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By PHYLLIS DEWAR
“Mrs. Lowe, come look at
this!” called Hugh Davis of Mur
freesboro just after he had pro
duced a Logo design which need
ed nothing more than admiration.
Can students who have just
finished grades three through five
begin to learn computer program
ming?
“Emphatically yes!” say Peggy
Lowe and Phyllis Dewar.
During the regular school year,
Peggy teaches fifth grade at
Riverview Graded School in Mur
freesboro and Phyllis is a
member of college’s Science
Department. These two ladies
taught a class during the summer
using Apple Logo, a programming
language which involves moving
a “turtle” around the monitor’s
screen. One of the many benefits
of Logo is that the students gain a
strong feel for the size of an angle
and other concepts of geometry,
although the word “geometry” is
not used. They also begin to see
how smaller progranns can be
woven into more complex ones.
All of this can be done with a
minimum of keystrokes, an ad
vantage fw those less familiar
with a computer’s keyboard.
Word Processing
The students were also in
troduced to AppleWorks for word
processing, using the computer as
a typewriter. They wrote about
themselves, camp, dreams and
pets.
AppleWorks is an integrated
program which includes word
TEAMWORK—Jessie Pulley of
Murfreesboro, and Jennifer
Baker of Ahoskie, two of the
40 students enrolled in the
class, enjoy working together
on a project.
processing, data base and spread
sheet. Mrs. Dewar said, “I am
not aware of AppleWorks being
used for students at this level.
However, they manipulated the
software with surprising ease.
One benefit of using a program of
this caliber is that students don’t
outgrow it. An analogy which
seems appropriate is that very
young students can perform
classical music at a grand piano.
However, they are not required to
begin by playing an entire
Beethoven Sonata.”
E^ager to Learn
The students seemed eager to
come to the class. Many arrived
early to get some extra time at
the keyboard. Younger siblings,
parents and grandparents stood in
"Computers are
neater than
basketball!"
—Rob Burke
Murfreesboro
the doorway to watch; sxne ven
tured inside.
Teachers of courses such as this
hear lots of interesting conunents.
Mrs. M. P. Futrell of Woodland,
herself a teacher in the Woodland-
Olney Elementary School said,
“What are you doing to these
boys? I can’t keep them at
home.” Mrs. Futrell provided
transportation for her grandsons,
Maurice and Darrin Futrell of
Rich Square.
The ultimate compliment must
have come from Jonathan Rose of
Seaboard as Phyllis Dewar helped
him edit one of his programs.
Said he, “Gosh, you type as good
as my Mamma!” Jonathan’s
mother. Sue Rose, is a college
secretary.
“Neat” seems to be the most
popular word for this age group.
When students were asked what
do you think of computers or what
do you think of the project you
have just done with the Ap
pleWorks word processor or what
did your parents think (rf your
design, the response was always
the same.
Neat!
In fact, when Rob Burke of
Murfreesboro was asked how
computers compare to basketball
he relied, “They’re neater than
basketball!” Apparently Rob
believes that, too, because he en
joyed coming back to the
classroom to practice after the
other students had gone home.
EXCITING EXPERIENCES—Jonathan Rose,
left, of Seaboord and Picott Harrington,
Lewiston, receive instruction from Phyllis
Dewar while Tashaddo Eason of Mur
freesboro, observes the procedures in the
computer class for youngsters.
Rob’s father, Bob Burke, is head
basketball coach at Chowan.
Long Trips to Class
Mrs. Beverly Harrington drove
from Lewiston each day so that
her son, Picott, could be involved
in the course. This mother said to
her son, “I just don’t have time to
drive to Murfreesboro on Fri
day.” Then she admitted that
Picott looked so disappointed she
conceded.
Brent Mann and Jason Bames,
neighbors from Pendleton, were
the last to leave after class in the
afternoon. As they waited patient
ly for a printer to make copies of
their turtle graphics, Jason com
mented, “Brent and 1 have decid
ed that we will go into business
togetlier. We both want to be
engineers so we’ll need to know a
lot about computers. ”
Then after the printing had
finished and a mother was
waiting, Brent said, in his own
quiet, deliberate manner, “Do
you have something planned for
us to do with the computers next
summer?”
These prospective engineers
just might decide to use Ap
pleWorks as a business tool.
In summary, the Apple Class
for Grades 3-5 did not follow na
tional trends. Much has been writ
ten and said recently about the
small number of females who feel
comfortable with computers and
the need to encourage them to
move in this direction. However,
more than half ol the students in
this course were girls.
As Reba Dacus of Ahoskie ad
mired the printout of one of her
original Logo designs, she com
mented, “It looks like a broken
down house just after a party!”
Perhaps at this age, girls haven’t
yet learned that it’s not ap
propriate for them to enjoy com
puters. Hopefully they will
NEVER learn that. May the party
continue!
Churches Contributing
to
ANNUAL GIVING FUND
June 27,1986
Ashley’s Grove Baptist Church, Conway
Berea Baptist Church, Qizabeth City
Bethlehem Baptist Church, Cofield
Cashie Baptist Church, Windsor
Coinjock Baptist Church, Coinjock
Colerain Baptist Church, Coierain
Conway Baptist Church, Conway
Cool Spring Baptist Church, Eure
Corinth Baptist Church, Nashville
Creeksville Baptist Church, Conway
Earley’s Baptist Church, Ahoskie
Elam Baptist Church, Gumberry
First Baptist Church, Ahoskie
First Baptist Church, Elizabeth City
First Baptist Church, Rocky Mount
First Baptist Church, Scotland Neck
Great Hope Baptist Church, Hertford
Hamilton Baptist Church. Hamilton
Hertford Baptist Church, Hertford
Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson
KeKord Baptist Church, Kelford
Meherrin Baptist Church, Murfreesboro
Menola Baptist Church, Woodland
Murfreesboro Baptist Church, Murfreesboro
Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, Elm City
Potccasi Baptist Church, Potecasi
Riverside Baptist Church, Roanoke Rapids
Sandy Run Baptist Church. Roxobel
Shiloh Baptist Church, Shiloh
Speed Baptist Church, Speed
Union Baptist Church, Ahoskie
Whiteville Baptist Church, Belvidere
Woodland Baptist Church, Woodland
Yeopim Baptist Church, Edenton
PAGE4—TheChowanian, October, 1986