Re: Foundations
"I suspect that the whole "turn off the screen and get out a pencil and paper" method was originally advocated before IDEs which allowed rapid exploration and experimentation."
The problem with code which is built that way is that it's crap - and no amount of gilding will polish that particular turd.
Keep the exploration and experiementation in the lab. Pencil and paper or other structured approaches are there for the same reason that we don't build bridges by the method of sticking one's thumb out front and gauging measurements that way.
Having said that. Coding is the perfect way to start and that old favourite for kids - LOGO - is just as relevant to learning now as it was 30 years ago.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
