Thanks for the flashback. I wonder how many HN members got started on their TI-83. I remember even the most remedial users figuring out how to store enough data to cheat in pre-calc. IMO, the language is less relevant, it just takes a project.
I remember coding them directly with the keyboard on the calculator. I wrote all kinds of things, things to help me solve things, solve equations, geometry solvers, games. It was a blast, and I think that's what got me interested in programming.
Thanks TI! Maybe Middle Schools should work on developing an introductory programming curriculum to introduce kinds to the idea of programming. It's probably more important then most things middle schoolers are learning, especially considering I probably spent so much of my time in math class programming my calculator.