Mailman 3 February 2000 - Edu-sig

Re: [Edu-sig] "dynamic geometry" application
by Kirby Urner 18 Feb '00

18 Feb '00

At 02:06 PM 02/18/2000 -0500, Arthur Siegel wrote: >It allows one to create relationships in 3d space between geometric >"primitives" -points,lines,circles, spheres,etc. - by way of simple Python >scripts. Points on the initial figure created can then be picked and moved, >but all defined relationships follow. It's more sophisticated functions - >the uses of arrays of points and lines for example, can be used to explore >concepts of Projective Geometry in 3d space. Sounds very interesting Arthur. My approach has been to keep things simple in Python by having it write scripts intelligible to other programs which already know tons about 3D graphics. Students write simple Python commands and get .wrl or .pov files out the back, which then go to a VRML viewer (usually a web browser plug-in) or to POV-ray, a free, full-featured ray tracing engine. This approach typifies what Python is good for: acting as a "glue language" in collaboration with more specialized apps. What I give up, by going this route, is any trully "dynamic" interface, i.e. students can't just grab stuff with a mouse and twirl it in real time, or add edges/vertices by simply pointing and clicking (as they can in STRUCK, freeware written by my colleague, Gerald de Jong, in Java). I presume because of your OpenGL add-in etc., that you're somehow making Python do graphical updates in real time, in response to user-generated events. Personally, I don't know Tk well enough to know how this is done. Seeing your program would probably teach me a lot. At this point in time, I'd be most interested in seeing screen shots though, since I don't feel ready to digest complicated source code. I'd like to develop an under- standing the gist of your technique (without trying to comprehend an entire application). If you want to share any "cave painting" snippets that give me a feel for your strategy, I bet others besides me would be interested. Mostly, what I'm wondering is whether students with a modest grasp of Python would be able to abstract generic strategies and techniques from your tools -- what I'm trying to impart at my Oregon Curriculum Network, where all my source code is freely available and dissected in some detail for the benefit of Oregonians (and other lurkers). Kirby Curriculum writer Oregon Curriculum Network

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Harmonica and CP4E
by Stephen R. Figgins 18 Feb '00

18 Feb '00

I was describing my experience learning to play harmonica to a friend this morning. I was comparing a couple of books one an older book on Ron 'n Blues Harmonica by Jon Gindick, and also the Mel Bay book You Can Teach Yourself Harmonica. I started with the Mel Bay book, but there was a lot of focus on what the notes were and how to hold you tounge. I was finding it very challenging. I switched to Gindick's book. He started out by telling a story about when Adam and Eve first learned music, and continued with stores of Stone, a caveman harmonica player. The stories were silly, but the writing was extremely encouraging. He was covering some advanced theory stuff on I-IV-V chord progressions and how to play harmony with them. He explained cross-harp, straight-harp and slant harp methods, how to progress through a set of notes to improvise sounds. How to bend the three hole. How to pucker out a single note. The topics were advanced, but the approach simple and inspiring, fun to learn. Glindick starts you out with three simple chords and four basic harmonizing notes, and gets you experimenting with rhythms, length of notes, basic riffs. It has been a blast. Can't say I am very good yet, but about a day of the Glindick book has taken me further along than about a week of struggling with the Mel Bay book. The friend with whom I was describing this pointed out that intermediate and advanced players tend to forget the passion part that got them into it in the first place. They think about all the things that are important to know, and when teaching have a tendency to focus on those things. He suggested this was true of any art. It's a tendency toward drill and structure. We agreed that this was probably the most damaging thing you can do to the young artist. You kill their inspiration by trying to teach them all the fundamentals. If instead you give them a lot of slack, they have more room for play. You increase the chance that they might make a mistake, but that opens them up to new questions, new opportunities for learning. I was struck by how similar Glindick's approach and the Wilderness Awareness School's approach were. Inspiration and storytelling, encouragement, a sense of play. They build excitement while teaching. And the voice used in the instruction is not that of the reserved teacher, but that of the involved mentor. They sound like someone on the inside, passionate about your success, friendly, accessable. Something to consider when teaching CP4E. Stephen R. Figgins fig(a)oreilly.com

