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Re:Show HN: An iPad app to teach kids how to program by drhowarddrfine on Monday December 26, 2011 @01:34PM (#3393528)
I will never understand why anyone would want to teach little kids to program. Especially those who barely know how to add and subtract. I know of no upwardly mobile, reasonably successful adult, 18+, who knows how to program. This makes as much sense as teaching them brain surgery.
Re:Show HN: An iPad app to teach kids how to program by ryanwaggoner on Monday December 26, 2011 @02:54PM (#3393767)
I know of no upwardly mobile, reasonably successful adult, 18+, who knows how to program.

Huh? Surely I'm misreading this or there's a typo here. If not, you've stumbled into the right place. Say hi to the legions of programmers on HN who are upwardly mobile and very successful.

Re:Show HN: An iPad app to teach kids how to program by mover on Monday December 26, 2011 @01:45PM (#3393558)
I think you'll find plenty of upwardly mobile and reasonably successful adults on HN that know how to program. Many of the best started as little kids. And as software increasingly touches every aspect of our lives, knowing the basics of programming will be useful for understanding how things work in the world.

Brain surgery is a highly specialized discipline that takes years of preparation before the surgeon makes her first cut--Daisy the Dino is specifically trying to make programming less intimidating to learn with a lower barrier to early success.

Re:Show HN: An iPad app to teach kids how to program by smj2118 on Monday December 26, 2011 @01:38PM (#3393539)
Exactly! The fact that it seems so unattainable to you is the problem we are trying to solve.

Being a programmer myself I know that it can be a challenging field but I also know that it's definitely something kids can do and enjoy as well.

I like the analogy to Legos- not every kid who plays with Legos will grow up to be an architect or civil engineer but they can gain a great deal of enjoyment out of doing a simpler version of what these people do professionally.

Re:Show HN: An iPad app to teach kids how to program by ebf on Monday December 26, 2011 @01:50PM (#3393575)
I really enjoyed learning Logo in my 5th grade gifted program. I'm pretty sure that most of the class enjoyed it as well.