[mdlug] how would you teach a class?

[Aaron Kulkis]

Dean Durant wrote:
> Hello, I have a coworker who has asked me, how would I teach an intro class on linux. He thinks he can get some students together who would like to learn linux. 
> 
> At first I thought I would have the time and the motivation to really get involved with something like this but now I'm not so sure. 
> 
> He came up with a "linux bible" 2009 ISBN: 0470373679 (by: Christopher Negus) 
> I don't know that something so general, or new, would be needed, what do people think? 
> 
> I think we, or he, would really need an instructor too, I think this would be like a volunteer type of thing, although there is maybe some small chance of some payment. He says he has a location. 
> 
> I made a commitment to at least ask this group. 
> 

Teach the basic commands (cd, ls, cat/more/less)...
and then IMMEDIATELY introduce the pipe mechanism
before teaching anything else.

Why?

Because once you have someone hooked on the flexibility
of using command pipelines, they'll never want to go back
to Windows ;-)

Seriously -- one pipeline command on Linux is often
the equivalent of over an hour or more's worth of
pointy-clicky on Windows.