[Edu-sig] Graphical Programming and OOP

[Arthur]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: edu-sig-bounces at python.org [mailto:edu-sig-bounces at python.org] On
> Behalf Of Linda Grandell
> Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 4:44 AM
> To: Jeffrey Elkner
> 
> The more I teach, the more I come to realize that programming might be
> one of the most challenging subjects for teachers. The main goal is to
> help the students develop a basic understanding for the concepts
> involved in programming, preferrably in a fun and enjoying manner.
> However, there seems to be so many ways one can go in achieving this
> goal, and finding the right one is anything but easy.. But then again,
> this might just as well be something very good, something that leads to
> many "best practices" instead of only one.

I know this perspective is a little out of left field (as they say), but...

Can't help seeing some analogy between programming and athletics.  Won't
draw it out except to say that having seen Jeff and his students at PyCon in
the past years only seems to validate my sense of things here.  I see a team
and their coach.  Programming is hard, and it takes an interest and aptitude
as a starting point, and perhaps one can only coach, not teach in the more
traditional sense of what teaching a subject has come to mean.

Art