bwy, I am writing this to you, from a current teacher to maybe a future teacher. I have a big issue with this line of your response:
Otherwise, your efforts may be futilely spent on explanation when all they want is to get things working.
Now this attitude is fine in a work environment, or many other places. But this is death for learning. Learning is not about getting things to work, it is about understanding why things work, so you can apply that understanding elsewhere, to unrelated fields even.
So, for example, I do agree with you when you say: don't go back and explain that the interpreter is this thing with very strict constraints and everything you type matters But I disagree with what you say next: That's not the point. Explain what's wrong, why, and how to fix it!!!
What would be better, in my experience, is to lead the student to find out, for themselves, what is wrong, you can supply the why, and get them to figure out how to fix it. These are what we in teaching call teachable moments, random events which present an opportunity to give the student a deep learning experience, one which will stick with them for a long time.
Your 'explain what's wrong, why, and how to fix it!!!' can be done via google, doesn't add to a real learning experience, and can turn people into cargo cultists.
Otherwise, your efforts may be futilely spent on explanation when all they want is to get things working.
Now this attitude is fine in a work environment, or many other places. But this is death for learning. Learning is not about getting things to work, it is about understanding why things work, so you can apply that understanding elsewhere, to unrelated fields even.
So, for example, I do agree with you when you say: don't go back and explain that the interpreter is this thing with very strict constraints and everything you type matters But I disagree with what you say next: That's not the point. Explain what's wrong, why, and how to fix it!!!
What would be better, in my experience, is to lead the student to find out, for themselves, what is wrong, you can supply the why, and get them to figure out how to fix it. These are what we in teaching call teachable moments, random events which present an opportunity to give the student a deep learning experience, one which will stick with them for a long time.
Your 'explain what's wrong, why, and how to fix it!!!' can be done via google, doesn't add to a real learning experience, and can turn people into cargo cultists.