this is great and all because it will introduce more kids to programming but now that we've got a couple different things like this I think that we should start to focus on more syntax oriented learning where the kids can learn why that syntax makes that happen on the screen and what each individual part of the code does. For example, if we were using Javascript to check a variable and see if it is the same as another variable and then log "yes", we would use this:
var a = true;
var b = true;
if (a === b) {
console.log("yes");
}
now, this may seem obvious but to children or someone who doesn't program they might not under stand what console.log does or any other part, also we need to teach kids where they can find the resources they need to learn more if they are interested.
Kids need a motive. With a motive, they'll figure things out, you don't have to handhold them every step or create broken abstractions for them to play around in then get bored.
We already have "visual/physical programming" for kids, in the form of Minecraft. And for the kids who want to go the extra mile, well, they learn Java. Not enough Java they could work at BigCo, because they learn Java with the motive to do stuff in Minecraft, not to actually understand the semantics of Java -- but if they got bored with Minecraft, their retained Java knowledge would be enough that they could then teach themselves the more formal aspects, or even another language.
Kids don't want to know the difference between '=' and '==' and '==='.
The motivation is key here, and I could not possibly agree more.
Lots of people tried to get me interested in Programming when I was younger. I was given a very dry book on PASCAL, and had Visual Basic installed on my very first computer. Never did a darn thing with either of them, because I was more interested in games.
In the 7th grade though, I was given a TI-82 graphing calculator, with a built-in programming language (BASIC) and the ability to type in programs from the math book and let them run. On its own this was neat, but I barely understood what I was doing. Then I got curious one day, read the instruction manual, and arrived at the getkey function.
The TI-82 instruction manual has little to say about the getkey function, except that it "can be used to create Video Games." There is no more dangerous thing to tell a young student bored with Algebra homework. I had a working PONG clone later that same week.
var a = true;
var b = true;
if (a === b) {
}now, this may seem obvious but to children or someone who doesn't program they might not under stand what console.log does or any other part, also we need to teach kids where they can find the resources they need to learn more if they are interested.