Mailman 3 August 2001 - Edu-sig

would you use PythonCard?
by Kevin Altis 03 Sep '01

03 Sep '01

Hi, most of you have probably seen PythonCard http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/ posts to the edu-sig list or comp.lang.python. I would like to get a feel for how many users on the edu-sig list are even remotely interested in PythonCard? I realize that it is too late to incorporate it into lesson plans for this fall and wouldn't recommend that anyway given that it is in a prototype stage, but I'm hoping that it will be useful in education, so I want to get your feedback. I think that the runtime is a very good environment for learning Python as well as doing GUI programming. The simplicity of using the GUI components should be especially suited for enhancing the learning of Python concepts without forcing the use of command-line input and output. Just as importantly, I would like to know particular reasons for a lack of interest. This will help to focus how the prototype evolves and who the target audience is. If you're in the camp of "What the heck is PythonCard and why the heck should I care?" then I refer you to the home page above first and can then answer any specific questions you may have. The more criticism the better. You can reply to this thread or email me directly and I'll summarize for the list. Thanks for your time, ka --- Kevin Altis altis(a)semi-retired.com ps. If you *are* interested in PythonCard, you should join the mailing list to contribute feedback... http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/pythoncard-users

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Another Python class
by Jim Harrison 30 Aug '01

30 Aug '01

FYI, information on a new course, Problem-Oriented Programming in Medical Informatics, is available at: http://jhh.cbmi.upmc.edu/pop/ This course targets graduate/post-graduate students who have limited or no programming experience and who are moving into medical informatics. These students typically have backgrounds in the medical/dental sciences, medical library science, or biology/chemistry. In previous years they have taken a one-semester course in C as a prerequisite to other information science courses; few of them program after completing these courses--and some choose to avoid programming. The new course is being offered for the first time this fall in an attempt to give the students a tool set that can be learned quickly, supports the study of information systems, will be useful after coursework is completed, and has the depth to stimulate students to continue to develop their skills. Though this set of requirements is similar to what's needed in secondary and introductory higher education, I think that graduate/post-graduate students--particularly those returning to academics from the workplace--have some unique characteristics and that Python is particularly suited to them. Jim Harrison ________________________________________________________________________ James H. Harrison, Jr., MD, PhD <mailto:jhrsn@pitt.edu> Associate Director of Pathology Informatics, Department of Pathology CLSI 5807-MT, 200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582 voice: 412-647-5529 | fax: 412-647-5934 Faculty Member in Residence, Center for Biomedical Informatics University of Pittsburgh Suite 8084 Forbes Tower Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582 voice: 412-647-7113 | fax: 412-647-7190 "If you want sense, you'll have to make it yourself!!"-Norton Juster ________________________________________________________________________

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Re: Python CS Education Page
by Robert Rickenbrode II 29 Aug '01

29 Aug '01

Tim wrote: > I keep hearing about more teachers who, like myself, are using Python to > > teach programming in high schools around the U.S. Perhaps it would be nice > > to have a page at python.org in the edu-sig section listing the schools and > > teachers who are using it. Of course I have no idea how we'd find everyone, > > and perhaps finding a small number of teachers listed on the page would > be a > > disincentive for teachers who are just discovering Python. Dethe wrote: >I like this idea, especially if it can double as a lesson-plan >repository. I think setting up a Wiki or a Zope where many people can >participate in maintaining it might be more useful that a page at >python.org (those don't seem to change very often). > >What do y'all think? Oh, and let's not be exclusive to the US. Some of >us in the free world teach python too %-) I agree with these sentiments and think that it would be very help. However, please no Wikis! (Blech!) Best, Rob Robert K. Rickenbrode II rkr_ii(a)yahoo.com

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An introduction, request for slides and/or lesson plans
by Milton L. Hankins 29 Aug '01

29 Aug '01

Hello, my name is Milton Hankins. I've been thinking of teaching an information Python class at my company. The target audience would be software engineers who already know how to program. I found David Beazley's slides on the Internet. Are there any other resources available? I searched the web and found some reference to Mark Lutz's work, but the links are all broken. -- ><> Milton L. Hankins <mlh(a)swl.msd.ray.com> 7-225-4728 <>< Software Engineer, Raytheon Company -- but these are my opinions. "I am not a nutritional anthropologist." --Alton Brown

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Python Comp Sci course.
by Robert Rickenbrode II 29 Aug '01

29 Aug '01

Hey folks, I"m gearing up to teach a Python-based computer science course. I just spent about a week chugging through the list archives (almost quit at the case-sensitivity debates ;) ). I have a few questions: 1. At several points in the past, people have offered to maintain or posted sites hosting lesson plans. Is there a site for these? Where is it? (For example, this one, http://www.ibiblio.org:420/Zope/Python given in December of last year does not work.) 2. I'm interested in doing some kind of iterative instruction using one project to illustrate a lot of the characteristics and functionality of the language. For example (after Lutz): - start with a simple, hard-coded dictionary of names/addresses (an addressbook). Print them out. - add a simple, text-based UI, allowing user to add, delete, edit entries (input/output/UI) - complexify the data stored and move to file based storage (file io, data stores) - add ability to sort (without built-in methods, to learn the algorithms) - add ability to find (more algorithms) - then, move to a GUI? and then.... (I've got lots of ideas - net-based sharing, file input/output, move to a web-based CGI system, etc - just wondering what people think. Also, would this excite students?) 3. I'd like to include a significant amount of history in the class. Can anyone recommend texts related the two main branches of computer science I'd like the talk about: the history of "calculation", including ancient devices like the abacus, quipu, slide-rule (grin) and the theory of numbers/counter/arithmetic, and the history of the computer, focusing on the 20th century? Thoughts, suggestions, comments, references? 4. I'm wondering what people have done for large-scale projects... I'm thinking along these lines: - a primitive sketch/draw program (nice GUI and object lessons here) - a CGI system for the school (alumni database) - Tic-Tac-Toe (with AI), of course - other games (NIM, etc.) - local school chat program Of course I will let the kids make suggestions also, I'm just wondering where people have gone with this. Thanks much, Rob Robert K. Rickenbrode II rkr_ii(a)yahoo.com _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Edu-sig] Simple frame buffer module
by Pete Shinners 29 Aug '01

