So how the heck do you explain this?
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
Sell him to white slavery... :doh: :laugh:
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time -
My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
`The name of the song is called "Haddocks' Eyes."' `Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?' Alice said, trying to feel interested. `No, you don't understand,' the Knight said, looking a little vexed. `That's what the name is called. The name really is "The Aged Aged Man."' `Then I ought to have said "That's what the song is called"?' Alice corrected herself. `No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The song is called "Ways and Means": but that's only what it's called, you know!' `Well, what is the song, then?' said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered. `I was coming to that,' the Knight said. `The song really is "A-sitting On A Gate": and the tune's my own invention.'
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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rnbergren wrote:
Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
Ya, let the kid just be a kid and enjoy 1st grade. :-\
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
RyanDev wrote:
let the kid just be a kid
Well said. As a father of two, I agree with this statement.
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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RyanDev wrote:
let the kid just be a kid
Well said. As a father of two, I agree with this statement.
you do know his kid is 35?
You cant outrun the world, but there is no harm in getting a head start Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
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you do know his kid is 35?
You cant outrun the world, but there is no harm in getting a head start Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
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RyanDev wrote:
let the kid just be a kid
Well said. As a father of two, I agree with this statement.
as a father of three I don't disagree with this statement. But having good discussions with your children is a better teaching environment than they can ever get in school. My kids learn far more at home from Mom and I than they do at school. You as the parent are the best and most important instructor your child shall ever have. Fun discussions with my children are the best part of raising them. Watching them grow and learn is amazing.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
I'm at the same stage - I try to explain things in terms of "boxes". Box "a" contains two items, box "b" contains three items, how many items have I got if I add what's in box "a" to what's in box "b"? Pointers and memory addresses are a future topic :laugh:
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
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as a father of three I don't disagree with this statement. But having good discussions with your children is a better teaching environment than they can ever get in school. My kids learn far more at home from Mom and I than they do at school. You as the parent are the best and most important instructor your child shall ever have. Fun discussions with my children are the best part of raising them. Watching them grow and learn is amazing.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
All of your statements are true, and I agree with them as well, for the most part. However, my kid chooses to be what they want, not me. If you need to explain something to someone, and it is turning out to be work, then it may not need to be explained. Frankly, variable assignment discussions with anyone, including engineers, is just boring. :)
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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Bergholt Stuttley Johnson wrote:
you do know his kid is 35?
He's in first grade though. :-\
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
That has been seen before... :doh:
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time -
as a father of three I don't disagree with this statement. But having good discussions with your children is a better teaching environment than they can ever get in school. My kids learn far more at home from Mom and I than they do at school. You as the parent are the best and most important instructor your child shall ever have. Fun discussions with my children are the best part of raising them. Watching them grow and learn is amazing.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
I agree - I do the same myself. You don't have to push them in any direction, but it's always worth showing them what's out there so they can decide whether or not they're interested in looking further into it for themselves :)
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
My son has a BS in Computer Science. Many years ago when we had that conversation it went like this: Me: Let a=2 and let b=3. What's a + b? Colin: 5. Get out of the way old man, I have an algorithm to debug! The kid always was a quick study... Like someone else wrote - memory addresses and pointers are probably a bit too advanced. Stick with a container appropriate to the age.
Contrary to popular belief, nobody owes you anything.
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I'm at the same stage - I try to explain things in terms of "boxes". Box "a" contains two items, box "b" contains three items, how many items have I got if I add what's in box "a" to what's in box "b"? Pointers and memory addresses are a future topic :laugh:
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
How many items? 2, box A and box B! Obviously! You really need a box C. If I tip the contents of box A and box B into box C how many items are in box C? The reason that algebra is so hard is because it is a double abstraction where most people see only a single. You have already made a huge leap in separating number from the count of actual objects. Now you're making a second in suggesting that you can work with numbers without actually knowing what they are! If you haven't got the concept of the first abstraction firmly fixed in your head then you stand no chance of making the second meaningful!
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How many items? 2, box A and box B! Obviously! You really need a box C. If I tip the contents of box A and box B into box C how many items are in box C? The reason that algebra is so hard is because it is a double abstraction where most people see only a single. You have already made a huge leap in separating number from the count of actual objects. Now you're making a second in suggesting that you can work with numbers without actually knowing what they are! If you haven't got the concept of the first abstraction firmly fixed in your head then you stand no chance of making the second meaningful!
Well my 6 year old seems to have grasped the concept using the "box" technique. I forgot I'm talking to programmers here, a much tougher audience :laugh:
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
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My son and I often have interesting discussions. Last night was no exception. So I being the geek I am often try to steer the discussion to programming and logic problems. Yesterday we were discussing variable assignments. Something I have notice with other "normal" people. My son is fairly normal even after my influence. (Must be mom). So I as talking about let a=2 and let b=3 So if we add a to b we get what? responses from son ranged from "ab" or "c" I then went into the whole memory address thing where a is just a name for a pointer to a memory address area where the value of "a" is stored. Soon as I asked for the value of "a". His response. "The value of "a" is always "a" right?" *sigh* no "a" is just the name for the pointer to the memory the variable name we use for then storing that value we will use later. "Well why not just type in 2+3 if you are going to add 2 and 3 together?" Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
rnbergren wrote:
Ideas? I didn't get anywhere.
When I was first exposed to programming, I had the hardest time understanding how a computer new "what a is." One day, I just got it. Here's what you do. Take two bowls, and label them "A" and "B" (actually label them, don't just say, let's call this bowl "A" and this bowl "B"!) Put 2 lemons (or apples, or whatever) in bowl A. Put 3 in bowl B. Ask your son how many lemons/apples/whatever are in both A and B. Then ask your son what A+B is. Label a third empty bowl C. Ask your son to physically express "C = A + B" by moving the fruit from bowls A and B into C. I'm sure he'll get it. Explaining all about memory address stuff is way to abstract without tangible, physical memnonics (or whatever the word is.) Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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Who's on first!
You cant outrun the world, but there is no harm in getting a head start Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
What's on second!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I'm at the same stage - I try to explain things in terms of "boxes". Box "a" contains two items, box "b" contains three items, how many items have I got if I add what's in box "a" to what's in box "b"? Pointers and memory addresses are a future topic :laugh:
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
It works well - but with young kids you can make it easier if you use bags of sweets. "I've got 2 sweets in this bag, and 3 sweets in this bag - how many sweets have I got?" It kinda focusses them on the content rather than the bag. Greedy little swine that they are... :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
