So, I'm thinking about what literacy might mean in the context of programming. What does it actually mean to be a literate programmer? Well, I think a big part of it means you can read, write, speak, and listen to others talk about code. So, that's what I'm doing in this course. In short, providing an environment to do *ALL* of those things.
In the early 1970s, most folks could do some mental arithmetic. They had to. The arrival of pocket calculators quickly reduced most people's ability to do "math" in their heads.
Ditto with Google Maps: people can't navigate without it. A recent study of Polish radiologists using LLMs to assist showed a measurable drop in the doctor's own ability to diagnose without them
LLMs will have that effect on programmers' ability to code.
More broadly: for people to be able to think for themselves.
