Re: Ice breakers

[Andrew Starks <andrew.starks@...>]

I think that getting into references / pass-by-value is WAAAY off base. Your average kid needs none of your explanation to understand what...

fruit = "Banana"

print("I like " .. fruit ..".")

will do.

I'm imagining some 30 year programmer now launching into the following. "Now, fruit is pointing to a spot in the computer's memory that has the numbers 66, 97, 110... I should pause here to just mention that these are all in decimal numbers, as you may have guessed. The computer doesn't really understand decimal <now snort laughing at the thought of it> but I'm using that notation for you, just because you're starting out here and I love you. Anyway..."

How about just avoiding that subject all-together and use simple examples that center around the subjects of farting and exploding?

I'm always reminded of the difference between knowing something and being able to teach by my wife, a teacher. I can drone on and on, passionately simplifying every detail, adhering to perfect correctness in favor of conveying only the gist of the truth, then admitting the small lies later, when they matter.

My kid: "Dad, how does an airplane fly?"

Me: "That's a great question. Okay. So, there is are all around us, right? Wave your hand. Feel the wind? Okay. So sometimes there is lots of air and sometimes less. That's called 'air pressure'..."

My wife: "It uses its wings!"

My kid: "Thanks, mom. Dad, you can stop now."

Teaching is a craft that I have grown to respect a great deal.

-Andrew