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Re: [Edu-sig] Python error messages
by Jeffrey Kunce 16 Feb '00

16 Feb '00

>Anyway, the biggest problem the students seem to have when programming on >their own, is to find their programming errors (bugs). Simply rewriting the error messages would be an incomplete solution. The programming environment should really help the programmer pinpoint the error's location and its context. In other words, I think a a good GUI debugger would be useful. --Jeff

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Exponentiation should float
by Bruce Sherwood 16 Feb '00

16 Feb '00

> ro=(8*pi*h*c)/(l**5)*(1/(exp(h*c/(l*k*T))-1)) > > Anyway, this produces a "OverflowError: integer pow()" which can be quite > misleading when there is no pow() on the line (** instead). Just as division should normally trigger a floating-point operation, so also exponentiation should trigger a floating-point operation. This shouldn't be an error. Bruce Sherwood

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IDLE 0.5 released
by Guido van Rossum 15 Feb '00

15 Feb '00

After a delay of nearly half a year, I've finally released IDLE 0.5. I'll quote from the README after listing the URL: http://www.python.org/idle/ (Dear edu-sig members, please don't fill the edu-sig mailing list with detailed feedback on IDLE -- please use the newsgroup or the Python Bugs List. Discussion of requirements for adaptation of IDLE in education are welcome; please first check the TODO list (http://www.python.org/idle/idle-0.5/TODO.txt) to see if I've already thought of your request.) FEATURES IDLE has the following features: - coded in 100% pure Python, using the Tkinter GUI toolkit (i.e. Tcl/Tk) - cross-platform: works on Windows and Unix (on the Mac, there are currently problems with Tcl/Tk) - multi-window text editor with multiple undo, Python colorizing and many other features, e.g. smart indent and call tips - Python shell window (a.k.a. interactive interpreter) - debugger (not complete, but you can set breakpoints, view and step) USAGE [...] IDLE requires Python 1.5.2, so it is currently only usable with a Python 1.5.2 distribution. (An older version of IDLE is distributed with Python 1.5.2; you can drop this version on top of it.) COPYRIGHT IDLE is covered by the standard Python copyright notice (http://www.python.org/doc/Copyright.html). FEEDBACK For feedback, please use the Python Bugs List (http://www.python.org/search/search_bugs.html). --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/) <P><A HREF="http://www.python.org/idle/">IDLE 0.5</A> - the Integrated DeveLopment Environment for Python in Python. (15-Feb-2000)

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Re: [Edu-sig] Hello from a CS Teacher
by Steve Morris 15 Feb '00

