Best Practices
We need to be aware of other Constructivist and Constructionist possibilities, in addition to Sugar. This Best Practices list should include the best tools and learning materials we collectively know of.
The most discoverable programming languages in addition to Smalltalk:
- Forth: Best books, Starting Forth and Thinking Forth, by Leo Brodie. Used in Open Firmware. The most compact, conceptually simple, and extensible programming language. The Forth word 'see' allows a user to inspect the source code of any Forth word.
see 2dup
- 2dup
dup dup ; ok
- LISP/Scheme: Best books: The Little LISPer/Schemer, The Seasoned Schemer, The Reasoned Schemer, by Daniel P. Friedman and others: Anatomy of Lisp by John Allen.
- APL/J There are numerous math books written using APL and more recently J as the executable notation for every math statement. Ken Iverson, the inventor of APL, wrote textbooks on Arithmetic, Algebra, and Calculus. APL has successfully been used in first grade arithmetic. There are also books on probability, statistics, cryptography, computer graphics, and computer design using APL.
Forth, LISP, APL, and Smalltalk are the most important programming language paradigms. They are Turing-equivalent, but so different in form, and so simple in concept and syntax, that I can say that nobody understands the possibilities of computers who does not understand all of them in some depth.
- The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study, by Kimon Nicolaides . Whole Earth Review : "...not only the best how-to book on drawing, it is the best how-to book we've seen on any subject."
Add Maria Montessori, Caleb Gattegno, and many others. Think about engaging all students to be learning researchers, able to discover in general and in every individual case the best learning/discovery/mastery strategies for every subject.