Comments on: Head faking kids to love programming and change the world http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:10:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: CurrentBlogNews » Blog Archive » The Alice Project http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-51214 CurrentBlogNews » Blog Archive » The Alice Project Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:26:02 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-51214 [...] Head Faking Kids to Teach Computer Programming [...] [...] Head Faking Kids to Teach Computer Programming [...]

]]> By: Sylvia Martinez http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50955 Sylvia Martinez Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:46:29 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50955 Wes, you might like this article - "Does Easy Do It? Children, Games, and Learning" by Seymour Papert. Specifically this quote, where he is talking about the line you often hear about educational software - "it's so good they won't know they are learning!" http://www.papert.org/articles/Doeseasydoit.html "Frankly, I think that it is downright immoral to trick children into learning and doing math when they think they are just playing an innocent game. To make the situation worse (as if anything can be worse than lying to children), the deception does not achieve any purpose, since cooperative learners who know what they are doing will learn far better than children who go mindlessly through the motions of learning." Although with Storytelling Alice, I don't think it's quite that bad. They are using storytelling to create interest, and then introducing a specialized programming language to allow creation of the stories. I just disagree that this is a "trick" and would hate for that to be the predominant metaphor for introducing students to programming. Wes,
you might like this article - “Does Easy Do It? Children, Games, and Learning” by Seymour Papert. Specifically this quote, where he is talking about the line you often hear about educational software - “it’s so good they won’t know they are learning!”

http://www.papert.org/articles/Doeseasydoit.html

“Frankly, I think that it is downright immoral to trick children into learning and doing math when they think they are just playing an innocent game. To make the situation worse (as if anything can be worse than lying to children), the deception does not achieve any purpose, since cooperative learners who know what they are doing will learn far better than children who go mindlessly through the motions of learning.”

Although with Storytelling Alice, I don’t think it’s quite that bad. They are using storytelling to create interest, and then introducing a specialized programming language to allow creation of the stories. I just disagree that this is a “trick” and would hate for that to be the predominant metaphor for introducing students to programming.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50951 Matthew Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:23:59 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50951 If you are interested in Randy's current health condition, he keeps up with a status page here http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html If you are interested in Randy’s current health condition, he keeps up with a status page here http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html

]]> By: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Go ahead, mark this as read…you miss it http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50942 Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Go ahead, mark this as read…you miss it Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:41:10 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50942 [...] Although I posted on this back in the fall, I noticed Wes Fryer just recently discovered him and posted on him today as well after someone posted this on twitter. I think this is great. Ideas, people and stories [...] [...] Although I posted on this back in the fall, I noticed Wes Fryer just recently discovered him and posted on him today as well after someone posted this on twitter. I think this is great. Ideas, people and stories [...]

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50934 Wesley Fryer Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:13:36 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50934 Amy: Thanks for sharing that link! Amy: Thanks for sharing that link!

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50933 Wesley Fryer Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:08:29 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50933 Maureen: I am so glad to hear about your experiences in an intensive teacher workshop learning about using and teaching with Alice. I think those types of experiences are too far and few between for most teachers today. While it is great to hear about individual courses like Designing Virtual Worlds, I really think we have to find ways to make these types of course experiences COMMON rather than rare for students. I'm so glad to learn about Alice and the educator community which is using Alice and advocating for its use in PBL-focused classrooms! Maureen: I am so glad to hear about your experiences in an intensive teacher workshop learning about using and teaching with Alice. I think those types of experiences are too far and few between for most teachers today. While it is great to hear about individual courses like Designing Virtual Worlds, I really think we have to find ways to make these types of course experiences COMMON rather than rare for students. I’m so glad to learn about Alice and the educator community which is using Alice and advocating for its use in PBL-focused classrooms!

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50919 Wesley Fryer Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:01:57 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50919 Sylvia: I think Randy WAS saying in order to get some kids to learn programming (he specifically discussed girls) they DO need to be "tricked" into doing it. I think that is part of the idea behind "Storytelling Alice." I agree this approach appears to be disingenuous, even though the "motives" are ostensibly good. Mark: You are very kind. I'm glad to hear you have a family member considering a computer science program. NPR had <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88154024" rel="nofollow">a story on March 12th</a> about how severely down computer science degree and course enrollment has been lately. The indicators say although enrollments are down, demand for computer science graduates is high and will continue to be high. Sylvia: I think Randy WAS saying in order to get some kids to learn programming (he specifically discussed girls) they DO need to be “tricked” into doing it. I think that is part of the idea behind “Storytelling Alice.” I agree this approach appears to be disingenuous, even though the “motives” are ostensibly good.

