Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed4.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.077 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.85; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.06; 'subject:language': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; 'benjamin': 0.16; 'caution:': 0.16; 'letting': 0.16; 'opposite': 0.16; 'optional.': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'subject:programming': 0.16; 'to:name:python list': 0.16; 'essential': 0.16; 'student': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'all,': 0.19; 'machine': 0.22; 'putting': 0.22; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'effort.': 0.24; 'subject:/': 0.26; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'to:2**1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; 'am,': 0.29; 'programming.': 0.30; "i'm": 0.30; 'anyone': 0.31; 'lists': 0.32; 'this.': 0.32; 'minimal': 0.33; 'tool': 0.35; 'computing': 0.35; 'test': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'next': 0.36; 'similar': 0.36; 'message-id:@gmail.com': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'sure': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'ensure': 0.60; 'skip:u 10': 0.60; 'course': 0.61; 'real': 0.63; 'interest': 0.64; 'taking': 0.65; 'great': 0.65; 'situation': 0.65; 'studies': 0.65; 'teach': 0.65; 'to:addr:gmail.com': 0.65; 'production.': 0.68; 'drivers': 0.74; 'oscar': 0.84; 'step.': 0.91; 'instructors': 0.93; 'suffering': 0.93 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:subject:references :in-reply-to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=stdqfpByreN9/jlIgw0LVMUTXmscgP5/W5BHqw00D5U=; b=w6PnCRpQot1c/gpCxZae4bMFFR80j2IvmmDBFO/sqMHLgmkjBE4Z0EyEIerizEbSgK apwdgPsBJpZHAH2eSN5X4oFFyHUjS3atZ3+zMXdZpG+Pd/k6gYdVDmls+4ZwcvXntYk0 Zuw/9rFIpmMmZhKkgYa81otKztK7aRYMIwV9G6AZyCF6z6VKiCE8hloVrLmMEl+F7u8b KmCIEkeRxCmBY67ATNR6I8EBe16/FoPKs4bTyLoucN5s7j9cfwEOjh68zAHjFcbBpa4K AT3vOaSWxk8kaHDfs8VR0KpcJPR9SfuqeV2tRYyzoEyTpg1Jo8lurMl8c0WDvmz/XHkh tuhQ== X-Received: by 10.49.15.104 with SMTP id w8mr108846666qec.49.1386622417097; Mon, 09 Dec 2013 12:53:37 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:53:30 -0500 From: bob gailer User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; WOW64; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.1.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Oscar Benjamin , Python List Subject: Re: Experiences/guidance on teaching Python as a first programming language References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 24 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1386622419 news.xs4all.nl 2860 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:33205 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:61415 On 12/9/2013 7:23 AM, Oscar Benjamin wrote: [snip] > I'm interested to know if anyone can share experience of > a similar situation or can point to any case studies about this. Taking the opposite perspective from Gene: I think Python is great as an intro to computing and programming. Give a student a tool with which he can be productive quickly. and with minimal effort. Understanding the real machine may be of interest to some but is not essential .I'd make that "later" and optional. Do you teach potential drivers how the engine works before letting them drive? Caution: having listened to many students express their suffering on these lists I recommend: beta test any course before putting it into production. be sure you give the student what he needs to understand and take the next step. be sure your instructors are willing to help the students. it is, after all, the job of the instructor to ensure the student succeeds.