[sf-lug] Teaching programming at SF-LUG meetings

[Asheesh Laroia]

There was some discussion earlier on this list about teaching introductory 
programming.  Thinking about it, I would love to be more directly involved 
in that sort of thing.

I would be thrilled if any non-zero number of people decide to follow 
along.  There's a great book on the web called "Think Python: An 
Introduction to Software Design" at 
http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.html .  It's a free 
(of cost) download, and it's a Free Book (in the sense of the GNU Free 
Documentation License, the same license Wikipedia uses).

There are about ten pages per chapter, plus exercises.  Maybe we can do 
one chapter and exercise per SF-LUG meeting?  If someone's interested, 
reply and I'll make sure to come to SF-LUG meetings with teaching you as 
my carrot. (-:  But you have to promise to read the chapter before I talk 
to you about that week's lesson.  Hopefully you'll even do the exercises, 
too.

(Honestly, this is probably more useful than an intro programming course 
at an online university, having just spent the past two hours trying to 
tutor a generally smart person who is going through such a course.)

Anyone interested?  We'll work out details.  I could be convinced to do 
this outside SF-LUG meetings if people really think that's a better idea. 
(One reason to do that is to go faster, like one lesson per week.)

-- Asheesh.

P.S. If someone *really* wants Java or C++ instead, I can think about 
that.  The Python version is more recently-updated, so pretend I never 
said this.

P.P.S. Still thinking about this Debian packaging tutorial thing.  Working 
on the announce. (-:

-- 
Labor, n.:
 	One of the processes by which A acquires property for B.
 		-- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"