Why Functional Programming Matters to Kids

A decade ago we began organising the Lambda Days conference. Over the years of hosting a conference I have learned that it is all about the people: attendees, speakers and the crew running the event. In the keynote opening the 10th anniversary edition I review what contributes to a positive conference experience. I also discuss what were the most watched talks and what we think made them so popular.

I also summarise what I have learned about functional programming, what were the most influential talks and what made me step down from chairing the programme committee to focus on teaching.

I share my recent experiences of teaching in a primary school and argue why functional programming matters to kids.

Transcript

1. book
   Look
   C R E A T I V E P R E S E N T A T I O N
   

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2. Michał Ślaski
   Why Functional
   Programming
   Matters to Kids
   05.06.2023
   

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3. How computers
   change our brains
   2015 - Kinga Panasiewicz
   

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4. „Nice brain
   
   
   - is how you complement
   a brain scientist”
   2015 - Kinga Panasiewicz
   

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5. Learn
   How humans
   semantic memory
   spatial memory
   

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6. Teaching functional
   programming to
   n00bs in mobs
   2016 - Rob Martin
   42k views
   

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7. „A language with as few
   abstractions as possible,
   is easier to teach
   

   to new developers”
   2016 - Rob Martin
   

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8. Functional
   
   
   Languages
   A decade of
   

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9. Why Functional
   Programming
   Matters
   2017 - John Hughes and Mary Sheeran
   
   
   

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10. „I don’t need booleans,
    

    if I have functions.
    
    
    

    What else don’t we need?
    
    
    What about numbers?
    Who needs them?”
    2017 - John Hughes
    

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11. Categories for the
    Working Hacker
    
    
    2018 - Philip Wadler
    
    
    

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12. „When you have
    
    
    a tough job to do,
    
    
    this is a job for mathematics.
    
    
    This is a job for
    
    
    lambda calculus.”
    2018 - Philip Wadler
    
    
    

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13. How to let kids
    outsmart you and
    why they should?
    
    
    2020 - Van Anh Dam
    

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14. „It’s much easier to find a teacher
    and teach them how to code,
    
    
    than to find a programmer and
    teach them how to teach.”
    2020 - Van Anh Dam
    

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15. CS Unplugged
    1990s - Tim Bell
    

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17. Functional Programming:
    
    
    the Glue for Introducing
    
    
    Computing through Data Science
    
    
    2021 - Kathi Fisler
    

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18. „When we take the ideas
    
    
    that we use in FP
    
    
    and stage them aligned with what
    
    
    the teachers are already teaching,
    
    
    we get a powerful combination”
    2021 - Kathi Fisler
    

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19. Algebra
    1888 - Andrei. Kiselev
    Math textbooks in use for 60 years
    

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    Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet
    Algebra
    1930s - Stefan Banach
    Math textbooks for gymnasiums
    

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25. Sonic Pi
    
    
    - past,
    
    
    present
    
    
    & future
    2022 - Sam Aaron
    

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26. „Programming -
    
    
    not a tool for business,
    
    
    but a tool for
    
    
    human expression”
    2022 - Sam Aaron
    

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27. fractal tree
    2021 - koderki.pl
    

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28. fractal tree
    2021 - koderki.pl
    

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29. fractal tree
    2021 - koderki.pl
    

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30. interactive
    book
    2021 - koderki.pl
    

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31. What will
    
    
    inspire
    
    
    you today?
    2023 - Lambda Days
    

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