I really enjoyed this article. The article had many interesting points about how to teach and I was impressed that the article addressed so many of the ideas that we've already discussed.

Perhaps the most interesting passage of the paper was the part that dealt with how most introductory programming courses focus on syntax, and how syntax isn't necessarily the major stumbling block for beginners. If syntax isn't a major stumbling block, does this suggest that theory is a better approach? I would have to disagree, the article continues to state that experienced programmers tend to have a "gut feeling" about how to put a program together, while beginners tend to have problems seeing all the parts and pieces. How can people acquire this "gut feeling," I think experience is the answer.

However trite, you have to learn to crawl before you can learn to walk. I think that teaching concepts first and then teaching code allows students to first focus on the important concepts, and then gain valuable experience implementing what they've learned.

The other part of the article I liked was its discussion on template like structures that experienced programmers manipulate. Design patterns seem like a good tool to help beginners learn how to tackle a problem. Design patterns serve as example that students can either implement, or expand upon, to solve problems.

Overall, I was very impressed by the paper.