29 Aug '01

> I'd like to announce the simple frame buffer module that > I wacked together after being fed up with having to create > a GUI every time I wanted to illustrate something simple > in Python (such as the iterative improvement of some problem). > A short sample: > > import fb # import module > f = fb.FrameBuffer() # create an instance > f.open(200, 200, "demo") # open a window named "demo" > for i in range(10, 190): # simple loop > f.fg = (i, i, i) # set fg colour > f.plot(i, i) # plot > f.flip() # flip buffers > raw_input('enter to quit') # wait for keypress > f.close() # close window it is nice to see more support for graphics based stuff coming in python. i'm the author of pygame, which does very similar things with SDL, http://www.pygame.org pygame is more of a full-coverage wrapping for the SDL library, which could make it a bit top-heavy for someone looking for simple framebuffer access. still, it can perform like this above example without too much extra overhead. pygame.init() #initialize f = pygame.display.set_mode((200,200)) #open framebuffer for i in range(10, 190): f.set_at((i, i), (i, i, i)) #set grey pixels pygame.display.flip() #flip buffers while pygame.event.wait().type not in (QUIT,KEYDOWN): pass #wait for input pygame.quit() #optional quit

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Re: [Edu-sig] Teaching python
by Kirby Urner 28 Aug '01

28 Aug '01

At 04:21 PM 8/28/2001 -0400, you wrote: >Thanks for your thoughts, Kirby, but I really think that two lists here is >the way to go OK, you've convinced me -- guess I was just sad to see the party move elsewhere. But I can always lurk (I may have some classroom stuff lining up too, as a free lancer). Kirby

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Teaching python
by Timothy Wilson 28 Aug '01

28 Aug '01

Hi everyone, I keep hearing about more teachers who, like myself, are using Python to teach programming in high schools around the U.S. Perhaps it would be nice to have a page at python.org in the edu-sig section listing the schools and teachers who are using it. Of course I have no idea how we'd find everyone, and perhaps finding a small number of teachers listed on the page would be a disincentive for teachers who are just discovering Python. Any thoughts? -Tim -- Tim Wilson | Visit Sibley online: | Check out: Henry Sibley HS | http://www.isd197.org | http://www.zope.com W. St. Paul, MN | | http://slashdot.org wilson(a)visi.com | <dtml-var pithy_quote> | http://linux.com

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Re: [Pythonmac-SIG] Re: Number format in IDE
by Dethe Elza 27 Aug '01

27 Aug '01

There is much being made of the problems with computing using binary floating values, which is the default with all computer languages that I'm aware of. One of the nice things about python is that it makes it relatively easy to change the default. For instance, you could use use decimal division, which wouldn't help with cases like 1 / 3 = 0.33333..., but would allow 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 0.3 to be expressed precisely. Decimal math works through the problem just like person would on paper (or in their head), not using any of the high-speed special-purpose tools of the modern computer (floating point units), but it works and gives the answer you'd expect. The other solution, and one which keeps getting proposed for python and deferred, is rational math, where 1/3 is expressed as 1/3, not as 0.3333... (or as 0). Unfortunately, since neither of these are built-in, you either need to import a library and use them explicity, or do some fancy footwork with python at deeper levels than many of us (myself included) feel comfortable with. But if there's a real need for this, maybe we should put our heads together and figure out the best way. My opinion is that using floating point and rounding is a hack (even if calculators do it) and we should find a better solution. Of course, while these options are great for using python as a calculator, they would suck if used for a ray-tracer (you wouldn't want to use python long ints for such a beast, either). Thankfully, python gives us the flexibility to use the right tool for the job, if only we can determine what the *right* tool is. -- Dethe Elza (delza(a)burningtiger.com) Chief Mad Scientist Burning Tiger Technologies (http://burningtiger.com) Living Code Weblog (http://livingcode.ca)

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Re: Simple frame buffer module
by Kevin Altis 27 Aug '01

27 Aug '01

FYI, PythonCard contains a fairly elaborate turtle graphics library and set of samples that also happen to do plot, lineTo, etc. There are various samples plotting chaotic functions, coordinate grids, and fractals. There is even a generic plot sample that is a bit strange, but can plot any generic function since it uses eval to do its work. http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/ Pictures of the turtle(s) (you can have any number of turtles you want) in action are at: http://pythoncard.sourceforge.net/samples2.html You can drive the turtle, do plotting, etc. from the shell or write a script. samples\turtle\test_turtle.py is the main program to run if you download PythonCard and want to try it out. PythonCard requires wxPython to run. The one thing it is really missing is an offscreen frame buffer, I just haven't had time to do it. Consequently, when you cover up the window, you lose the current drawing, but I'll fix that in the future unless somebody beats me to it. ka --- Kevin Altis altis(a)semi-retired.com

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