[Edu-sig] [help@ridgway.k12.co.us: educational materials]

[Jeffrey Elkner]

Hi Criss!

I am a computer science teacher at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA.  Last
year I began using Python as the language of instruction in our first year
programming course.  Python is a wonderful language for that purpose.  By the
end of the year it was clear that the students were programming with more
confidence and were writing more interesting programs than they were ever able
to when we used C++.

About the only issue that has not yet been fully resolved is the lack of text
book and teaching materials using Python.  With the gracious help of several
other people, I have taken on the task of modifying an excellent introductory
programming text book for use with Python.  I will be finishing version 1 of it
this summer.  You can see what there is so far at:

http://yhslug.tux.org/obp/thinkCS/ThinkCSpy

The book will be available on-line, and we know a printer who can produce nice
looking bound printed versions for about $10 per copy.

Other than that I have found the most readable book available for beginners to
be "The Quick Python Book", by Daryl D. Harms and Kenneth McDonald.  It is not
a text book, but it is well written and easy to learn from.

Please let me know if I can be of any further help, and thanks for thinking
of this wonderful language in planning your course.

jeff elkner
yorktown high school
arlington, va 

On Mon, 03 Jul 2000, you wrote:
> I am a science teacher and do tech support at Ridgway School in Ridgway, 
> Colorado.  I will be teaching computer science for the first time this coming
> school year.  I would like to teach python.  What book would you suggest I use
> for student textbooks and what would be best for me to use?
> Thanks,
> Criss Bartley