Keeping the machinery in computing education

Citation

Connor R, Cutts Q & Robertson J (2017) Keeping the machinery in computing education. Communications of the ACM, 60 (11), pp. 26-28. https://doi.org/10.1145/3144174

Abstract
First paragraph: We do not think there can be "computer science" without a computer. Some efforts at deep thinking about computing education seem to sidestep the fact that there is technology at the core of this subject, and an important technology at that. Computer science practitioners are concerned with making and using these powerful, general-purpose engines. To achieve this, computational thinking is essential, however, so is a deep understanding of machines and languages, and how these are used to create artifacts. In our opinion, efforts to make computer science entirely about "computational thinking" in the absence of "computers" are mistaken.

Journal
Communications of the ACM: Volume 60, Issue 11