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Deryk Barker wrote:
> Does anyone have any experience with teaching Python as a *first*
> programming language.
>
> I'm looking into the feasbility of this and would like to discuss it
> with anyone who has experience or thoughts in the area.
>

Hi Deryk,

First, I'll tell something about me and my python experience.

I'm a Dutch 13-year-old-boy and I've about half a year programming
experience with Python onder Linux. It was lucky for me that I had a
father who was also going to learn python with lots of programming
experience to teach me some things.

After half a year experience, my father and I (me?) have concluded that
python is quite suitable for a beginning language. You shouldn't begin with
OOP and lambda stuff, but you shouldn't construct it too fast. Just
start woth reading tutorials, and get a book about python. I only read
"programming python" by Mark Lutz, and that's just a bit too hard for me.


But I think it will be easier for you, because of two reasons:

I've the disadvantage of being Dutch: however there are many
Dutch readers in this newsgroup, and even Guido van Rossum is Dutch, there's
no Dutch python documentation (I've also thought about setting up a Dutch
python mailinglist, any comments?).

The second reason is my age. I'm only 13, and I think you're older.


Conclusion: yes, I suggest trying python.


regards,
Gerrit Holl.

--
The Dutch Linuxgames website. De Nederlandse Linuxgames pagina.
Everything about games on Linux. Alles over spelletjes onder Linux.
Site address: http://linuxgames.nl.linux.org
Personal homepage: http://nl.linux.org/~gerrit/

On Sat, May 29, 1999 at 06:24:10PM +0000, Deryk Barker wrote:
> Does anyone have any experience with teaching Python as a *first*
> programming language.
>
> I'm looking into the feasbility of this and would like to discuss it
> with anyone who has experience or thoughts in the area.

Well, I gave tutorial few month ago. But, "students" already knew
C, APL, perl; so, that made my job easier. As far as teaching as
first language, I would still would go for C. Object oriented aspect
of python would only be appreciated after having gone through
something like C.

William Park

dbarker@camosun.bc.nospam.ca (Deryk Barker) writes:

> Does anyone have any experience with teaching Python as a *first*
> programming language.
>
> I'm looking into the feasbility of this and would like to discuss it
> with anyone who has experience or thoughts in the area.

Well -- I've done an effort in my "Instant Hacking" at
http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~mlh/python/instant.html

Personally, I think Python is a brilliant choice as a first language.
*Much* more so than, for instance, Java (which is used here at the
university...) If you stick to the basic procedural programming
constructs, it is extremely simple. It's almost like teaching
pseudocode, which is basically what one would want to at such an early
stage, I guess...

>
>

--

Magnus
Lie
Hetland http://arcadia.laiv.org <arcadia@laiv.org>

Deryk Barker wrote:
>
> Does anyone have any experience with teaching Python as a *first*
> programming language.
>
> I'm looking into the feasbility of this and would like to discuss it
> with anyone who has experience or thoughts in the area.

i've used it to teach my 11 year old to program.
python is just about ideal, in my estimation.
we've just done some simple things, cataloguing
her beanie baby collection in a flat file database.
but she found it very easy to pick up.

--
Garry Hodgson comes a time
garry@sage.att.com when the blind man
Software Innovation Services takes your hand, says,
AT&T Labs "don't you see?"