[Edu-sig] using Python for a CS 2 course

[Dave Reed]

Is anyone out there using Python in a college level CS 2 course?

We just started using Python in our CS 1 course this fall (and it
appears to be working very well) and we're going to use Python in our
CS 2 this January.  I used a prepublication copy of a CS 1 Python
textbook being written by John Zelle at Wartburg (final version is
planned for next fall). Both my colleage and I find the book to do a
very nice job of teaching Python, problem solving, and design.=20

We are going to use Python in our CS 2 course this January. My current
plans are to have the student use a C++ CS 2 texbook by Main & Savitch
and I'll rewrite many of the examples in Python. I'll also be using
the "How To Think Like a Computer Scientist" book and my own notes
that I'll put together to try to make this work well.  Ideally the
students will learn the CS 2 concepts, more about Python classes, and
a little C++. We will then mainly use C++ in our advanced algorithms
course and they will be exposed to other languages in our Programming
Languages course.

I'd love to hear from any one using Python in CS 2 and share ideas,
materials, etc.

Thanks,
Dave