There is nothing new under the sun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminological_inexactitude First uttered by Winston Churchill in 1906. I am pretty sure Trudeau would have known that.
----- Original Message ----- From: Roger Hui <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009 19:27 Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] Teaching To: General forum <[email protected]> > > 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 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
