Mailman 3 March 2006 - Edu-sig

Re: [Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 31, Issue 16
by Toby Donaldson March 8, 2006

March 8, 2006

> So I think the following would be handy: > > 1. equally usable with either "import * from turtle" or "import turtle" > imports > 2. should open with a window covering at least half the screen (the > current default is too small to be useful) > 3. should offer some simple configuration choices for things like > initial size and shape, but mostly rely on reasonable defaults > 4. should offer a class wrapper so that that one could easily > instantiate different turtles for a first experience with objects. > 5. some minor tweaks to make it better behaved when run from IDLE > > Does anyone have any feedback on these ideas or any other suggestions > about how turtle.py might be improved without being fundamentally changed? > > Note: this is about turtle.py only, for all its deficiencies. Any > suggestions to try another library, system, or language will be > cheerfully, but resolutely, ignored. ;) > > Cheers, > Vern Ceder Vern, I would be interested in testing any improved turtle.py package you come up with. I used the Python turtle.py package last semester with about 500 first-year university students, and two problems stood out above all others: 1. The broken interaction between Idle and the turtle package. 2. Poor documentation. To actually understand certain function calls, it was necessary to read the turtle.py source code. I agree that your other points would be improvements, but, for my purposes at least, they are lower priority. I have another suggestion: rewrite turtle.py so it has a simpler, more modular internal design. I use it for learning about functional decomposition and bottom-up programming; the graphics are secondary. So I would like a less powerful turtle, but one that students can easily build upon. Perhaps a BabyTurtle class with the absolute bare primitive methods could be added, e.g. something like class BabyTurtle(object): def forward(self, steps): # ... def left(self, degrees): # ... def penUp(self): # ... def penDown(self): # ... Toby -- Dr. Toby Donaldson School of Computing Science Simon Fraser University (Surrey)

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Python First: Free access for educators
by Atanas Radenski March 8, 2006

March 8, 2006

I have published online a new 'Introduction to Computing with Python' study pack. This 'Python First' digital pack is intended for students with little or no prior programming experience. This digital pack is all-in-one solution. Ten self-contained online chapters consist of e-texts (66,000 words), 730 slides, 62 labs (36,000 words), 58 sample programs, and 10 quizzes (280 questions). An experienced instructor can start teaching within minutes of logging on to StudyPack.com for the first time. If you are an educator and are interested in the potential of Python, you can explore the 'Python First' digital pack at http://studypack.com/. To gain free personal access, open an account and use enrollment key 31415. More detailed instructions of how to enroll are posted here: http://studypack.com/comp/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=1915. The following resources of interest to educators are available under the main menu of http://studypack.com. 1. 'Python First' Features http://studypack.com/comp/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=2923 The 'Python First' pack is lab-based, paperless, and low-cost for students. This is more than a book, a digital pack to support blended courses for the net generation of students. 2. Student Surveys http://studypack.com/comp/mod/resource/view.php?id=2837 A recent student survey indicates that students like and prefer Python as a first language. Students also perceive the online study pack as very beneficial. Browse the posted survey results for details. 3. Questions and Answers http://studypack.com/comp/mod/glossary/view.php?id=2838 How a Python study pack is supposed to be used to support a course? Answers to this and other questions are provided in the Questions and Answers resource. 4. A tuition-free summer workshop for educators http://studypack.com/comp/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=1916 A tuition-free Python workshop for educators will be held this June at Chapman University in Orange, California. Preliminary versions of the 'Python First' pack have been used by me and my colleagues at Chapman University in California since 2004. The pack will be used in other schools starting this fall. I will be happy to answer any questions or provide additional information. Respectfully, Atanas Radenski mailto:radenski@chapman.edu http://www.chapman.edu/~radenski/

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Re: [Edu-sig] Python First: Free access for educators
by Radenski, Atanas March 8, 2006

March 8, 2006

> Another way people write switch: > > def switch(choice): > if 0<choice<len(functions): ... This seems a good thing to do. In terms of complexity, functions come after selection, and that is how they are sequenced in the Python First pack. The material is based on functions all way, from the very beginning, but a systematic coverage of functions is offered *after* control structures. Thus, I would not use functions as parameters or list/tuple members as early as when I cover selection. Fortunately, I can possibly add the implementation of switch (above) as an optional lab in the chapter on functions or in the chapter on lists and dictionaries. [Detailed self-guided labs in Python First are fundamental in 'teaching programming as a habit' - I would love to write on this in a later post.] I know this list is a most sophisticated Python audience. Any feedback is appreciated. I can also explain my chosen pedagogy, should that need arise. Cheers, Atanas Atanas Radenski -- Visit http://studypack.com for new Python and Java resources. > -----Original Message----- > From: kirby urner [mailto:kirby.urner@gmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 7:51 AM > To: Radenski, Atanas > Cc: edu-sig(a)python.org > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python First: Free access for educators > > Cool, I'm in. Checking out your moodle. > > Another way people write switch: > > def switch(choice): > if 0<choice<len(functions):

