New Java teaching tool

I hope this announcement will be relevant to those reading this teaching forum....
I would like to let you know of a new tool called Jurtle for teaching programming in Java.
It is a simple integrated development tool that was initially developed as an aid while teaching an 8th grade programming class. The students found existing IDEs too complex and boring to use. As Jurtle was introduced in the class, the students became more engaged and became more successful.
You learn to program by writing code that moves a virtual turtle on the computer screen, drawing figures in its wake. This approach to teaching programming is patterned after Turtle Graphics in the Logo programming language.
Java + Turtle = Jurtle
After mastering the basics, Jurtle may be used to create full Java applications with their own graphical user interface (GUI).
Jurtle comes with a series of self-paced lessons allowing a novice to learn the basics of programming in Java.
For more information about Jurtle please see http://www.otherwise.com

OK, this Jurtle thing is too cute!!
Wow... thank-you for posting this. I just downloaded and played for a few minutes, and I have to agree that -- at least on first glance -- it seems perfect for introducing the brand new (and especially young) programmer to Java, keeping everything else out of the way.
I'll post more after I've had a chance to explore more. But on first look, I'm really excited about it. Right down to the friendly little splash screens.
thanks for posting this!
-Kathy

Interesting. A lot like the old "logo", but using Java for the underlying code instead of a lisp-like language.
My current favourite Java "sandbox" application is BlueJ which feels strangely like a kind of "grown up" sibling of Jurtle. If you haven't checked out BlueJ (or recently) it's well worth a look. And it's free

I'm currently reviewing an OO teaching textbook which uses BlueJ, and it's extremely well done. It's not quite "head first", but it's going for a different market, and it's miles ahead of the usual "four chapters in before you create an object" style of peogramming introduction.

Yeah -- I agree with Frank, that Jurtle (which hits the soft spot that I have in my heart for turtle logo

) is like a simpler starter-level BlueJ. Or that BlueJ is Jurtle for grown-ups. I think they're both great.
cheers,
Kathy

Hmm if Frank & Kathy gave it a look over maybe I should download it as well.
Kathy lets face it something that runs on the computer as teaching aid is about the only thing missing in the Head First way. Maybe we should get a few heads together & throw around ideas.
Frank I had a quick nose around on the two urls in your siganature. Looking good. Looks like you have been a busy boy

gee made a typo and ended up calling Frank, Grank
[ December 02, 2003: Message edited by: Johannes de Jong ]

Originally posted by Frank Carver:

My current favourite Java "sandbox" application is BlueJ which feels strangely like a kind of "grown up" sibling of Jurtle. If you haven't checked out BlueJ (or recently) it's well worth a look. And it's free

Yes, I am familiar with BlueJ. I personally never could get comfortable with it and its interactive style of instantiating objects. It was just very different from other editors or IDEs. Jurtle was more of a middle ground. I created Jurtle to give the students some quick success and get them engaged. My approach with the lessons is not "Objects First", but more like "Objects Soon" after they discover how fun programming can be.

I definately agree with that. My mention of "grown up" was not really to imply that BlueJ is necessarily a "better" aplication, merely that it seems more applicable to an audience who have already discovered that programming is fun, and want to get straight in to OO, UML, patterns and the like.
I'm really quite tempted to use something like Jurtle in the "introduction to software development" course I'm currently planning for a bunch of 16-19 year old students next September. The main trick will be to get approval for the network support team to install a JDK on all the student machines. If not, it's back to teaching VBA inside MS Office. Ugh.