tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post2374720020580093397..comments2024-01-13T18:57:18.243-05:00Comments on Information Processing: Coding for kidsSteve Hsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428333897272913660noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-24466169982875096842015-04-15T02:09:16.491-04:002015-04-15T02:09:16.491-04:00Scratch for fun, lua to have stack, or elm in the ...Scratch for fun, lua to have stack, or elm in the browser ?<br /><br />Most important is to teach the concepts, which are only to be found in functional programming. That is, expression as values, denotation and referential transparency..<br /><br />Imperative programming is a total waste of time as a educational toolNicolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03434148024010872285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-14035823794856349482015-02-27T17:42:31.341-05:002015-02-27T17:42:31.341-05:00This is vicarious (I don't have kids) (that I ...This is vicarious (I don't have kids) (that I know of), but a blogger over in the UK whose judgement I trust has taught some coding to 8- and 9-year old kids using Scratch, and he seems to be less than totally enamored of it: https://cartesianproduct.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/the-art-of-scratch-code-club-and-the-ict-curriculum/.<br /><br />Also, FWIW, he's a volunteer with the UK's &Paul Rubinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-71263838910277533782015-02-27T09:41:45.891-05:002015-02-27T09:41:45.891-05:00Growing up I messed around with trying to learn to...Growing up I messed around with trying to learn to program several different times. I tried learning BASIC from a book that my mom had. What really got me interested was Lego Mindsotrms (http://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms). It uses command box program similar to Scratch instead of writing code, but it helps you understand the basic concepts.John Furceanhttp://furcean.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-74524374634896603002015-02-24T10:15:17.492-05:002015-02-24T10:15:17.492-05:00Somehow the cuteness of the lightbot attracts my k...Somehow the cuteness of the lightbot attracts my kids. The puzzles and solutions have a certain elegance. They can be challenging, esp. with memory/command limits. <br /><br /><br />The book you recommended looks good!steve hsuhttp://plus.google.com/u/0/+StephenHsu/aboutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-36195537341540789162015-02-24T10:08:25.418-05:002015-02-24T10:08:25.418-05:00Hi Steve,
Thanks for the tip about lightbot -- ...Hi Steve,<br /> Thanks for the tip about lightbot -- both my kids are fascinated by it! Other ideas: K. used to write things in Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/) when he was ~8. It's very good -- a graphical language, in which one can program if/then statements, loops, etc., and make sounds, drawings, and motion. He liked it, but not enough to spend lots of time on it. I'm not sure why Raghuveer Parthasarathyhttp://eighteenthelephant.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-40732513834429159372015-02-23T16:51:22.172-05:002015-02-23T16:51:22.172-05:00http://scratch.mit.eduhttp://scratch.mit.edujrackellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-62092709426872856872015-02-21T20:40:11.495-05:002015-02-21T20:40:11.495-05:00Thanks! Great recommendation. Right now my kids ar...Thanks! Great recommendation. Right now my kids are enjoying driving bots around the screen :-)steve hsuhttp://plus.google.com/u/0/+StephenHsu/aboutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-75189879921657904822015-02-20T19:25:45.180-05:002015-02-20T19:25:45.180-05:00Hi Steve,
My son might not be typical this way, b...Hi Steve,<br /><br />My son might not be typical this way, but I got him started programming with a simple 8086 emulator package. He was intrigued by how the individual instructions would update registers, etc. He got into it to the point that he used a template from the package to build a boot sector that allowed him to write his own 'operating system' -- a few silly DOS-like commands SethTSnoreply@blogger.com