Also try python from your browser (but sadly it's built with silverlight) - www.trypython.org. Chances are if you are starting out coding with python, you could definitely use Google's python class with videos and sample assignment with answers - http://code.google.com/edu/languages/google-python-class/
Although I used Learning Python in college and really like it,(our project was awesome, xmpp bots ;p) I think it's a good idea that they seem to be writing their own textbook to be better adapted to an intro to compsci class. Learning Python wasn't exactly targeted for that application.
Try out Skulpt an in-browser implementation of Python.
No preprocessing, plugins, or server-side support required, just write Python and reload.
http://www.skulpt.org/
Am I the only one that can't find the video / audio lectures? The older (but still very good) 6.00 CS course with Grimson is on YouTube, but I don't see anything but reading materials here (unless that's the point).
Ahh! This is my course!!
I am actually an undergraduate student, and this course was my first foray into teaching. Please note that this is not intended to be an in-depth semester course, but rather was an intensive two-week course during MIT's January semester. Class met three hours a day and was intended on giving a springboard introduction into the basics of Python and a short bit on classes/inheritance for students taking MIT's 6.01 course the following semester.
The ocw page is a bit bare-bones right now as getting the class together was a bit of a challenge :) If you search around the site, you should be able to find exercises and example code in addition to the readings. Answers, unfortunately, to the exercises cannot be posted because so many MIT students focus more on getting an A rather than learning the material, so releasing OCW solutions typically leads to rampant cheating.
I do, however, plan on improving the page next January, adding a better set of handwritten notes, more example code, and some short OpenOffice presentations on various concepts to promote self-learning. I appreciate comments here on the course, what you would like to see, etc, and I will try to incorporate them. Keep in mind that solutions and videos are not going to happen - solutions for the aforementioned reasons, and videos because of the cost to OCW. However, I may be able to self-record my lectures and post to YouTube if there is sufficient interest :)
One last plug - I troll the programming forum on linuxquestions.org, username robotsari; if you post python questions I try to answer!
robotsari> thanks very much for taking the time to reply; I was looking for lecture material because of the text at the bottom portion of the "Download Course Materials" page:
"This package contains the same content as the online version, but does not contain audio/video files. These must be downloaded separately from iTunes U or YouTube."
I'm sure that you can see this is misleading. Thanks, though, for your input and for putting the material as such on OCW!
