> PS I said I will try to shut up ... but I already know I will not > succeed. Technically that constitutes a lie?
Pierre Trudeau was a prime minister of Canada, the Barack Obama of that time and that space. In Canada there is a parliament instead of a Congress or Senate, and in parliament it is not done to say that another member is lying. So one time, Trudeau accused another member of uttering a "terminological inexactitude". ----- Original Message ----- From: Matthew Brand <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009 13:31 Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] Teaching To: General forum <[email protected]> > "I repeat that I am not trying to get new users into J - I am trying > to teach Mathematics ..." > > I thought that J is meant to be an Executable Mathematical > Notation. I > am not claiming it is, it is just something I read somewhere. I am > curious, apart from graphical symbols, what parts of pre-degree level > Maths is missing in the J notation without modifications? > > "How long does it take to get used to it and learn the beauty of J?" > > I do not have any data other than my personal experience. For people > who have already been programming in C++ etc... making the shift > to J > is probably much more difficult than for blank slates - which I assume > you are planning to work with? > > "Are average elementary students, secondary students and (say) > Post-secondary > Geography students capable of reaching this level of J > understanding in the > limited time that can be delegated to this task within their regular > curriculum?" > > I don't know, are they? Have you tried teaching mathematics to a > sample of the target audience using J "as-is" and did they run into > problems that are specifically related to the ascii characters? > I mean > has anybody actually complained that the ascii characters or the > omission of some other language facility have been a barrier to their > learning of Mathematics through J? > > If they can get to grips with a graphical symbol that is a > point-upwards-triangle with a vertical line through it to mean "grade > upwards" in time then surely they can just as easily get to > grips with > /: meaning the same thing. The main thing is that they > understand the > point of having a "grade up" symbol whatever that symbol is and more > importantly what it means and how to use it. > > Anyway, I don't want to be a negative drain on your energy, I am not > an expert in J or Teaching, and don't think I can add anything > constructive to this project so I will try to shut up now :-)). > > I really do wish you success in what you are trying to achieve > and I > look forward to downloading and trying out what you come up with. > > Best of luck, > Matthew. > > PS I said I will try to shut up ... but I already know I will not > succeed. Technically that constitutes a lie? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
