[Edu-sig] The fate of raw_input() in Python 3000

[John Zelle]

On Friday 08 September 2006 1:33 pm, ajsiegel at optonline.net wrote:
> From: "Radenski, Atanas"
>
> > You are obviously way more intelligent than the average student
> > whom we need to teach.
>
> Standardized testing seems to indicate me to be a good deal to the better
> spectrum of the bell curve.
>
> But I honestly believe all that buys me is the ability to be a
> run-of-the-mill-programmer.

Perhaps, but no where near a run-of-the-mill student.

> I certainly have no feeling of being anything other than within the middle
> of pack in terms of native intelligence among those who actually eventually
> get some grasp.
>
> I honestly feel that curriculum geared to some a population substanitally
> different than myself can only being some form of busywork for all
> concerned -
>
> as unpleasant as that might sound to those who percieve that to be their
> employment.
>

That's assuming that the goal of said education is to produce professional 
programmers. I believe that everyone has something to gain from learning what 
software is really all about. Most will not rise to the level of professional 
(or even competent) programmer. Similary, most students taking English 
classes will never become successful novelists. Does that mean all the others 
are just doing busywork? I've always thought you a champion of liberal 
learning, don't all students deserve to have their intellectual worlds 
expanded to the extent possible?

--John

ps. That's really, really, my last post. Unless someone actually wants to 
discuss the substance of the arguments I've made earlier. If challenged, I'll 
probably take the bait...

-- 
John M. Zelle, Ph.D.             Wartburg College
Professor of Computer Science    Waverly, IA     
john.zelle at wartburg.edu          (319) 352-8360