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From: mauney@ncsu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.college,net.cse
Subject: Re: Should Computer Science be taught at the High School level?
Message-ID: <2747@ncsu.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 12:04:19 EST
Article-I.D.: ncsu.2747
Posted: Tue Dec 18 12:04:19 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 00:14:08 EST
References: <241@mss.UUCP>
Organization: N.C. State University, Raleigh
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Xref: watmath net.college:551 net.cse:270

1) Computer Science, and even computer programming, should have a status
   in high schools no higher than that of Calculus.  It should be offered
   only by schools not having any difficulty supporting the important
   subjects, and should be required only for those student for whom
   calculus is required.

2) I am a computer science professor, and the biggest favor high schools
   can do for me is to teach logic, problem solving, and clear thinking.
   If students can do that, programming will not be hard to pick up.
   The only capital investment required for the schools is buying a few
   good teachers.

3) If you insist on teaching something with computers, try this: get some
   hardware and a wide variety of software packages -- games, spreadsheets,
   address books, whatever.  Teach the basic steps of using a package,
   then give assignments that require the use of more advanced features.
   And then, and this is the useful part, have discussions about the
   packages: how good is the documentation?  how good is the user interface?
   how useful is the package in reality?  is it an improvement over the
   existing low-tech counterparts?  how could things be improved?
   Students will learn to use computers, and learn when not to use computers,
   and learn to demand quality software.  Students who plan to major in
   computer science will have a perspective that will enable them to 
   produce really useful software when they graduate.

It's only a suggestion, of course.
-- 

_Doctor_                           Jon Mauney,    mcnc!ncsu!mauney
\__Mu__/                           North Carolina State University