python!

I'm seeing Python in so many places today.

The Numenta guy's application is built in python. (It says so on the side.)

and a lot of the "fix CS1" programs are starting to use Python to introduce CS to people from diverse backgrounds, providing fun, accessible learning of concepts. Using Python to make "gateway" classes instead of "gatekeeper" courses is useful to increase the diversity of students taking and staying in these intro classes. "but wait" says the CS hardcore geek - "What about the lower levels and pointers and recursion and all the hard stuff people need to learn". PYthon isn't "dumbing it down" and these classes that are being produced are providing learning without having to do it dryly. For example, people in class decide they need to have a function call itself and ask how to do that - this way they learn recursion because they have a use-case.

Anna

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