-=> Quoting Charles Beams to Rick Pedley <=-
 RP>CB> I don't often disagree with you on matters educational, but on this
 RP>CB> one  I'm of a different mind.  Who needs to write programs today,
 RP>CB> especially  in BASIC or LOGO?
 RP>
 RP>Uh, how about programmers?
 CB> What's your point?
No point at all, Charles. At least none that you'll accept.
 RP>And BTW, Visual Basic outsells every other Windows programming language,
 RP>including C++ and Delphi. Moreover, since a subset of VB is embedded
 RP>in most MS Windows Office applications as a replacement for the old
 RP>system of "macros", every application user becomes a de facto programmer
 RP>to some degree, whenever he needs to extend an application beyond its
 RP>built-in, off-the-shelf capabilities. Lastly, take a look at some
 RP>source code from PowerBuilder, CA Visualizer, and a host of other
 RP>"database" languages sometime. It may not say "BASIC" on the box, but
 RP>the source sure looks like BASIC.
 CB> And you think there is some reason to teach all off this to
 CB> 11-year-old kids?
Someone will, hopefully earlier than that, but it won't be you
apparently.
 RP>Sure, it _should_ be an elective if offered as an entire course. But
 RP>it should also be _encouraged_.
 CB> I understand, from your perspective as someone who programs
 CB> professionaly, that the issue is important.  It is far less important
 CB> to  others who use computers yet use them effectively every day.
Nonsense. The only thing I see from my perspective is that there are
a ton of programming jobs to be had out there, and always a shortage
of good programmers, something I perhaps wouldn't have noticed had I
stayed in teaching forever. In the last two years, I've had five
unsolicited job offers, two of them from companies I'd never heard of.
Does that sound like there are already enough programmers, "who needs
to write programs"?
 RP>Do you tell your kids "Who needs to write programs today"? If so,
 RP>you're doing them a disservice IMO.
 CB> No.  Do you tell your students that the only people who can use a
 CB> computer effectively are those who program?  If so, I think you do
 CB> *them* a disservice.
Absolutely not. But don't sweat it, Charles. Others will pick up the
torch where you have faltered. Just teach your kids to use a friolator;
they can always get a McJob when they "graduate". I really don't
understand your problem; it's like someone were demanding you teach
quantum physics to 11-year olds. It's actually easier to learn than
math for most kids.
coffeerp@adan.kingston.net  Û] COFFEE MUG SOFTWARE Û]
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