terry_adams81•1mo agoProlific Poster

Pro tip: a kid at the library last year asked me what a 'for loop' was for, and it made me rethink how I explain things.

I was helping with a coding club in Austin, and a 10-year-old just looked at the screen and said, 'But why does it go in a circle?' I realized I'd been using terms that only made sense if you already knew them. How do you guys break down basic concepts for someone with zero background?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordans181mo ago

I used to jump straight into the syntax. Now I start with a real task, like making ten sandwiches. You repeat the same steps for each one. That's the loop. The kid's question about circles made me see we need to start with the "why" before the "how". What's your go-to example for teaching loops?

jesse_west1mo ago

Wow, we overcomplicate everything, even explaining how a microwave works.

the_derek15d ago

Right? It's like we're scared of simple answers... you see it with recipes, instructions for furniture, even how to use basic apps. Everything gets turned into a whole production.