Personally, my first introduction (at 8) was LOGO, and it was tons of fun, but I didn't make the connection between it and programming until much after I had started to do what I thought was programming (which I started in C). It also might be even too juvenile for 11-14 year olds, if they are sufficiently mature.
I'd suggest Python as a first 'real' programming language. Besides the fact that it has blindingly simple syntax that is often a few characters away from the pseudocode you might explain the program in, at a higher level, it allows for simple iterative programming, procedural programming, functional programming, and object-oriented programming, so students can progress from one level of intellectualism to the next without learning new syntax, and with the interactive shell, demos and exploration are made that much easier.
There's also something called PyLogo, which, though I've never tried it, looks promising:
I'm curious to see (but not awaiting the answer) which will win, this phone or the "Will it Blend?" blender.
Also, my friend's cell phone was once run over by a truck and still worked, aside from the screen. He used it for a semester before replacing it with the same model.
Right now, I'm in a Java class where we use Eclipse, and I've seen most kids use the auto-create try/catch block all year, and then have no idea what one is, or even why we use it.
This is just an example, but the problem with IDEs is that students begin to lean on them as a crutch without even understanding the concepts.
I started programming on a whim in an Intro to C++ course in 10th grade that really only taught procedure oriented programming. I had been interested in computers since I was 6, but somehow our machine didn't ship with BASIC (or my dad couldn't find it...), so I forgot about it until later. Anyway, I got a taste of programming in that class (it ended with some very basic c/p type HTML), and had to know more. I went on, over the next year, to learn, on my own, object oriented C++, PHP, HTML/CSS, and a few other things loosely. I then ended up learning Java on my own so I could skip the prerequisites for APCS (I switched to a school that taught in Java), where I stayed firmly ahead of the class and the teacher. I had to correct his code examples on many an occasion. While in this class I got more interested in the newer stuff coming out, and learned quite a number of other things, notably Ruby on Rails, with which I am currently developing a website with AJAX for a friend of mine and myself who are starting our own "tech support" company which we're pitching at a local community college.
Anyway, to respond, I agree completely. I visited Case Western in my college search (graduating in June, going to Stony Brook next fall), and sat in on a programming class. They were using Visual C#, and it made me cry. The way the course was taught was that the professor would show which buttons to select and where to place them, and then would give a few examples of exception handling that would be added in to the generated code. Did I mention just how much I hate C#?
Also, I'll have to agree with you there on Python, although I'm a bit of a Ruby fan myself. Actually, I'm pretty much a Ruby fanboy. The things it does that are superior to everything else are nearly limitless, not to mention the fact that EVERYTHING is an object (even nil!).
"Oh, my! We need a coffee maker!"
"Look! The Joneses developed one last month! Let's modify theirs and distribute it throughout the house!"
Some questions arise: Do I need to raze my old house if I want to change distrobutions?
How many users does that model support?
What kind of designers made the graphical interface; as in: will I want to operate my house from the basement only?
...given the fact that, if you shoplift, you are basically stealing only one copy, contrasted with piracy, in which case you are not only a thief, but an accomplice to potentially thousands more as well.
Disclaimer: The above mentioned is from a purely legal standpoint, and does not necessarily represent the actual opinion of the slashdotter. So no flames. Or lawsuits.
Ever gone college hunting? It seems everything's free. Medical, transportation, food, sporting events, movie nights...all free once you pay $25,000/yr.
Slashdot Mirror
Personally, my first introduction (at 8) was LOGO, and it was tons of fun, but I didn't make the connection between it and programming until much after I had started to do what I thought was programming (which I started in C). It also might be even too juvenile for 11-14 year olds, if they are sufficiently mature.
I'd suggest Python as a first 'real' programming language. Besides the fact that it has blindingly simple syntax that is often a few characters away from the pseudocode you might explain the program in, at a higher level, it allows for simple iterative programming, procedural programming, functional programming, and object-oriented programming, so students can progress from one level of intellectualism to the next without learning new syntax, and with the interactive shell, demos and exploration are made that much easier.
There's also something called PyLogo, which, though I've never tried it, looks promising:
http://ianbicking.org/docs/PyLogo_lightning.html
I, for one, welcome our new fun-police overlords.
