Mailman 3 January 2006 - Edu-sig

Brainstorming a new worksheet for 2006
by kirby urner 01 Jan '06

01 Jan '06

I'll be back to school on Tuesday, teaching another Python class. I'm about to throw together a web based worksheet for use in class (each student will pull it up in a browser). I'll be recycling a lot of familiar material. Just thought I'd brainstorm out loud about the contents, then whip it together, then come back here and share the URL. I want to review some of what we've done so far, include a lot of links, preview some of the content ahead. Topics: Google Earth, Celestia and Stellarium for orientation (hello world) Latitude / Longitude XML Python: shell mode primitive objects vs. collections Collections: list dictionary string tuple Expressions: list comprehensions Functions: getting started with sequences: triangular, tetrahedral numbers etc. Generators: same ground, different capabilities generator expressions ... That should be enough to get me going. I'll be back soon with that URL. It'll be a work in progress and I'll be open to feedback (positive, negative, neutral, indifferent). Kirby

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Python as a CS1 Language: Summary of Responses
by Radenski, Atanas 01 Jan '06

01 Jan '06

I couple of weeks ago I asked for a list of schools that use Python as a CS1/CS2 language. Here is a cumulative list (in alphabetical order) that includes responses from several of you. Canadian Mennonite University (Manitoba, Canada) Centre College (KY, USA) Chapman University (CA, USA) Coventry University (United Kingdom) Georgia Tech (GA, USA) Hofstra University (NY, USA) Lewis and Clark College (OR, USA) Loyola University Chicago (IL, USA) [Python used in a course somewhere between CS0 and CS1] Luther College (IA, USA) Simon Fraser University (BC, Canada) St. Louis University (MO, USA) University of California Irvine (CA, USA) University of Colorado (CO, USA) [Unclear which campus] Wartburg College (IA, USA) Many thanks to all who responded. Further updates will be appreciated. Atanas Atanas Radenski mailto:radenski@chapman.edu <mailto:radenski@chapman.edu> http://www.chapman.edu/~radenski/ <http://www.chapman.edu/~radenski/> In this world, time and space are the same -- Richard Wagner ("Parsifal", 1882)

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Re: [Edu-sig] Brainstorming a new worksheet for 2006
by John Miller 01 Jan '06

01 Jan '06

kirby urner <kirby.urner(a)gmail.com> wrote: > That should be enough to get me going. I'll be back soon with that > URL. > It'll be a work in progress and I'll be open to feedback (positive, > negative, neutral, indifferent). > > Kirby One small suggestion. Instead of this: ''' Examples of data structures are: list [a, b, c] dictionary {a:1, b:2, c:3} string "abc" tuple (a,b,c) ''' I suggest this: ''' Examples of data structures are: [a, b, c] # a list {a:1, b:2, c:3} # a dictionary "abc" # a string (a,b,c) # a tuple ''' This cleanly separates the syntax from the labeling, and reinforces the commenting notation. Looking at the larger picture, I'm feeling that there is a need for an online place to provide for the teaching/learning of python that is specifically structured for high school credit. You may have heard that Michigan is thinking of making the completion of an online course a graduation requirement. If this passes, and other states follow, there might well be demand for such a course, or set of courses. I really like Kirby's penchant for sharing his educational endeavors with us, and the materials that go with them, however, it is all very *specific* to his particular situation. I've been wondering if there isn't some way to foster greater collaboration with what Kirby is doing, while at the same time, engender more such efforts by those of us inclined to do so. For example, one well-regarded, open-source curriculum management system is Moodle (moodle.org) (think Blackboard, or WebCT, only free.) If we set up a moodle site, we could each prototype courses, placing emphasis where each of us felt was appropriate or necessary for our own needs, or the perceived needs of a potential audience. We might then synthesize our efforts somehow and make it available to schools (the horizon gets hazy at this point...) One drawback, in my mind, is that moodle runs on php rather than python, and I wouldn't like the subtle irony of that situation. The obvious python product I suppose is plone (plone.org) but that would have to be heavily customized to make it more like a courseware system than a generic content management system. Or maybe using php isn't so bad... Anyway, just wondering if any others were feeling similarly. John Miller

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Happy New Year from Kirby
by kirby urner 01 Jan '06

01 Jan '06

I hope ya'll had a good New Years experience, got home safely and so on (I was already home, which made the evening's logistics simpler). When I wasn't out on a boat (watching a guy test his new GPS), or watching TV, or whatever, I kept enhancing my Python @ Winterhaven thing. I'm pretty happy with the results for right now: http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/winterhaven/ Yes, I'm using a lot of recycled material, but hey, that's called "eco-friendly and efficient" in some circles. Kirby

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