[Edu-sig] Bionic Snaketalk (proposed metaphorics)

[Richard Guenther]

In the same way that Python programmers like to compare python to other languages in sheer line count of code (see the page bottom of this example from Peter Norvig), I like to compare the first three or four chapters of beginning programming books about Python to beginning books for other languages. 

I remember finding a big pile of C++ "introductory" books in our schools storage room.  After asking around I found out the school actually had a programming class in the past that "just didn't catch on".  Looking at those texts, I can see why....

Luckily, enough time has passes that no students now remember that C++ class anymore.  I have more of a "blank slate" to introduce to Python and IDLE.

Richard




----- Original Message ----
From: kirby urner <kirby.urner at gmail.com>

========snip snip=====================

What's cool about IDLE is you're free to interact with the
low level components without going to all the work of
writing a structured program.

The immediacy of the shell is what throws students for
a loop sometimes -- they're not used to prodding and
poking at this low a level, still think you "have to write
programs" in order to explore string....

========snip snip==================








       
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