[Edu-sig] Observations from the Northwest Science Expo

[Kirby Urner]

At 06:38 PM 4/19/2001 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
>I'll have to go against Kirby here (sort of).  I think this is a sign that
>computers have become fetish items which distract from teaching the basics.
>

It's just that I think learning *some* programming needs to be 
one of those basics.  In my version of TomorrowLand, you really
are no-kidding illiterate in a fundamental way if you have
no programming skills whatsoever.  

Likewise, to know some programming is nothing to boast about (any 
more than knowing your alphabet) -- it's just one of those things, 
like riding a bike (doesn't mean you don't feel proud at first, 
but this is no way to stand out from the crowd -- this is all a 
logical consequence of what CP4E really means, IF we take it 
seriously).

So let's talk about the 4 R's:  Reading, wRiting, 'Rithmetic and 
pRogramming.  Or, to keep it 3, just make sure 'Rithmetic is 
understood to include some of that command line stuff.  Or 
conflate it with wRiting if you prefer.  Any way you slice it,
this is basic, fundamental, critical stuff.  To not teach it 
when the technology is freely available is trully idiotic (just 
to be polemical about it).

That being said, sure, maybe draw lots of your charts and 
graphs by hand and leave the Excel wizards out of it.
Programming doesn't mean making more work than you need to.
When I want to put a political cartoon on the web, I freehand
it (with a pen, not a mouse or lightpen).  No need for 3DStudio
Max or Adobe Illustrator.  But then I scan and FTP it -- 
finding the right _mix_ of technologies (paper and pencils 
are technology too, as are quill pens) is what's important.

Kirby