[Edu-sig] K-16 CS/math hybrid

[David Handy]

On Mon, May 09, 2005 at 04:07:41PM -0700, Anna Martelli Ravenscroft wrote:
> Just a follow-up on the math and programming interaction: I was brushing 
> up on algebra for a placement test for the local community college (yes 
> - I'm finally going to go get my degree...) and while I was studying, my 
> brain kept coding python in the background... I kept seeing things in 
> terms of "how could I code this?" [btw - yes, I passed.]
> 
> Just thought it was amusing to see how python has influenced my thinking.
> 
> Anna

I had a very similar experience (though it occurred a while ago, and with
BASIC, since Python was still ten years away.)

I learned to program *before* I was taught algebra or trigonometry in school.
However, I quickly ran into problems where I "needed" them. I begged my Dad
to teach me how I could rotate space ship drawings in the computer game I
was writing, so he taught me sine and cosine and the Pythagorean theorem
(though he didn't call it that, but rather "how to calculate the distance
between two points".)

Anyway, I had the same experience of my brain "coding in the background"
while I learned mathematics in school. I feel like it helped me a lot. And
after I learned some new thing I would go home and write a program to
graph it or do a simulation with it, and that further cemented the
knowledge.

That's why I'm big on teaching computer programming to young teenagers, as
much as they are willing to learn. My personal experience is that "learning
to program" first led directly to "programming to learn" later. I feel that
the benefits have continued for years afterwards as I went through
engineering school, and on into my career. I don't think that I am so
unusual, but rather that I had unusual opportunities. I'd like to share
those opportunities if I can.

And yes I think Python is much better than BASIC for that purpose. :)

David H.