Mark: You are very kind. I’m glad to hear you have a family member considering a computer science program. NPR had a story on March 12th about how severely down computer science degree and course enrollment has been lately. The indicators say although enrollments are down, demand for computer science graduates is high and will continue to be high.

]]> By: Mark Ahlness http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50915 Mark Ahlness Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:49:19 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50915 Wes, thanks very much for this. It's a good example of why, after several days not following my feeds, yours is always at the top of the pile to check first. With a faraway family member currently considering the CM computer program, it's especially encouraging. (Eva, if you're reading here - congrats and good luck!) - Mark Wes, thanks very much for this. It’s a good example of why, after several days not following my feeds, yours is always at the top of the pile to check first. With a faraway family member currently considering the CM computer program, it’s especially encouraging. (Eva, if you’re reading here - congrats and good luck!) - Mark

]]> By: Sylvia Martinez http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50914 Sylvia Martinez Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:13:32 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50914 I'm with you on all this stuff. Programming is THE essential 21st century skill. But I'm not clear on the "head faking" reference. Surely you aren't saying we need to "trick" kids into programming? I’m with you on all this stuff. Programming is THE essential 21st century skill.

But I’m not clear on the “head faking” reference. Surely you aren’t saying we need to “trick” kids into programming?

]]> By: Amy Strecker http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50902 Amy Strecker Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:27:18 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50902 He gave this lecture when he was given only 6 months to live (as I'm sure you know) and next Wednesday (4-9-08) Diane Swayer is interviewing him on ABC, several months after he gave this moving last lecture. It looks like it's worth checking out. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LastLecture He gave this lecture when he was given only 6 months to live (as I’m sure you know) and next Wednesday (4-9-08) Diane Swayer is interviewing him on ABC, several months after he gave this moving last lecture. It looks like it’s worth checking out.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LastLecture

]]> By: Cheryl Oakes http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50900 Cheryl Oakes Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:52:16 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50900 Thanks Wes, this was my first blog reading of today and surely one that will be passed along. Cheryl Oakes Thanks Wes, this was my first blog reading of today and surely one that will be passed along.
Cheryl Oakes

]]> By: Maureen http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50898 Maureen Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:13:23 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/04/03/head-faking-kids-to-love-programming-and-change-the-world/#comment-50898 I had the opportunity to meet Randy at last summer's Alice Institute and have seen the last lecture. He is truly an amazing man. The team that he built at CMU work well together and build excitement about programming. Caitlin's Storytelling Alice is a great way to teach programming and I am using both Alice 2.0 and Storytelling with my middle school kids. Programming projects teach so many lessons, collaboration, certainly perseverance, attention to detail, etc... and they are all done in the context of telling your story. The group of educators I met at Alice worked together for a week of hard work, fun and collaboration. We did individual projects, but the lounge was filled every night with teachers learning together, helping one another and lots of laughter at our mistakes. I don't think that I have worked so hard on a project in years, or had so much fun doing so. It would be wonderful to infuse my students with the same enthusiasm for learning. I had the opportunity to meet Randy at last summer’s Alice Institute and have seen the last lecture. He is truly an amazing man.

The team that he built at CMU work well together and build excitement about programming. Caitlin’s Storytelling Alice is a great way to teach programming and I am using both Alice 2.0 and Storytelling with my middle school kids.

Programming projects teach so many lessons, collaboration, certainly perseverance, attention to detail, etc… and they are all done in the context of telling your story.

The group of educators I met at Alice worked together for a week of hard work, fun and collaboration. We did individual projects, but the lounge was filled every night with teachers learning together, helping one another and lots of laughter at our mistakes.

I don’t think that I have worked so hard on a project in years, or had so much fun doing so. It would be wonderful to infuse my students with the same enthusiasm for learning.

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