15 Feb '00

Kirby Urner writes: > My approach has been to look at Python as one more useful > tool when it comes to teaching mathematics. Computers, not > just calculators, deserve a place in our average math class. > Students need better graphing capability and more exposure > to symbolic operations than today's calculators provide. > > It's a mark of serious over-specialization that we draw > such an artificial line between "numeracy" and "computer > literacy". > > Just because I want to program a computer, doesn't mean I > want to be a computer programmer (speaking generally -- > in actual fact I pay some of my bills by writing Xbase). > For me, CP4E means using Python in a non-CS context. I strongly agree. CS curricula work is important and probably will give the most benefit in the shortest time but the long term goal articulated by Guido in his CP4E proposal was to enable the routine use of programming as a tool for people who would otherwise be non programmers. The "Everyone" in CP4E doesn't mean that everyone should go into programming as a career. Instead Guido was suggesting that programming should be a basic tool like language and math available to most people. Here is my cut on a possibly worthwhile project: Math and science curricula are obvious starting points and several people here have talked about existing efforts. Simulation models are probably the most fruitful area to consider for basic physics and give a good example of the kind of thing I am suggesting. By this I mean the students define initial conditions of objects and watch what happens to them. They then change initial conditions and try again, observing the differences. I have seen static programs which simulate a predetermined set of behaviors over a small set of parameters selected with sliders and the like. Adding a programming language to expand the range of experimentation would increase the learning opportunities by allowing more arbitrary specification of time varying parameters or parameters that change based on various conditions. In an ideal world the student would be able to set up conditions and conduct experiments that the teacher never though of. In case I am be too abstract let me describe an explicit example: Consider a programming simulation world that follows simple newtonion laws of motion. Include gravity as an option for interest. Throw in elastic and inelastic collisions for good measure. This world would allow simulation of air table experiments, simple parabolic motion and orbital dynamics. Throw in the Bernoulli principal and kids could simulate the behavior of various pitching techniques (sliders etc.) and perhaps even simulate an airplane wing. The initial package would be a general computer simulation environment with basic behaviors built in and various output techniques (3D displays, tables of coordinates for further processing etc.) On top of the basic simulation model (which is written once) would be various predefined worlds aimed at specific lesson plans. These world would be defined by python programs and packages. Once the simulator is written (that's the hard part) the process of generating a specific set of interesting objects (in python) would be relatively simple. Basic sets would be packaged with the system. Others would develop and share interesting packages and advanced students would create their own. The point is to do the hard part (simulation and 3D representation) once and let the users (students AND educators) experiment and play. Now I could just as well have specified a similar system for investigating wave dynamics or simple machines or optics. This suggests to my thrifty programming soul that there might be another more basic layer, i.e. a generalized simulation engine packaged with a 3D viewer. The first 4 layers of implementation would look something like: python + simulation engine + mechanics + orbital dynamics + 3D representation | | | + air table | | | + parabolic motion of projectiles | + optics + refraction | | | + reflection | + other simulation worlds The 5th layer is the code written by the student. In my diagram each layer is built on top of and uses the facilities of the one to the left. Python would be the implementation language of choice at each layer (including the student layer) unless performance issues drive a different choice. The point is to factor the problem space of things wanting to be taught using software to reduce duplication of effort. It is easier to recruit help to create a simulation engine if many people stand to gain for many end uses. It is then easier to solve a particular curriculum problem if most of the basic compunents already exist. It is the sharability that I am trying to suggest. Maybe it should be broken down differently. Lots of people have solved parts of this problem for specific classroom applications. I think it is time to generate common tools that are easier to port/steal for other problems. I know I am talking about a moderately big project (although not as big as you might think, and much of it might already be available) with a longer payback cycle and will likely get snide comments about vaporware, however I think it is worth some thought. It will certainly never happen if it doesn't get discussed. If it gets beyond discussion into some specific proposals I am willing to help.

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More math-teaching (fix ++)
by Kirby Urner 15 Feb '00

15 Feb '00

> Whereas my previous section: > > http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/numeracy1.html ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/numeracy0.html Oops. Regarding ActiveWorlds (AW), if you want to see more of what's already been done, check out some of these URLs: http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/graphics/awedu.gif http://inetarena.com/~pdx4d/images/awstruck2.jpg (recent) Basically, you need to output in .rwx format, much as I'm doing already in .pov and .wrl (vrml) formats. Kirby PS: http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/struck.html is another example of Java + Povray synergy (also Java + VRML). These are the kinds of projects my colleagues (e.g. Gerald de Jong of BeautifulCode and Karl Erickson of Novel Memetics) have been pioneering.

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Stop the insanity -- no more case sensitivity discussion!
by Guido van Rossum 15 Feb '00

15 Feb '00

The discussion on case sensitivity has already driven at least one educator away from this forum. I'm very sorry that that has happened. I propose that we impose a voluntary ban on further discussion of that topic in the edu-sig; feel free to take the discussion elsewhere (c.l.py for example; it will look good in the stats :-). I will not respond to any posts on this topic in the edu-sig, nor in private email -- I simply don't have the capacity to argue this point any more. Python 1.x will remain case sensitive anyway. --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/) (I am also going away for a week.)

