Squeak, Squeak, Squeak

I've been trying to choose a programming language that I could use to learn together with my nephews.  There are several different languages to choose from, and I generally feel that object-oriented languages should not be where someone begins, because I believe that (at least once you are doing it for money) you need an understanding of what happens "under the hood".  We know that the compiler makes assembler or machine code, neither of which recognizes or uses objects—they are merely a way of making it easier for the programmer.

Yet, I have no illusion that these guys are going to become paid professional programmers or even IT support people.  In these guys' case, I'm wanting them to (1) develop thinking and problem-solving skills that they can use throughout their lives in whatever jobs they get; and to (2) overcome challenges that they did not believe that they could before—with God's help, of course—and develop a kind of confidence based on achievement that will also serve them well as they proceed through life.

So, yes, we are going to start messing around with Squeak first.  After a little time to familiarize ourselves with its interface (and me not being a child or even a supposedly grown up high school kid, it will take some doing to get used to it), we'll actually start with John Maloney's Bank Account tutorial.

So why did I choose Squeak?  It is:

• zero-price: a free download from the site
• cross-platform: Linux, Windows, Mac OS X versions and more are available at the site
• actively-developed: it is continually growing and improving
• community: Squeak has a fairly active community of users, with tutorials and other sources for seeking help with pressing issues
• GUI available: these guys are in high school; they have all spent their lives in front of game consoles
• instructional credentials: Squeak SmallTalk is included in the XO, the highly-anticipated computer from the One Laptop Per Child Project.  It has educational software available also.