4 ms·

"Computer Science was always supposed to be taught to everyone, and it wasn’t about getting a job: A historical perspective" https://computinged.wordpress.com/

"Computer Science was always supposed to be taught to everyone, and it wasn’t about getting a job: A historical perspective" https://computinged.wordpress.com/2021/11/26/computer-science-was-always-supposed-to-be-taught-to-everyone-but-not-about-getting-a-job-a-historical-perspective/ https://computinged.wordpress.com/2021/11/26/computer-scienc...

duxup 5y ago
I think that’s probably the opinion of many academic focused people about their profession.
- phkahler 5y ago
  My kid had a "computer science" class in 9th grade. They covered bits and bytes, discussed what files are, and then talked in the abstract about data compression so they know at a basic level why a wave file is so much bigger than mp3. They did get to some coding, but they covered a lot of basics that form the trunk of the tree. Most adults don't understand things in that way. It's like teaching biology so people have a rudimentary idea of viruses and don't think vaccines have 5g tracking. Or so teenagers understand reproduction and don't think ridiculous things about how one gets pregnant. Or how about chemistry, so people understand why con-trails form. Basic understanding of things - particularly the ones everyone uses daily - is a good thing.
  - duxup 5y ago
    Yeah I’m the type that needs to make things. Theory makes no sense to me if i don’t see it in action. I struggled in a traditional theory / coding educational environment and dropped out of college. Decades later I learned coding in a more hands on / make things way and I’m having fun working my way “backwards” into theory.
    - gunfighthacksaw 5y ago
      You learn theory 10x more easily when it’s actually working for you. I think there’s a case for needing explicit instruction in mathematics and algorithms, but it only becomes intuitive when you’re solving your own problem with it. Remember that Gauss didn’t just sit around inventing theories, he was trying to explain the world around him and his theories were the product of that.
- DarylZero 5y ago
  Computer science is different, since it's the foundation of math and logic.
bryanrasmussen 5y ago
ok only the rudiments of any sufficiently complicated field - politics, law, literature, math, physics, chemistry, biology, art etc. etc. including computer science, can be widely taught, furthermore given that time is limited and there is some showing that putting more hours of learning in actually decreases efficiency of education, it follows that the more complicated subjects we try to teach the more rudimentary our teachings in those subjects must be. Given any sufficiently complicated enough civilization there will be enough complicated fields to maintain, and thus specialization will have to occur and some people will have to be specialized in some particular field.
- DarylZero 5y ago
  It's not saying there shouldn't be specialization. In the UK they already teach CS to every student in primary school, just like math.

duxup 5y ago

I think that’s probably the opinion of many academic focused people about their profession.

phkahler 5y ago
My kid had a "computer science" class in 9th grade. They covered bits and bytes, discussed what files are, and then talked in the abstract about data compression so they know at a basic level why a wave file is so much bigger than mp3. They did get to some coding, but they covered a lot of basics that form the trunk of the tree. Most adults don't understand things in that way. It's like teaching biology so people have a rudimentary idea of viruses and don't think vaccines have 5g tracking. Or so teenagers understand reproduction and don't think ridiculous things about how one gets pregnant. Or how about chemistry, so people understand why con-trails form. Basic understanding of things - particularly the ones everyone uses daily - is a good thing.
- duxup 5y ago
  Yeah I’m the type that needs to make things. Theory makes no sense to me if i don’t see it in action. I struggled in a traditional theory / coding educational environment and dropped out of college. Decades later I learned coding in a more hands on / make things way and I’m having fun working my way “backwards” into theory.
  - gunfighthacksaw 5y ago
    You learn theory 10x more easily when it’s actually working for you. I think there’s a case for needing explicit instruction in mathematics and algorithms, but it only becomes intuitive when you’re solving your own problem with it. Remember that Gauss didn’t just sit around inventing theories, he was trying to explain the world around him and his theories were the product of that.
DarylZero 5y ago
Computer science is different, since it's the foundation of math and logic.

bryanrasmussen 5y ago

ok only the rudiments of any sufficiently complicated field - politics, law, literature, math, physics, chemistry, biology, art etc. etc. including computer science, can be widely taught, furthermore given that time is limited and there is some showing that putting more hours of learning in actually decreases efficiency of education, it follows that the more complicated subjects we try to teach the more rudimentary our teachings in those subjects must be. Given any sufficiently complicated enough civilization there will be enough complicated fields to maintain, and thus specialization will have to occur and some people will have to be specialized in some particular field.

DarylZero 5y ago
It's not saying there shouldn't be specialization. In the UK they already teach CS to every student in primary school, just like math.