPEAT 5 [FD 100 RT 72] RT 36] can easily be memorized.  However, I teach
it differently.  What I do is (1) turn off the LCD projector, (2) key in the
line of commands, (3) do a CT to clear the Text off the Command Window, then
(4) turn the LCD projector back on.  After the initial WOW's, I then ask the
kids to "Figure it out" and "Show me" how it's done.  With a bit of guidance
and whine squelching, they usually all "get it".  Then they smile at their
own accomplishment!  Of course, like any child, they learn CT very quickly,
like it was a dirty word.

That is how I teach.

:-)  edwin



-----Original Message-----
From: squeak-dev-admin at lists.squeakfoundation.org
[mailto:squeak-dev-admin at lists.squeakfoundation.org]On Behalf Of
G.J.Tielemans at dinkel.utwente.nl
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 7:08 AM
To: squeak-dev at lists.squeakfoundation.org
Subject: RE: The goal of K-12 CS education




-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Kay [mailto:Alan.Kay at squeakland.org]
Sent: maandag 30 juli 2001 16:12
To: squeak-dev at lists.squeakfoundation.org
Subject: Re: The goal of K-12 CS education


Do you folks realize that every Player (the automatic wrapping of a
morph for kids) in Squeak is a turtle?  Get the handles by cmd-click,
then click on the blue eye to see the viewer, then look in the
category called "pen use". Change pen down to true.

Cheers,

Alan

> OK Alan, the problem of transfer: Suppose I learn in Squeakland to build a
car and automatic run a track with the color-under-command. Where can I
apply this knowledge outsite track-racing or other kinds of mazes (like the
moving robot.) What can help me to come to better transfer from this
knowledge-molecule?








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