Kirby Urner wrote:
Mostly it's about how this thinking in terms of objects is generic and powerful enough to deserve a bigger footprint in K-12, and that traditional math concepts might be well served by these same metaphors (math objects, defined by class blueprints, with instances containing specific state info -- e.g. fractions, polynomials, vectors etc.). Python makes these metaphors concrete.
Sounds sensible. Seems to me if we were satisfied with very targetted introduction of well-established concepts that have their roots in programming (as applied mathematics) and intergrate the use of those concepts well with existing curricula at the K-12 level - very much along the lines you suggest, it seems to me - well, there might be some measurable upside to it all. It is conceptually sound, and does not even depend, necessarily, on the availability of a machine. Though no question, that would be better. Small is beautiful. Art