http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=569219


in reply to How do I get my teenager interested in software development?

My 2 cents...
Most people I know, with rare exception, got into programming because they had a need. If you have a project in mind great you can have him lend you a hand, otherwise he will be bored by non-relevant examples of how to solve abstract problems from books.
You mention that he is interested in game development... would you be opposed to having him learn something like flash ActionScript? There are a ton of flash based games online so he could just poach and idea or two or even develop something new. Its more than marketable and the scripting will definitely utilize the algorithmic logic he learned in C++. Not to mention it is a fairly shallow, though long, learning curve. You can get a flash project up and running in no time. Perhaps web development is not the best choice, and its not really CS/CE, but its an accessible start. What is the end goal for him? I guess the answer inheres in his reasons for wanting to get into CS/CE in the first place... Who knows if he is good he could be making money before he even goes to school.

-InjunJoel
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." -Galileo