MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-07-21 |
| FROM | From: "Steve Milo"
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] School technology.
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From owner-hangout-desteny-at-mrbrklyn.com Mon Jul 21 21:23:00 2003 Received: from www2.mrbrklyn.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mrbrklyn.com (8.12.3/8.11.2/SuSE Linux 8.11.1-0.5) with ESMTP id h6M1N01B010331 for ; Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:23:00 -0400 Received: (from mdom-at-localhost) by www2.mrbrklyn.com (8.12.3/8.12.3/Submit) id h6M1N062010330 for hangout-desteny; Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:23:00 -0400 X-Authentication-Warning: www2.mrbrklyn.com: mdom set sender to owner-hangout-at-www2.mrbrklyn.com using -f Received: from ms2.rennlist.com ([64.205.178.69]) by mrbrklyn.com (8.12.3/8.11.2/SuSE Linux 8.11.1-0.5) with ESMTP id h6M1Mx1B010325 for ; Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:23:00 -0400 Received: from ms2.rennlist.com ([127.0.0.1]) by ms2.rennlist.com (Netscape Messaging Server 4.15) with ESMTP id HIEJUX00.12F for ; Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:23:21 -0400 From: "Steve Milo" To: hangout-at-nylxs.com Message-ID: <53d9557e.557e53d9-at-ms2.rennlist.com> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:23:21 -0400 X-Mailer: Netscape Webmail MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Language: en Subject: [hangout] School technology. X-Accept-Language: en Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-hangout-at-mrbrklyn.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: "Steve Milo" List: New Yorker GNU Linux Scene Admin: To unsubscribe send unsubscribe name-at-domian.com in the body to hangout-request-at-www2.mrbrklyn.com X-Keywords: X-UID: 12513 Status: RO Content-Length: 2722 Lines: 56
The statement that persuading/suggesting perl as an alternative to the Board of Ed's request for a php cirruculum was called non-sensical that statement wasnt addressed directly. I dont understand why such an idea is called non-sensical.
So far basically what I have read is that teaching a superior technology as an alternative is not a good idea because its not something different.
Ron's argument about a jack of all trades tool is hyporcitical on the basis that the students dont know either technology at this point in time. So this doesnt boil down to teaching a jack of all trades tool, this boils down to teaching a superior technology as a bonus the syntax is similar to a few other programming language, including php.
The argument of 'keeping ones mind open' is a bit weak here because apparently there is a subtle binary attitude of some people who are insinuating that php should be taught because php is newest buzzword compliant 'application'. Let me clear the air about something here for a moment. First off we arent planning on teaching anyone any applications. We want to teach a technology that will prove beneficial to the student in a functional and lateral way.
When I was in high school in the late 80's/early 90's I was forced to take Lotus123. That proved to be the biggest waste of time and I new it back then. I have no doubt in my mind that cirruculum was accepted by someone who had no sense of the IT industry. Just because Lotus123 was the newest thing it was deemed a good subject to teach in a high school.
In contrast what proved to be extremely beneficial to me in junior high school was typing. Yes typing, I was taught typing on a 1940's typewriter in the mid 80's. This was beneficial to me because I can rapidly transfer my thoughts accurately to this technology.
To summerize Lotus123 was the newest buzzword compliant application of its time. I was forced to learn it and it turned out to be the biggest waste of time. I know it today and I knew it back then. Typing, was a tried and true technology which has been around for nearly a century and has proved useful nearly 15 years later for me personally.
There are probably numerous counter arguments to my analogy but the fact of the matter is that the tried and true technology works in the long run more often than bleeding edge. We arent here to teach student to put up a website. Any child can learn to to do that in his or her spare time.
Dont underestimate the intelligence of your average student.
Steve
____________________________ NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene Fair Use - because it's either fair use or useless.... NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
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