Block coding

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richmond62
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Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:52 am

Is something I don't like very much, and as a teacher believe it slows down uptake of more traditional forms of programming in children.

Notwithstanding this, a lot of teacher and educational experts do not agree with me, and their experience is generally more extensive than mine.

I have been "fiddling around" with a block coding package from South Korea called ENTRY

https://playentry.org/#!/offlineEditor

this is available in Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and English.

What interests me about is is that it claims it can be used as a lead-in to Python.

This is effected by allowing users to see all their code in terms of Entry's code blocks and "Entry Python" (a subset of Python):
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Screenshot 2020-09-02 at 12.42.38.png
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Screenshot 2020-09-02 at 12.43.01.png
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I have no way of knowing whether this actually works.

HOWEVER, I wonder if the same sort of "trick" cannot be done with LiveCode:

1. An Entry/Scratch (they are very similar) code-block based interface which can also show
the same thing in LIveCode.
Last edited by richmond62 on Wed Jun 09, 2021 7:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:55 am

It is also interesting to note that SCRATCH avoids making some of the larger claims that have been made for block-coding:

"Your students can use Scratch to code their own interactive stories, animations, and games.
In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively 
— essential skills for everyone in today’s society."

Computer programming is NOT mentioned.

https://scratch.mit.edu/about

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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:00 am

https://www.codejig.com/en/block-based-coding/

"Graphical programming promised to provide better program overview and
to allow the developer to see the big picture. However, the effect was
exactly opposite. While simple programs were easy to create and maintain,
complex software required complex relations which were difficult
to represent and too bulky to manage in a visual way."

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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:05 am

https://developers.google.com/blockly

Blockly links up with 5 programming languages, so should, if the claims make any sense,
allow new learners to get a grip on those languages more readily than if they start programming
in the languages themselves.

I wonder if it might be possible to leverage this for LiveCode.

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Re: Block coding

Post by FourthWorld » Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:20 pm

How many threads do you anticipate making on this topic? Should we merging these first three?
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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:00 pm

FourthWorld wrote:
Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:20 pm
How many threads do you anticipate making on this topic? Should we merging these first three?
Hundreds until the point registers. 8)

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Re: Block coding

Post by FourthWorld » Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:06 pm

Do you honestly believe spawning hundreds of replicant threads is a useful thing to do?

What is preventing you from building what you want?
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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:06 pm

What is preventing you from building what you want?
I don't want that as I am perfectly capable of teaching Primary children to program with LiveCode as it is.

But LiveCode might want this as a way to advance its use in educational circles.
Last edited by richmond62 on Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Block coding

Post by FourthWorld » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:15 pm

Rather than replicate "hundreds" of threads in these user-to-user forums, if you have a business proposal to send to the company have you considered sending it to the company?
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Re: Block coding

Post by richmond62 » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:20 pm

a business proposal
Pull the other one, it's got furry things on.
I'm a teacher of Primary kids.

My ONLY interest is in trying to get LiveCode off its collective bahookie
re educational promotion.

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Re: Block coding

Post by FourthWorld » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:50 pm

This has become circular, so I'm less interested in the discussion itself than just helping to curate forum content into a useful support experience.

So let's try this a different way:

Is there any reason you would strongly oppos having these replicated threads merged?
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