Processing (http://www.processing.org http://www.processing.org) is a good environment to teach programming in. It addresses most of the concerns about Java (re

Processing (http://www.processing.org http://www.processing.org) is a good environment to teach programming in. It addresses most of the concerns about Java (removes boiler plate , further simplifies the language), while giving people access to all of Java as the class moves to more complex concepts. It also provides a fun, visual programming environment without the complexity of a complete modern 3D game engine or web browser. Python is probably a better introduction language, but Processing is a close second.