Whoops, I probably wasn't clear enough in my reply -- the classes on transistors, logic gates, etc. are available to CS majors but are definitely not a requirem

Whoops, I probably wasn't clear enough in my reply -- the classes on transistors, logic gates, etc. are available to CS majors but are definitely not a requirement for programming. I completely agree that trying to teach about digital logic, etc. without the general context of programming is backwards. Drive the car, build your interest, then start taking classes in chemistry, physics, etc. to see how it works.