Re: LOGO-L> reading stuff

[KERRB@Magill.UniSA.edu.au]

Erich Neuwirth wrote:
>i put the preface from brian's book

>simply scheme

>on 
>http://www.eurologo.org

>it is one of the best essays i know about the value
>of high level abstractions.

 Thanks for this one Erich. It did get me thinking and having another look at 
'Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs' -- I now find I understand 
more of this than last time I looked at it.

Brian said in his preface (written in 1993) that the majority of introductory 
computing science classes use Pascal (structured programming approach) despite 
the fact that the publication of SICP in 1984 did create a counter current 
which, to a degree at least, broke the hegemony of the Pascal / structured 
programming approach.

 It seems to me that an important reason why Logo can't get much of a foothold 
in Schools is that it doesn't lead into a course at tertiary level. It's much 
easier to establish a course at Year 11/12 level if it opens a pathway for 
students that they can take through into University or TAFE (Technical and 
further Education). And once a course is established at Year 11/12 then its 
relatively easy to argue for an intro. to it in years 8, 9 or 10. 

 In the case of Logo it seems to get some acceptance in Primary school but then 
peters out more and more as we approach Year 12. 

 Well, couldn't all of this negativity that School approached logo with be 
turned around if there were just a few Universities in Australia that offered 
Scheme as an introductory computer science course??

 Which leads me to ask what Universities in Australia do offer Scheme?

-- Bill Kerr
---------------------------------------------------------------
Please post messages to the Logo forum to logo-l@gsn.org.  Mail
questions about the list administration to logofdn@gsn.org.  To
unsubscribe send    unsubscribe logo-l    to majordomo@gsn.org.