[Edu-sig] a modest proposal.

[Laura Creighton]

In a message of Sat, 10 Apr 2004 13:48:48 EDT, "Jason Cunliffe" writes:
>> > aka 'English'
>> I'm not following.  Are you finding merit in the proposal?
>> If so, tactical or substantive.
>> If tactical, please revert to secure lines.
>> It is self-defeating to discuss tactics this cynical in public.
>
>It's a beautiful day and I was just feeling silly/playful. Did not
>understand your cryptic proposal, but it somehow reminded me of topic I
>introduced several orbits ago -- about the scope, interest and value of
>using poetry/literature etc as tool to teach and explore programming.
>
>In this case today, I was flippantly struck that English [or for that mat
>ter
>most directly human-human languages] fits the spec:
>
>Case insensitivity.
>One based indexing.
>Its numerics look like you are using a calculator.
>Etc.
>
>Well perhaps not the Calculator Numerics type font, but that's an option 
>;-)
>
>Still feel there may be great value in using/including our regular langua
>ge
>[English being a personal default] as a way to explore ideas of programmi
>ng.
>As a way to help develop early base skills for computer programming.
>But also, inversely, as a way to inform our notions of "regular" language
>[such as English].
>That speaking writing thinking English [substitute your preference here] 
>is
>a form of programming. Certainly there are rules, adaptations, syntax,
>references,assumptions, context etc.
>
>I was brought up on lots of parsing lessons with little diagrams attached
>[UK c1960s] Had a love/hate relationship with these. To be honest I have 
>no
>idea how it is done now in schools in various countries.
>
>I wonder if one could induce a deeper awareness about language in general
> to
>help kids understand at all levels what many of the principles are and gi
>ve
>them wider skills [by immediate example] for approaching languages,
>communication. Implicit in that is human-human, human-computer, one-one,
>one-many etc.
>The assumed mission has been 'computational literacy'. My spin if you lik
>e
>is then 'literate computing' or 'communications literacy'.
>
>Focus being on the exchange of meaning and message. From what/whom to
>what/whom...
>What are the parallels, examples and assumptions we can draw on between o
>ur
>mother tongues and computer programming.
>Lost and Found in translation etc.
>
>Happy Passover.Easter.Spring to you all
>-- Jason
>
>
>
>
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happy easter and passover.

any of you lot done the meyers-briggs perslonality test?

I am INTP, but also very, very, werd because I am at the 50%
level at Introversion vs extroversion, also at the 'precieving
vs judging'  so if you score me as ENTJ, you ok.  and most weirdly,
i am scoringf off the scale as N not sensing