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Carnegie Mellon's new MS in Entertainment Technology
by Jason L. Asbahr 15 Feb '00

15 Feb '00

This may be of interest to the edu-sig readers, from Randy Pausch posted to the SIGCHI list... Jason Asbahr Origin Systems, Inc. jasbahr(a)origin.ea.com >X-Persona: <jasbahr(a)mail112.pair.com> >X-Envelope-To: <jason(a)crash.org> >Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 18:51:35 -0500 >From: Randy Pausch <Pausch(a)CS.CMU.EDU> >Subject: Carnegie Mellon's new MS in Entertainment Technology >Sender: "ACM SIGCHI General Interest Announcements (Mailing List)" > <CHI-ANNOUNCEMENTS(a)ACM.ORG> >X-Sender: pausch(a)ux6.sp.cs.cmu.edu >Approved-by: rlamck(a)US.IBM.COM >To: CHI-ANNOUNCEMENTS(a)ACM.ORG >Reply-to: Randy Pausch <Pausch(a)CS.CMU.EDU> > >For Immediate Release: > >Carnegie Mellon Offers New "Masters of Entertainment Technology " Degree > Applications Due: March 15, 2000 > More Information at: http://etc.cmu.edu > >Carnegie Mellon University's new Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) has >established a two-year Masters of Entertainment Technology degree, jointly >offered by the College of Fine Arts and the School of Computer Science. >The ETC program focuses on creating new processes, tools and visions for >storytelling and entertainment. > >The ETC is headed by two co-directors: Don Marinelli, Professor in the >School of Drama, and Randy Pausch, Professor of Computer Science and HCI. >"Our masters in entertainment technology addresses the issues inherent in >the new interactive media that are driving the entertainment industry," >says Pausch. Specifically, how we share control of an experience between >the ahead-of-time authors and the audience/user/guest/player is an >intellectually deep question." Marinelli adds, "The interdisciplinary >nature of this degree is what makes it so daring and innovative. We want >to take the creativity of the arts and fuse it with the technologists who >are making new media forms." > >Students enrolled in the program will be immersed in a cutting edge, >collaborative environment and will work in areas that include virtual >reality, location-based entertainment, entertainment-based e-commerce, >theme park design, digital animation, CD- and DVD-ROM, authoring, video >games and robotics. > >The ETC will admit a mix of students so that each incoming class will be >roughly half technologists and half artists. Says Pausch, "We are looking >for students who are very good at something--anything from computer >programming to theater lighting to clay sculpting to digital animation." >The curriculum includes internship potentials with a variety of >entertainment companies such as Walt Disney Imagineering, Industrial Light >and Magic, Dreamworks Interactive, Microsoft, and Kodak, among others. > >More information and application materials are available at > >http://www.etc.cmu.edu > > > >--------------------------------------- >Randy Pausch, pausch(a)cs.cmu.edu, http://www.randypausch.com/ >Associate Professor of HCI, Computer Science, and Design >School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University >5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3891 >voice=412/268-3579, fax=(801) 991-9434 >--------------------------------------- > >

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Re: [Edu-sig] CS teacher
by Kirby Urner 14 Feb '00

14 Feb '00

> If you want to plan a similar curriculum in another language, here's a >brief outline of the classes now: > 1st year CS: basic i/o, file reading/writing, conditionals, loops, >arrays, structures/classes, arrays of structs/classes, a little recursion > 2nd Years CS (APCS) - data structures, stacks, queues, linked lists, >trees, study of algorithms - like sorting algorithms, study of a large >program development- Case Study, more recursion Just keep in mind that some of us are not using Python in a CS context, even while phasing it in to the standard curriculum. For example: http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/numeracy0.html (which I just recently completed -- next comes vector algebra). I'm teaching math-science. From my point of view, Python is just another useful notation. You don't even need a computer to read what its doing, but best if you have one, as, unlike pencil and paper algorithms, Python's are self-executing. Kirby

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