[Edu-sig] Re: easy for beginners, even children

[Kirby Urner]

 > But I don't get a "False". I get:
 > 
 > >>> 2 == 3
 > 0
 > 

Slightly newer version of Python (2.3.3):

 >>> 2==3
 False

There's no need to fall into an either/or trap.  Logo is a fun language and
you can get pretty far with it pretty quickly.  It shares with Python the
all important feature (from a pedagogical point of view) of an interactive
shell or command line, vs. a compile link cycle.  Scheme has this
interactivity as well (and APL/J, and SmallTalk, and...).  Good free Lisps
are harder to find, as I recall.

Daniel has done some amazing things with Logo to make it more functional (in
the sense of functional programming) and at least one of my Python
algorithms is a direct adaptation of something he sent me in Logo (a
recursive permutation generator, which I use in an inefficient matrix
determinant method).

My attitude is:  aim for proficiency in a relatively small number of
languages (maybe only one or two), but especially in the open source world,
it's pretty painless to download and play with many others -- just for the
fun of it (and Logo *is* fun).  School is when kids have that time, so
ideally a strong curriculum would include many samples.  ToonTalk anyone?

Kirby