[Edu-sig] Hello World! Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners

[csev]

Warren and Carter - congratulations on your book.  I just reviewed it  
in my blog and twittered about it.

Here is the text from my blog post - (feel free to correct me )

Chuck Severance
www.dr-chuck.com

I am an advocate for using Python as a first language and for using  
programming as a tool to explore abstract concepts and technology  
literacy (Informatics) starting in elementary and middle school. Here  
is a book written for kids using Python that looks like it can support  
making Python accessible to younger learners.

Hello World! Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners

The book is written by the father and son pair of Warren D. Sande and  
Carter Sande.

Here is an interview with the author and his son on Canadian  
Television with the authors:

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/clip186877

Here is the web site for the book including several sample chapters:

http://www.manning.com/sande/

This is very cool and I will buy the book and then review it in more  
detail.

On first glance looking at the sample chapters and table of contents,  
it looks well siuted for K-12 applications since has many short  
chapters, gets into graphics quickly using its own GUI (easygui), and  
is careful to have lots of additional explanation in areas that  
readers might have questions. Of course since Carter Sande is still in  
K12 it is very natural to have it structured properly for K12.

Perhaps after they get done with Warren and Carter's book - the  
students will want to web programming on Google App Engine! And of  
course there is a book for that - Using Google App Engine.

This all moves us further down the path of technology literacy based  
on foundations of open source technology and transforming K-20  
education to include technology literacy at the right places.

Congratulations to Warren and Carter!