On Apr 2, 1:32 pm, Stef Mientki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > John Henry wrote: > > On Apr 1, 11:10 am, sprad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> On Apr 1, 11:41 am, mdomans <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >>> Python needs no evangelizing but I can tell you that it is a powerfull > >>> tool. I prefer to think that flash is rather visualization tool than > >>> programing language, and java needs a lot of typing and a lot of > >>> reading. On the other hand python is simple to read and write, can be > >>> debuged easily, is intuitive and saves a lot of time. It also supports > >>> batteries included policy and you can't get more OO than python. > > >> One advantage of Flash is that we can have something moving on the > >> screen from day one, and add code to it piece by piece for things like > >> keyboard or mouse control, more and more complex physics, etc. Is > >> there an equivalent project in Python? > > > I downloaded the "How to Think Like a Python Programmer" book and read > > it. I think it's a fine reference book for the purpose you > > indicated. > > > Here's my 2 cents on the subject. > > > I had been a volunteer mentor to my son's middle school robotic team > > for several years and I have some experiences, therefore, in how kids > > react to "programming". Granted, high school kids are "bigger kids" - > > but they are kids nevertheless. > > > Last summer, I experimented teaching my own kid Python. He was in 7th > > grade going onto 8th grade. He was the main goto person for the > > robotic team and had no trouble learning the common applications such > > as the Microsoft Office suite, and had some experience in ICONic > > programming (Lego Mindstorm). So, I tried to see what would happen if > > he tries to learn Python - using somewhat similar approach you are > > taking: start with something visually appealing on day one. Instead > > of Flash, I used Pythoncard - a no-brainer Python GUI construction > > toolkit. He was really excited seeing how easy it was to have tic-tae- > > toe type program up so easily (we are taking minutes - not hours) and > > was very interested and motivated to continue. So far so good. > > However, once I start teaching him variables, expressions, loops, and > > what not, I found that (by surprise) he had great difficulties > > catching on. Not soon after that, we had to quit. > > > We - as adults - take many things for granted and sometimes don't > > remember, or don't understand how kids learn. My experience tells me > > that in order to teach today's video game generation of kids, the > > approach really has to be entirely visual. After I abandoned my > > attempt to teach my kid Python, I started them on Robolab - a > > simplified version of LabView and to my delight, they were able to > > cook up a few simple programs (like fibonacci series and so forth) > > without too much effort - although my own kid had some minor trouble > > understanding the concept of a container (LabView's version of a > > variable). > > > I don't know if you have access to LabView or Robolab or similar > > packages but if you do, I would highly recommend those. LabView is > > every bit as powerful, full-featured, and "real-life" as many of the > > other languages and I believe that kids will have a much easier time > > learning computer programming with it. > > Well I doubt it's the visual environment that makes it more easy, > color, shape and position can give some extra information though. > I think apriori domain knowledge and flattness of information are of far > more importance. > The first issue is covered quit well by Robolab / Labview, > but the second issue certainly is not. > I'm right now working on a Labview like editor in Python, > which does obey the demand for flatness of information. > The first results can be seen > here:http://oase.uci.kun.nl/~mientki/data_www/pylab_works/pw_animations_sc... > > cheers, > Stef Mientki > > > And you are going to teach them Java? Oh, please don't. Let the > > colleges torture them. :=)
What do you mean by flatness of information? -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
