alice-teacher Alice 2 or 3?

[Gamez, Enrique A (172B)]

Be sure to check alice.org as it is now up-to-date.  Most teaching materials are for v2.x and it has been recommended that beginning students start with v2.x.  If you don't mind finding the UI slightly rearranged, using v3 with v2 instructional materials is quite workable (I'm using this with 9 yr olds) and IMO you'll have a "leg up" in the new version as more resources become available.  I don't know what Greenfoot is but HS students are certainly mature enough for v3 features.  Also IMO, I don't think there is a need to maintain v2 except to transition anyone already heavily invested in it.  It is too bad that World files are not simple XML.  Otherwise, a from-to parser could easily be created by a 3rd party thus easing the transition of v2 Worlds.
-e

From: <Frederick>, Kevin <K.Frederick at ais.at<mailto:K.Frederick at ais.at>>
Reply-To: Alice educators <alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu<mailto:alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>>
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2012 9:52 PM
To: "alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu<mailto:alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>" <alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu<mailto:alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>>
Subject: alice-teacher Alice 2 or 3?

Hi there,

Relative newbie to Alice here. My question is: how different is Alice 2 from Alice 3, on the surface, for the beginning student? Would Alice 3 be okay to start with, especially for new students in conjunction with the Dann/Cooper/Pausch text?

Setting: I am teaching an intro to java programming course in high school. Most students have done no substantive programming. Some have played with flash. They are expecting to get into Java by the end of the course, and the course can be open-ended. My current idea is Alice -> Greenfoot -> wherever the individual students/groups want to go.

To restate my question: Given my setting, should I start with Alice 2 or Alice 3 or maybe Alice 2 then Alice 3?

All feedback, thoughts, and redirections are appreciated!

Thanks,
Kevin

Kevin Frederick
High School Mathematics
Tel. +43 1 40132 2244
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The American International School · Vienna
Salmannsdorfer Strasse 47
A-1190 Vienna, Austria
www.ais.at<http://www.ais.at>
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