Of course, as I have little or no interest in Python, nor SCRATCHesque 'programming' that does not exactly float my boat:
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BUT; from a methodological point of view it does seem to be a bit better than SCRATCH.
AND: it is not too far fetched to imagine a similar sort of arrangement with xTalk instead of Python.
My argument against this type of approach is that the conceptual leap from SCRATCHesque code blocks to Python (or xTalk) is rather too large.
Certainly the assumption seems to be that "kiddos" will intuitively 'get' Python from seeing their Code-block creations in Python. Which they won't without one hell of a lot of hand-holding, which rather begs the question as to why one would bother with the code blocks in the first place.
At 13 I learnt FORTRAN IV with no 'pretty pictures' at all; just a fantastic teacher who, obviously, worked out how to get pea-brained types like myself to understand the programming language.
As xTalk is considerably less clunky, and considerably simpler than FORTAN IV, the necessity to have a code block, LEGO kit before it is introduced escapes me.
As I have reiterated far, far too many times: I have had 9 year olds running up calculator clones, temperature converters, text editors and "Snail Bob" clones in a matter of a week with LiveCode . . . No Scratch, No "sniff".
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