[fpc-pascal] Working on a new way to educate people about pascal

[Adriaan van Os]

Anthony Walter via fpc-pascal wrote:
> Hi guys,
> 
> I had a new idea for an interface design to help people who either are 
> not into programming yet or have only used a language other than Free 
> Pascal. Please see this draft Introduction to Free Pascal web page I 
> posted this morning.

Well, I still remember the glorious day we were taught Pascal at university. As follows. We were 
given the Wirth Pascal Report. That was it. From that moment on we were supposed to know the language.

I don't see how any "story telling" on the web can teach someone Pascal. The language is about 
abstract thinking and about expressing oneself elegantly and precisely. If the Wirth Report doesn't 
teach you that, nothing will.

Modern mathematics education tries to teach by showing graphs and pictures, instead of formulas and 
proofs. But, by doing so, it misses the most important point — that mathematics is about abstract 
thinking. You will never get around the point that it is the abstract thinking that must be taught.

And that's the whole point of the way we were taught Pascal at university. The details of the 
language can be looked up in a report. The only important thing is — to learn thinking.

Regards,

Adriaan van Os