Engaging mathematics learners - Teaching through programming?

Engaging mathematics students is a challenge in any world, in particular an online world. Is is because the CONTENT of the core mathematics we teach is actually not that enagaging? So we need to dress it up? to SELL it with fancy interactives and flashy design? I still don't think the average kid will remember the algoritms in Algebra 1 or Algebra2 that we teach him 6 months later whether we do it the old fashioned way or with all these fancy Gimmicks that some equate to Engaging teaching. Yes I use them(TI Nspire activities, Explore Learning Gizmos, Flash files, etc) and I like them. BUT do they work any better? Research could probably be used to validate either argument I would presume. So we need to make these techniques "stick". But how do we do that when they see solve a quadratic equation in February and then again in June(the final exam)? Is it even important to make these skills Stick in today's "get it when u need it" world? I agree with Conrad Wolfram in a lot of ways - In that I think we do it all Wrong. For Example, why focus on the tedium of solving a quadratic equation by "completing the Square" when you could focus on the NEED to do it. IS there even a need to do it this way? I like the concept of teaching mathematics through programming. In fact I have learned so much MORE this past year about mathematics through using Exam View Assessment Suite and its use of algorithms to produce dynamic evaluation items. You know what I have thought about? Asking kids to do this as well. Yes - students creating their own dynamic evaluation items for review or to simply pass on for future classes or for future generations. I have been teaching 18 years now and this has been one of my enagaging years. And I am working with content that I have "run through my fingers" for years. I am engaged through "programming". Conrad Wolfram may have the answer.