alice-teacher Help! Alice being replaced by Python in my intro classes

[Kelly, Terri]

Alice translates 1:1 to Java, which is what is used on the AP CS A exam.

Alice attracts all students, especially those that are normally less
represented

An introductory class in Alice can easily get to not only variables,
conditionals, loops, and methods (functions and procedures) but also arrays
and event listeners. Not to mention, you can bring the Alice into Java with
the NetBeans IDE and students can work in Java (if they are just looking
for a text-based language)

Students who learn Alice have a strong basis of understanding inheritance,
classes, and objects. An introductory course in python does not do this. It
is not that it is not possible, but an introductory class does not get
there.

Students who learn python first know a text-based language, but they do not
have this basis of understanding. I can talk to my AP Students and say,
"remember when we instantiated gophers and they had all of the
properties/methods that a quadruped had" and my students have a visual
representation already in their repertoire. With python, I am basically
starting over again.

Terri Kelly
Bishop Ireton High School


On Wed, Mar 10, 2021 at 10:08 AM Carlos Bovell <cbovell at nburlington.com>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Somebody has convinced my administrator that we should really be using
> Python in our intro courses. I could use some reasons why Alice makes a
> great alternative. Any and all arguments would be welcome!
>
> Carlos Bovell
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