tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677687.post3311642656840465509..comments2024-03-27T15:13:24.764-04:00Comments on Computer Science Teacher: How Do Teachers Without CS Experience Debug Student CodeAlfred Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05575057876858763822noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677687.post-55926905288571899272020-01-11T19:56:38.748-05:002020-01-11T19:56:38.748-05:00One week summer PDs are totally useless to beginni...One week summer PDs are totally useless to beginning CS teachers. I have attended several with beginning teachers in the class. They come out totally confused as how to actually teach CS/programming. Yes, they learn a little coding and how to try to teach from a cookbook curriculum but unless things go perfectly they are lost. In the programming classes I teach things rarely go perfectly. I like attending these PDs because I get ideas on how to improve my teaching technique and I meet people with ideas. It has taken me years to get half way decent at teaching programming, why anyone would think a one week PD is justified for a starting teacher is beyond me. Some would argue it is better than nothing but I would disagree. It is probably enough to really confuse students. <br /><br />Debugging to me is the hardest skill to teach. It requires a logical thinking process that many are simply not mentally mature enough to execute.Garthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677687.post-35937627460958726882020-01-10T16:56:33.114-05:002020-01-10T16:56:33.114-05:00About 25-30 years ago, Jon Bentley taught a course...About 25-30 years ago, Jon Bentley taught a course in debugging where the textbook was "The Medical Detectives" by Berton Roueche, even though that book has nothing to do with programming. I think it was more about cultivating the appropriate mindset.<br /><br />More recently, I thought about <a href="http://okasaki.blogspot.com/2008/02/games-for-programmers-zendo.html" rel="nofollow">teaching debugging using the game of Zendo</a>, but I've never tried to do that in an actual classroom.Chris Okasakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18247315355264748920noreply@blogger.com