This video features an interview with Professor Hal Abelson, a pioneer in computer science education. He reflects on his career, starting from his early work with Logo programming language and its use in education. He emphasizes the importance of computer education for everyone, particularly for children who can use technology to make a real-world impact.
Abelson also discusses the risks associated with artificial intelligence and MIT's decision to make educational materials freely available online, which led to MIT OpenCourseWare. He believes computer scientists should not only focus on technical advancements but also consider the ethical implications of their work, asking "What, in fact, is worth making?". The video also highlights resources like Logo, Scratch, and MIT App Inventor, encouraging viewers to explore these tools.
Abelson also discusses the risks associated with artificial intelligence and MIT's decision to make educational materials freely available online, which led to MIT OpenCourseWare. He believes computer scientists should not only focus on technical advancements but also consider the ethical implications of their work, asking "What, in fact, is worth making?". The video also highlights resources like Logo, Scratch, and MIT App Inventor, encouraging viewers to explore these tools.
MIT CSAIL Professor Hal Abelson emphasizes the importance of free software for securing our agency in our digital worlds. His project, App Inventor, enables anyone to create apps without coding. He also discusses free software freedoms, the book 'Blown to Bits', and the importance of privacy and data provenance in today's digital age.
REFERENCES
1. Abelson. H.. and disessa, A.A. Turtle Geomelry: The Computer as a
Medium for Exploring Mathematics. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.,
1981.
2. Bolt, R.A. Spatial data-management. Rep., Dept. of Architecture.
MIT. Cambridge. Mass.. 1979.
3. diSessa. A.A. A principled design for an integrated computational
environment. Hum.-Compui. Interaction I, 1 (1985). l-47.
4. disessa. A.A. Notes on the future of programming: Breaking the
utility barrier. In User-Centered Systems Design, D. Norman and
S. Draper. Eds. Lawrence Erlbaum. Hillsdale, N.J., 1986.
5. Goldberg. A.. and Robson. D. Smalltalk-80: The Language and Its Implementafion. Addison-Wesley. Reading. Mass., 1983.
6. Papert, S. Mindstorms:
Acknowledgments. We gratefully acknowledge the
efforts of all those members of the Boxer Groups at
MIT and Berkeley who have helped to make Boxer
(almost) a reality. Special thanks to Michael
Eisenberg, Gregor Kiczales, Leigh Klotz, Ed Lay,
and Jeremy Roschelle.
1. Abelson. H.. and disessa, A.A. Turtle Geomelry: The Computer as a
Medium for Exploring Mathematics. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.,
1981.
2. Bolt, R.A. Spatial data-management. Rep., Dept. of Architecture.
MIT. Cambridge. Mass.. 1979.
3. diSessa. A.A. A principled design for an integrated computational
environment. Hum.-Compui. Interaction I, 1 (1985). l-47.
4. disessa. A.A. Notes on the future of programming: Breaking the
utility barrier. In User-Centered Systems Design, D. Norman and
S. Draper. Eds. Lawrence Erlbaum. Hillsdale, N.J., 1986.
5. Goldberg. A.. and Robson. D. Smalltalk-80: The Language and Its Implementafion. Addison-Wesley. Reading. Mass., 1983.
6. Papert, S. Mindstorms:
Acknowledgments. We gratefully acknowledge the
efforts of all those members of the Boxer Groups at
MIT and Berkeley who have helped to make Boxer
(almost) a reality. Special thanks to Michael
Eisenberg, Gregor Kiczales, Leigh Klotz, Ed Lay,
and Jeremy Roschelle.
