Mailman 3 July 2000 - Edu-sig

Future of CP4E after CNRI?
by Dinu C. Gherman 17 Sep '00

17 Sep '00

Hello, I just wonder what to expect for the future of CP4E given the most recent developments, with people leaving the CNRI for an new environment at BeOpen or joining from other places? If anything, I guess we can at least expect the core Python development activities to be determined by comercial inter- ests from now on. A first sign of this is the renaming of Python 1.6 to 2.0 based more or less on marketing reasons. Maybe there are good reasons to believe that CP4E will have a bright future, now more than ever, and I'm just unable to see them? Maybe there are good reasons to believe that Be- Open as a rather unknown new player has a real interest and concrete advantage in promoting Python and CP4E that are simply not obvious to everybody? Seeking-some-decent-level-of-enlightment'ly, Dinu -- Dinu C. Gherman ................................................................ "The only possible values [for quality] are 'excellent' and 'in- sanely excellent', depending on whether lives are at stake or not. Otherwise you don't enjoy your work, you don't work well, and the project goes down the drain." (Kent Beck, "Extreme Programming Explained")

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zope-edu
by Arthur Siegel 30 Jul '00

30 Jul '00

Are folks aware of the Zope initiative: http://www.zope.org/Wikis/zope-edu/FrontPage Looks exciting.

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The Western Web Newsletter
by The Western Web 30 Jul '00

30 Jul '00

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Thomas A. Williams 14 Jul '00

14 Jul '00

---------------------- Forwarded by Thomas A. Williams/NYLIC on 07/13/2000 01:05 PM --------------------------- THOMAS A. WILLIAMS 07/13/2000 12:55 PM (Embedded image moved to file: pic23558.pcx) To: Kirby Urner <pdx4d(a)teleport.com> @ NYLGW cc: Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids (Document link not converted) Hi Kirby, Thanks Much for the info. Methaphorics - using metaphors to teach subject material. I've not used metaphors that often in teaching. You've opened up a whole new universe for me. Could you suggest any materials which I can use to come up to speed on this area or how to apply metaphors in a teaching mode. The youth will range from 6-17 which will be broken up into groups Thanks In Advance, Tom Williams

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Thomas A. Williams 13 Jul '00

13 Jul '00

Hi Dustin, Let me know if I am going against list ettiquette to repond to you and the listsserve. Thanks for the info. The group I will be working with will be from 7-17. I will be breaking these up into groups 7-9, 10-12, and 13-17. I may be too ambitious starting out yet something need to be done for the kids/youth in my community. We hope to have fun teaching PYTHON and give them a beginning foundation in programming skills. > Oh, and don't underestimate the power of the command-line. You can teach > all about expressions there, including expressions with strings (slicing, > etc.) I appreciate the reminder. > Also, make sure they have the freedom to spend a good deal of time > exploring, especially after they've got some programming under their > belts. Please explain a bit more... Thanks Again, Enjoy The Journey. Tom Williams

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Thomas A. Williams 13 Jul '00

13 Jul '00

Hi Katherine, Let me know if I am going against list ettiquette to repond directly to you and the listsserve. Mucho Thanks for sharing your experiences. The kids/youth will range in age from 7-17. This is a challenge yet I'm still 8-) > Don't forget a "Show Day" where the students > get a chance to show off everything they have > learned (to parents). I like this idea and will expand upon it. > It may help to have some fun programs already created in > Python to spark interest. Were there stock programs that you used or did you write your own? > P.S. Speaking from experience, whatever you do . . . > do not show dull videos. :) Any suggestions??? 8-) Thanks Again, Enjoy The Journey, Tom Williams

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Thomas A. Williams 13 Jul '00

13 Jul '00

---------------------- Forwarded by Thomas A. Williams/NYLIC on 07/13/2000 01:03 PM --------------------------- THOMAS A. WILLIAMS 07/13/2000 12:46 PM (Embedded image moved to file: pic15620.pcx) To: jstraw(a)yorktown.arlington.k12.va.us cc: Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids (Document link not converted) Hi Jason, Thank Much for the info. I'm printing the tutorial now. If I may ask, what seem to be the most difficult topic areas to understand? What appears to be the most concepts within the realm of Objet Oriented Programming to understand? What teaching metaphors seem to be helpful? Thanks in Advance, Tom Williams

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Kirby Urner 13 Jul '00

13 Jul '00

>I came up with some simple rules for assignment (variables as boxes with >stuff in them), including a way of drawing them on the board, then had the >kids 'execute' short snippets to see how they worked. It's fun, it's >active, and it doesn't cause monitor burn :) > >Dustin This all sounds like wholesome fun (there's that word again). On the "variables as boxes with stuff in them" model, I think we've touched on this earlier, but it might be useful to thread a bit on what're the most useful metaphors that'll not lead to confusion down the road. I'm thinking of stuff like: >>> a = b = [1,2,3,4] >>> a [1, 2, 3, 4] >>> b [1, 2, 3, 4] >>> a[0]='A' >>> a ['A', 2, 3, 4] >>> b ['A', 2, 3, 4] 'a' and 'b' both point to the same object, and changing the "contents" of 'a' also changes the contents of 'b'. The "stuff in boxes" metaphor tends to "break" at this point. Another metaphor is "dog on a leash" and the idea that more than one person has a leash to the same dog. Dog = Object in this picture. So if you feed Joe's dog, you're maybe feeding Sally's dog as well, as they both have pointers to the same dog. But other times, the "stuff in boxes" metaphor is apt -- I'm not implying it has to be either/or, just that we need a rich set of analogies handy, to keep Python (and by extension, computer workings in general), as transparent and intuitive as possible. Dustin's point that some mental model of computer memory is worth instilling is right on I think. I'm sure others have done some thinking along these lines and might elaborate on what they think is good metaphorics. Kirby

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Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by Thomas A. Williams 12 Jul '00

12 Jul '00

Hi Y'all Forgive me if this is not the right forum for seeking help yet I've posted on Tutor with no response. I'm looking at the prospect of starting a programming class for youth at the YMCA on Pasons Blvd. in Jamaica, Queens. I will definitely be building the class around PYTHON. Does anyone have any suggestions or directions on setting the class up, lesson plans, teaching strategies for youth, etc. Any help or directions will be greatly appreciated and needed :-) Enjoy The Journey, TomW

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Re: [Edu-sig] Queens, NY - PYTHON Programming for Kids
by kathrine smith 12 Jul '00

12 Jul '00

Hi! Here are some ideas for your youth camp. Get the students interested in creating activities to challenge each other's knowledge. Don't forget a "Show Day" where the students get a chance to show off everything they have learned (to parents). It may help to have some fun programs already created in Python to spark interest. Have a break in between the programming day and get some playtime outside so your brain doesn't feel like fried eggs. :) Good luck! ~Katherine P.S. Speaking from experience, whatever you do . . . do not show dull videos. :) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail � Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

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