The Future of LiveCode in Education

[RM]

On 1.03.2016 04:19, Jim Hurley wrote:
> As programmers, most of us on this list think mainly of programming as a tool for solving problems.
> Of course, that’s how it was born. The original use of the computer was to solve hard science problems.  It was assumed that a couple dozen around the world would be sufficient.
>
> But, besides learning how to become programmers there is another important use, particularly in education, and that is computer programming as a tooI for exploring.
>
> If you’re talking about early education, consideration should be given to Turtle Graphics. Yes, that again.
> Seymour Papert, a protege of Piaget, founded the  MIT Media Lab. The lab was responsible for implementing  LOGO (based on Lisp) and Tuttle Graphics designed for young children. As many of you know, I have long been an advocate of implementing TG in LC. It is a powerful tool for learning and exploring.
>
> Here, for example, is a book written by two MIT Math professors: Turtle Geometry, The Computer as  Medium for Exploring Mathematics. MIT press, 1979. (The last chapter  is titled: Curved Space and General Relativity.)
>
> Here are the chapter titles of a book I wrote some years back designed to allow students to explore the world of physics: Logo Physics, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985
>
> Chapter 1		Vectors
> Chapter 2		Equilibrium of forces
> Chapter 3		Free fall
> Chapter 4		Projectile motion and the CRT
> Chapter 5		Projectile motion II
> Chapter 6 	The monkey, the hunter, and Einstein’s principle of equivalence
> Chapter 7		Escape velocity
> Chapter 8		Planetary Motion
> Chapter 9 	The music of the spheres
> Chapter 10	Voyager II and lunar orbits
> Chapter 11 	Jets, rockets, and conservation of momentum
> Chapter 12	The harmonic oscillator, clocks, rabbits, and foxes (predator-prey simulation)
> Chapter 13	The big bang
> Chapter 14	Radioactive decay
> Chapter 15 	Bridges, catenaries, and the perfect arch
> Chapter 16	Fishes and optics
> Cheater 17 	Rainbows
>
> If     If we're talking about the “The Future of LiveCode in Education” we ought to consider programming as a tool for exploration.
> Jim
>

90% of programming-for-education should be exploration rather than 
coding-qua-coding as
about 90% of school kids are probably not going to go onto careers as 
coders as such
(although they may, like myself, lurk on the peripheries).

As, in the "West" at least, people are getting ever more paranoid about 
children getting their
hands dirty and "risk", the opportunity for kids to "get down-and-dirty" 
with, say, a few bottles of acid,
alkali and a nice, wide selection of 
"only-if-you-are-a-cretin-are-they-really-dangerous" reagents has
been reduced to a big fat zero, the only realistic theatre for 
exploration does seem to be on computers.

LiveCode is the /de facto/ new BASIC, and should be pushed as such.

Richmond.