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By the way, may I suggest a lesson learned from years of trying to teach my
sister programming:

Graphics BEFORE number crunching and text processing.

Ideally you will create a small ruby library on top of SDL that does turtle
graphics or simple shapes and requires just a single 'require 'lib'', no
code to create a window or reference it (since that IS scary) and start by
letting them draw things.

THEN you will teach them how to crunch numbers so they can draw PRETTY
things (plots like the flower patterns resulting from simple trigonometric
equations are a favorite, also munching squares and other such things).

THEN you teach them how to program text adventure games.

THEN you show them how to use the real SDL and also keyboard input from it
so they can create Pong, and then you just let them play and give some
advice until the end of the year, pushing but only guiding, not MAKING them
do any specific thing.

Just some tips from experience. Some of it is wrong (especially where
showing them the full SDL bindings, also there's nothing on OO in my plan,
or on ruby in particular as opposed to "Generic simple language").

Anyone should feel free to comment or bash my ideas.

Aur Saraf

On 1/24/07, Robert Dober <robert.dober / gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 1/24/07, Olivier <o.renaud / laposte.net> wrote:
> >
> > > With Ruby. (We have good reasons, I'll explain them
> > > if you like.) With an IDE. (To get rid of the terminal fears.)
> >
> > I don't see the need for an IDE in your case. When you say that tou want
> > "To
> > get rid of the terminal fears", are you talking about the fact of
> > typing "ruby myprog.rb" in the terminal ?
> > I think it's essential, for someone who starts learning to program, to
> > understand the basis of what happens : that source code is not more than
> a
> > simple text file, and that it can be run simply by calling the
> interpreter
> > with this file. The need for an IDE comes later, with the need of
> > productivity.
> >
> > So, what you want is just a text editor with syntax highlighting, and a
> > terminal by its side :)
> > Sorry, I have never developped with windows, so I cannot counsel you for
> > what
> > editor to choose.
> >
> > I'm sure your student will surpass their fear of terminals ^^
> > Good luck with the courses !
> >
> > --
> > Olivier Renaud
> >
> > I tend to agree with Olivier but that is not my business and I am a
> *baaad* teacher, I was great support Olivier, was I not ;)? But Olivier's
> advice might be the best way to handle the situation even if you think it
> is
> a bad didactic approach.
>
> If you are really desperate a live CD with a Linux distribution containing
> RIDE might be your saver, as this is OT please feel free to contact me off
> list, unfortunately I do not know any life distribution containing Free
> Ride
> but a little research might be helpful.
> I had done it myself if I had a little bit more time, hopefully I get some
> more time tomorrow so contact me if you like.
>
> BTW I posted this to the list just in case somebody happened to know such
> a
> distribution.
> 'cause this is a Great List ;)
>
> Cheers
> Robert
>
>
> --
> "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
> - Alan Kay
>
>

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