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
It might be time to try the Father Ted "small cow and far away cow" test. It always gets me and if he passes it he's probably fine.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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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
rnbergren wrote:
You as the parent are the best and most important instructor your child shall ever have.
So then why are you sending them to (public) school? :confused:
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
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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
Perhaps you should put off this sort of discussion until after his third birthday. ;)
Will Rogers never met me.
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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
Looks like he could have a bright future in customer support.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
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.
Brent Jenkins wrote:
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"?
Some beans[^]. :-D
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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Brent Jenkins wrote:
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"?
Some beans[^]. :-D
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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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.
Try it again: Box "a" contains two items cats, box "b" contains three items mice, how many items have I got if I add what's in box "a" to what's in box "b"?
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Try it again: Box "a" contains two items cats, box "b" contains three items mice, how many items have I got if I add what's in box "a" to what's in box "b"?
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Still five items. Both are probably derived from "animal" which is derived from "object" anyway :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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Probably the three smaller items will be integrated with the two larger items if you put them together. Would you still call it five items after the integration process is completed?
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This whole thread explains what's wrong with programmers and why so many projects go belly up :laugh:
How do you know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
Why not take it one step further: You put two cat items and three mice items into a closed box with no way to inspect the interior. Once you have closed and sealed the box, you will be unable to determine the total number of items in the box at any given time, until you break the seal. If Schrödinger had designed sucn an experiment, he probably would have suggested two large dog items and three kitten items - rumours are that he wasn't very much in favor of protecting cats from harm.
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Why not take it one step further: You put two cat items and three mice items into a closed box with no way to inspect the interior. Once you have closed and sealed the box, you will be unable to determine the total number of items in the box at any given time, until you break the seal. If Schrödinger had designed sucn an experiment, he probably would have suggested two large dog items and three kitten items - rumours are that he wasn't very much in favor of protecting cats from harm.
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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
When you go on to constant declarations, you may pick up some hints from the famous Xerox Fortran programming manual (in Fortran, constants are defined by DATA statements), to explain the rationale behind named constants: The primary purpose of the DATA statement is to give names to constants; instead of referring to PI as 3.141592653589797, at every appearance, the variable PI can be given that value with a DATA statement, and used instead of the longer form of the constant. This also simplifies modifying the program, should the value of PI change.
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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 would get two containers and label them a and b. Bowls, boxes, etc. Then I would say something like: Every day I am going to count the number of your toys that are in the living room. I will write that number on a slip of paper and put it in bowl a. Your Mom will count the number of toys in your room and write that number down on a slip of paper and put it in bowl b. So everyday I want to know the total. I could say add the number in bowl a to the number in bowl b but to make things simple I say a+b which means the same thing.
bleahy
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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
It's a developmental thing. I could not help my son when he was in first grade. It seemed he couldn't get anything. Then at 12 he got into a spot of bother and I took him to a night class I was taking. He sat at a computer next to me and said show me some C. I opened an IDE for him and showed him a couple of things, and went to my own work for the class. After a while he said look at this, and he ran a command line program he had written that prompted the user for a password, (hard coded), and did some small thing. He had never seen C code. He's a developer now. Take heart and let the kid grow.
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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
Not knowing for sure how old your son is. Algebra is the best way to explain it. Area = WxL Programming is about abstracting one solution to solve many problems, just like Algebra. The other way is to use coins. You enter how many quarters, nickels and dimes you have, and it tells you how much it is worth. Again static formula. I had 2yrs of BASIC programming before I learned ASSEMBLER and Realized that a variable was just a reference to a specific memory address. It was a cool day...
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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
What happens in the event that figure "A" is attracted to figure "B" and wants to get married, but figure "A" is already married to, say, figure "C," and figure "B" is engaged to figure "D"? But figure "A" can't keep his hands off of figure " B," because she's got such a great figure? from M*A*S*H episode "Dear Dad"
Brent
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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
Start with 2 + _ = 5 What goes in the blank? 3 What if instead of using the blank I say 2 + @ = 5 What is the value of @? 3 What if instead of using the blank I say 2 + a = 5 What is the value of a? 3 What if I say: _ + _ = 5 or _ + @ = 5 or a + b = 5 This forms a "Fact Family" Plot the fact family on a piece of graph paper hooked. If they understand negative numbers (direction or debit/credit) make sure you graph some negative numbers as well. Then worry about computer memory and the like. A good analogy for computer memory/nicknames Addresses/mailboxes on a street, but you say "Bobby's House" "Sally's House" etc.
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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
Hmmm...the concept of variables/memory locations. OK. His best friend's phone number. "671-1375" isn't his best friend, but it using it will get him his best friend. Not a perfect analogy, but might get him pointed in the right direction.
We won't sit down. We won't shut up. We won't go quietly away. YouTube and My Mu[sic], Films and Windows Programs, etc.
