Comment by hardwaregeek

20 days ago

Call me old fashioned, but I don't think it'd be that bad for schools to be almost completely analog. Obviously not for classes like CS, but do math class es or English classes really need computers? The whole "digital learning" push feels like it hasn't resulted in significantly better learning than with a book, pen, and paper.

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hardwaregeek

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beezle  19 days ago

Totally agree. Unless the use of the computer is integral to the material at hand (learning to program, learning to solve problems numerically, modeling) it is superfluous. Tons of dough spent on making it "modern" just for the sake of it.

paulcole  19 days ago

> Obviously not for classes like CS

Why is this obvious? Unless you’re talking CS = Programming a specific language, I think it’d be better for the K-12 version of CS to be completely analog save for maybe a “lab” for students in later years of high school.

  • hardwaregeek  19 days ago

    CS at the lower levels should be programming and playing with computers. What else should it be? Analysis of algorithms? That sounds dreadfully boring for a high schooler

    • DrFalkyn  19 days ago

      We started with algorithm analysis freshman year CS, in the early 90s. It’s not too difficult for simple algorithms like bubble sort

      Exams we would have to write code, or predict the results of code or spot bugs

      My teacher was a bit of a dick and would sometimes intentionally leave out a brace. Therefore “does not compile” was sometimes a valid answer :-)

    • LorenzoGood  19 days ago

      As a senior in high school, I have wanted the latter for most of my time here. I can program and fool around with computers on my own time (and more efficiently than in class). After taking (and being bored in) AP CS A freshman year, I have just dedicated more time to high level math classes instead.

      2 replies →

    • paulcole  19 days ago

      So except for playing with computers class then school should be mostly analog?

      Yeah, I do think that kids would get a ton out of hands-on analog classes where they learn logic, problem solving, etc.

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