[Edu-sig] programming skills and IQ tests..

[Jurgis Pralgauskis]

Thanks to all, especially Jeremy.

still now I don't have time to read everything,
but problem is complex, I agree.

as those students seem nearly unable to understand math (so I guess
generally aren't used to problem solving).
and they are ususally quite unpatient..


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I'll explain in more detail:

 this might be the problem of my countries education system...,
(I teach 1 year college students -- and in 3 years they should become
"network admins"...)
and I give them half made mini programs in Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu)
and they are unable to finish them :(

for example, if we have object moving in an inside of rectangle area,
and when it approaches one side of rectangle -- ith should
"teleport/jump" to the opposite site
rectangle is (-200, -150) to (200, 150)

I give one side as example (in Scratch) and they have to finish
if x > 200:
      x = -200

most of 30% "loosers" succseed, (not without help from others).

then I ask, that sides could shrink (and need variables)

right = 200
left = -200
if x > right:
      x = left
      right = right - 40
if x < left:
      x = right
      left = left + 40

and they should finish it for top/bottom
and this is a "damn hard" task... :/

===============

my idea for the next year is to prepair mini tests for students to:

- to practice programming-like problem solving
- to test their level and  to see, what they lack most
- help them make up minds, if they want/dare to have programming



On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 3:59 AM, Andy Judkis <ajudkis at verizon.net> wrote:
> I think this is a really interesting topic.  I've been teaching a general
> "here's how computers work" class to all the 10th graders in my school for
> about 6 years now.  Like Jurgis, I find that about 30% of the kids just
> don't get it.  I'm just resigned to that, and my goal is to have them not
> HATE it, and to have at least an understanding of why other people like it.



-- 
Jurgis Pralgauskis
tel: 8-616 77613;
Don't worry, be happy and make things better ;)
http://kompiuterija.pasimokom.lt