[Chicago] python intro for 13 yo -- suggestions?

[Ian Bicking]

Jason R Huggins wrote:
> "Brantley Harris" wrote on 07/11/2006 03:56:32 PM:
>> Really though, one must think of the student.  If they are interested
>> in art, and graphics, Flash is perfect.  If they are more
>> mathmatically minded, I think Python is a better fit.  And if you
>> really want to get them on a rigorous track, C/C++ all the way.
> 
> How pragmatic and sensible! :-) This reminds of some blog post I read a 
> while ago that says you can never answer a "which language should I 
> learn?" question without asking what you want to do with it. For many, 
> many fields, though, Python is really a good start. Though the original 
> question was (I think) that Python is assumed and the question is which 
> tutorial to start with.
> 
> If 13 y/o is into graphics *and* math, I've had lots of fun with the 
> [vpython library][1]. The screenshots don't nearly do it justice.
> 
> 
> However, for the ultimate in "quick start", you can't get much quicker 
> than trying the [JavaScript shell][2].
> 
> On that note, given the existence of the JavaScript shell, the original 
> doc that Jake pointed to is [wrong about JavaScript][3]:
> """Unfortunately in JavaScript there is no easy way to type the commands 
> in and see them being executed immediately as we have been doing with 
> Python."""
> 
> As a Pythonist, I hate to admit it, but Why's [Try Ruby is good for 
> starters][4], too.
> 
> Ian Bicking demo'd a similar Python-based 'interpreter in the browser' 
> thingy a few months ago at ChiPy. It would be nice if the there was a 
> polished version similar to the above interpreters for newbies to try 
> python in the browser. But I digress :-)

I think "interpreter in the browser" isn't really right.  An interpreter 
that *is* the browser is closer to HyperCard.  Javascript is the only 
such language, though there's still ongoing work on Python in Firefox. 
With Python you wouldn't get quite the distribution capabilities 
(because it still wouldn't be runnable over the web, due to security 
concerns), but it'd be closer.

And really an interpreter that is the browser is what is more 
interesting to me, and what I wanted to experiment with in HTConsole -- 
the interactive part actually was a distraction, I think.

Who was I talking with about HyperTalk with recently?  Someone on the 
train.  I blame it on our post-meeting bar venues that I can't remember 
who.  Anyway, I think mixing Javascript with the browser and the DOM, a 
good/clean Javascript library, and some persistence on the server side 
(implemented in Python or whatever) could be very interesting indeed.


-- 
Ian Bicking  |  ianb at colorstudy.com  |  http://blog.ianbicking.org