I have a fairly good background and experience with computers but haven't done any programming outside of just a little bit of html code. I'm pretty much starting from the beginning and have thought about going back to school to learn more. If I chose to go a self-help route, what would you recommend learning? Where from?

I'm mostly interested in web development and a good overall knowledge of programming in general.

Thanks!

If you're looking at web apps, then I'd recommend Java, Ruby on Rails, or Python (using one of the web dev kits like TurboGears or Django).

Ruby and Python are very easy to learn while Java is slightly more difficult. The biggest problem I had w/ Java was learning Object-Oriented Programming before I really had a handle on the basics of programming, e.g. loops, functions, data structures, etc. You could also try out Javascript, which is easy and reasonably powerful.

For more general programming you'd be best served by learning C/C++, as they are the building blocks of many other languages and are nearly universal.

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Start Programming with Python-A beginner's guide to programming and the Python language.
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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

Thanks for the suggestions on the languages to learn. However, I'd also like to know where to start as far as what type of training tool? Are there some good books to buy? Some online classes? etc...

It all depends on how much you want to spend.

Free: Many languages have online tutorials. Both Python and Ruby have tutorials and library listings on their sites and Sun has a online Java tutorial "book". There are also many C/C++ tutorials available, though the quality of them varies.

Low-cost: Many, many books are available for nearly every language. Just browse Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. Don't forget to check your library; many of the books may be out of date but it will give you an idea of which publishers you may like.

Higher-cost: Classes can be had from online training centers, programming "camps" that last a few days, or you can go to a college. For a college course, consider becoming a part-time student and just auditing the classes. That way you get the knowledge but don't have to take the tests.

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Start Programming with Python-A beginner's guide to programming and the Python language.
-------------
Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.