Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education

The Lisp programming language is strange, amazing, and beautiful. Some say it is the most elegant and powerful language ever created. You can learn all the basics in a few minutes, but the language is also subtle and sophisticated and learning it can bring you face-to-face with the underlying structure of thought. For decades, Lisp was the main language for artificial intelligence research and it was also the basis for two important teaching languages-- Scheme and Logo. Recently, aspects of the Lisp way of thinking have also shown up in the United States' Next Generation Science Standards. In this episode I look at where this language came from, how it works, and how it became part of the national discussion about education.