I really don't think either one should be an integral part of slashdot.
I'm curious to see (but not awaiting the answer) which will win, this phone or the "Will it Blend?" blender.
Also, my friend's cell phone was once run over by a truck and still worked, aside from the screen. He used it for a semester before replacing it with the same model.
No contest, in my mind.
Right now, I'm in a Java class where we use Eclipse, and I've seen most kids use the auto-create try/catch block all year, and then have no idea what one is, or even why we use it.
This is just an example, but the problem with IDEs is that students begin to lean on them as a crutch without even understanding the concepts.
A bit of background first:
I started programming on a whim in an Intro to C++ course in 10th grade that really only taught procedure oriented programming. I had been interested in computers since I was 6, but somehow our machine didn't ship with BASIC (or my dad couldn't find it...), so I forgot about it until later. Anyway, I got a taste of programming in that class (it ended with some very basic c/p type HTML), and had to know more. I went on, over the next year, to learn, on my own, object oriented C++, PHP, HTML/CSS, and a few other things loosely. I then ended up learning Java on my own so I could skip the prerequisites for APCS (I switched to a school that taught in Java), where I stayed firmly ahead of the class and the teacher. I had to correct his code examples on many an occasion. While in this class I got more interested in the newer stuff coming out, and learned quite a number of other things, notably Ruby on Rails, with which I am currently developing a website with AJAX for a friend of mine and myself who are starting our own "tech support" company which we're pitching at a local community college.
Anyway, to respond, I agree completely. I visited Case Western in my college search (graduating in June, going to Stony Brook next fall), and sat in on a programming class. They were using Visual C#, and it made me cry. The way the course was taught was that the professor would show which buttons to select and where to place them, and then would give a few examples of exception handling that would be added in to the generated code. Did I mention just how much I hate C#?
Also, I'll have to agree with you there on Python, although I'm a bit of a Ruby fan myself. Actually, I'm pretty much a Ruby fanboy. The things it does that are superior to everything else are nearly limitless, not to mention the fact that EVERYTHING is an object (even nil!).
Quite thinly veiled.
IIRC, Bon Echo is the code name for FF 2.0 Alpha, much the same way that Deer Park was the code name for FF 1.5 Alpha.
...anyone remember the one where they figured out the one bad robot with heat radiation?
I see two reasons.
Ogg is a more efficient encoding scheme.
Ogg isn't licensed.
Either way, it's still good by me.
see plus plus oh ten
My password is always the first 17,000 prime Fibonacci numbers!
That's okay, as long as the transparent textures stay goddamned transparent.
Yes, but is it that you're typing too hard, or is it that way anyway? Or, do you need to type that hard anyway?
Singapore hides.
My Winbox shuts down whenever I put in my Slackware disc. Really.
...but it is definitely true. I've personally seen many times where this has worked for me, something which I imagine most people have.
Why do you think they tell you to go for your first guess on tests?
http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=6614&alloc_id=14455&sit e_id=1&request_id=9100901&1108924215281
Basically, "Difficult. Unwieldly. Untenable. Are not words that have to describe migrating from Windows to Linux."
Thought it interesting.
Programs written in Java are relatively portable, given that they run in a runtime that has been written for multiple OSes.
spitting out enough numbers every day so that some symbolism must come out of it.
A million monkeys....
Open Source Housing.
"Oh, my! We need a coffee maker!"
"Look! The Joneses developed one last month! Let's modify theirs and distribute it throughout the house!"
Some questions arise:
Do I need to raze my old house if I want to change distrobutions?
How many users does that model support?
What kind of designers made the graphical interface; as in: will I want to operate my house from the basement only?
...given the fact that, if you shoplift, you are basically stealing only one copy, contrasted with piracy, in which case you are not only a thief, but an accomplice to potentially thousands more as well.
Disclaimer: The above mentioned is from a purely legal standpoint, and does not necessarily represent the actual opinion of the slashdotter. So no flames. Or lawsuits.
Ever gone college hunting? It seems everything's free. Medical, transportation, food, sporting events, movie nights...all free once you pay $25,000/yr.
Maybe they're selling off workers as slaves in Cambodia (n.o. to any Cambodians). Otherwise, I don't see how.