[Edu-sig] CP4E

[Arthur]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kirby Urner [mailto:urnerk at qwest.net]
> But understanding that files are the basic unit on a computer is
> important,
> and is better appreciated through hands-on exposure, vs. just some teacher
> saying "files are the basic unit... blah blah".  The distinction between
> human-readable e.g. text, and binary formats, the whole idea of "formats"
> is
> something to get into (segue to music below).

You got me going.

Not unconnected to Lee's point:  

"Files" aren't real, they don't exist, it is a paradigm stolen from the
business office and has nothing to do with 5th graders, and by the time they
are in 11th grade the paradigm, most likely, will have changed dramatically.

The paradigm you are accepting, and teaching uncritically, is the interface
fiction as something approaching a reality. 

If business offices put their papers in smoogies, we would be accessing
smoogies from our hard drives.  When of course we are doing neither of
accessing files, nor smoogies. 

Art