[Tutor] programming newbie question

[dustinp at pointclark.net]

I am fairly new to programming and I have started to learn programming
then stopped out of frustration several times in the past.  I guess my
frustration stems from not being able to understand when to use certain
aspects of programming such as functions or classes.  I have read enough
books and tutorials to know the syntax of python and I understand most
everything related to the concepts of programming, but I have never been
able to put it all together and learn how and when to use specific
features.  Can anyone suggest a method or some reading to help out with
this?  I also struggle with finding projects to work on does anyone know
of projects that a novice could contribute to?