Function machine
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:37 pm
Fundamental to understanding programming is the concept of a function machine.
Here's part of a page from the Maths textbook I had at school when I was 9 (1971):
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For some odd reason, in Bulgarian schools at least, this sort of thing is never taught.
[There is an odd obsessional thing that anything vaguely practical (rather than totally theoretical) is somehow 'dirty'.]
Now, in a physical classroom I can turn up with a mincer and run a few carrots through it, or, failing that play around with buttons
and so forth on the table:
- -
I have had great success with this as children SEE the concept at an age when conceptualising that without a visual prompt is out of sight.
But, this year, like it or not (and mainly dislike) I am going to be online:
-
Here's part of a page from the Maths textbook I had at school when I was 9 (1971):
- -
For some odd reason, in Bulgarian schools at least, this sort of thing is never taught.
[There is an odd obsessional thing that anything vaguely practical (rather than totally theoretical) is somehow 'dirty'.]
Now, in a physical classroom I can turn up with a mincer and run a few carrots through it, or, failing that play around with buttons
and so forth on the table:
- -
I have had great success with this as children SEE the concept at an age when conceptualising that without a visual prompt is out of sight.
But, this year, like it or not (and mainly dislike) I am going to be online:
-