My .002c worth.
Cheers
Jason
Carl Cerecke wrote:
Derek Smithies wrote:
I think it is somewhat futile to get a book on a computer language in the hope that the recipient will learn the language. More important than the book is a pressing task that requires the use of some language. With the pressing task comes the requisite enthusiasm to learn the language. Thus, if there is no pressing task, don't buy the book.
I taught myself programming as a kid on the Commodore 64. I never had any pressing task, I was just interested.
Actually, I don't think you can learn your first computer language because of some "pressing" non-trivial programming task. Learning to program well just takes too long.
Michael Dawson, in his book "Python Programming for the Absolute Beginner", has cunningly chosen all programming examples to be games. If that doesn't generate some enthusiasm to get a kid programming, then nothing probably will.
Anyway, her birthday is in June. I'm just getting organised uncharacteristically early - and I can't really afford lego mindstorms.
There is a holy war brewing here - what language to learn?
No holy war necessary. For teaching kids, python is the Right Language. :-)
Cheers, Carl.
