Teaching programming concepts to kids

[Dave Smith]

Daniel C. wrote:
> I started programming in 4th grade using Logo Writer.  The Logo Wiki
> that was linked to runs what appears at first glance to be the same
> language.  I recommend using it as a first step in teaching
> programming.  The language is simple, powerful, and interactive.

I remember using Logo Writer in grade school in Texas on what I believe 
were Apple II computers. We had so few of them that we were assigned 2 
kids to a computer. My partner, Michael Blackwell (How did I just 
remember that?!), and I decided to see what would happen if we wrote a 
loop that would run 1,000 times. After about 3 minutes, the turtle had 
drawn a bean-shaped solid blob. That's when the teacher saw what we had 
done and told us both to go sit in the hall, since we had "abused our 
computer lab privileges". What a way to encourage young minds!

--Dave