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New Python website
by kirby urner March 8, 2006

March 8, 2006

I see the long-planned reskinning of the Python website is finally going down. edu-sig is as good a place as any to check out the handsome new template: http://www.python.org/community/sigs/current/edu-sig/ I'm glad I had the foresite to put a direct link to this archive at the very bottom of the page, as that direct relationship to a SIG mail list and archive appears to have been severed (used to be upper left -- check archive.org). Also, I don't see any direct attribution to me, as the page maintainer, which is good, because my SVN pipeline was broken anyway. I'd become a mere figure-head, another faceless name around campus. So I'm off the hook, swimming free. I still freely admit to enjoying Python though -- so charming. And I'm really in to Pythonic Mathematics, same as always, with a Buckyian spin. Scott, I connected with your friend J. Orr @ Willamette. Salem is obviously well supported from Portland, should that tiny CS faculty want to work with livewire snake charmers, seasoned, experienced. We should fire up PORPIG again. OSCON approacheth. Kirby

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ANN: 2006 Python training courses, San Francisco
by w chun March 7, 2006

March 7, 2006

Dear Edu-Sig, Below is the announcement we made earlier today regarding our intro and advanced Python courses for the remainder of 2006. There are significant discounts for students/teachers. Please snip this msg and forward the attachment below to anyone whom you think would be interested or would benefit from Python training courses. This includes Plone, Zope, and Mailman groups as well. Thanks for your interest, -Wesley ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: w chun <wescpy(a)gmail.com> Date: Mar 7, 2006 10:20 AM Subject: ANN: 2006 Python training courses, San Francisco WE are giving 4 more Python training sessions (held near the San Francisco airport) for the remainder of this year. For the first time, there will be an "advanced" Python course available to the public. In fact, we've added the March intro course date for those prepping to take the advanced class in May. You may register for any of the 4 courses/dates below. (Intensive) Introduction to Python March 29-31, 2006 August 16-18, 2006 Advanced Python Programming May 17-19, 2006 November 8-10, 2006 LOCALS: it'll be at a hotel with BART and CalTrain access (San Bruno stations) VISITORS: free shuttle directly from the San Francisco airport, lots of free food and wireless DISCOUNTS available. for more info and details, go to http://cyberwebconsulting.com and click "Python training." cheers, -wesley ps. a great big public THANKS to Rob Stephenson for putting together the short PodCast clip of one of our training sessions for your viewing pleasure on a video iPod or iTunes on your Mac! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Core Python Programming", Prentice Hall, (c)2006,2001 http://corepython.com wesley.j.chun :: wescpy-at-gmail.com cyberweb.consulting : silicon valley, ca http://cyberwebconsulting.com

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From Kirby's corner...
by kirby urner March 7, 2006

March 7, 2006

For my part, I've been musing on the animals we're seeing: turtles on Python. I'm into monkeys. And Python's a snake (some say a comedy troupe, but I say "it ate Monty"). I'm invited to a Shuttleworth Foundation gig in London in April to brainstorm on a proposed curriculum pipeline in South Africa that'd start 'em in Logo, move on to Squeak, thence to Python. Lots of big names invited, plus me. Then I notice the Scheme folks might come and wonder if they're like the zookeepers. because, like, we have all these animals: {Logo : turtle, Squeak : mouse, Python : snake}. Now the Schemers show up, and plan a circus or something? Anyway, interesting fantasy. My current interest is that Parrot avatar Jim Huginin demos in some of his IronPython previews. He grabs it out of the Windows .DLLs and makes it squawk and fly, from the Python command line. It's a cross between VPython and Looney Tunes (more flat than 3D). I think this stuff has potential, in terms of scripting, in terms of girls even caring. There's a title on my bookshelf about the computer screen having a lot in common with the theater stage. When you file in to a theater, take your seats in the rows, they hand you a Programme (no coincidence). The playwright writes a script. We need to make numeracy training more literary and vice versa, and I see computer animation and/or "GUI TV" as a bridge. But that doesn't mean losing touch with the command line and doing all drag and drop programming with icons (although we can do some of that too, ala GameMaker & Mindstorms). We'll still use ordinary Python -- just with different puppets than we might be used to, on the other ends of our strings. Kirby

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Introducing classes
by Andre Roberge March 6, 2006

March 6, 2006

A long time ago, Kirby suggested to me (on this list I believe - I can't trace the post right now) that perhaps I should use rur-ple's code itself as an example to use. I replied that it was most likely too complicated .... but I kept his idea at the back of my mind. After seeing his post on the Monkey class, I thought of how I would go about to introduce classes, to users of rur-ple that have already written simple programs to make a robot (Reeborg) move in his world, both using the "function" notation and the OOP notation. Here are my thoughts at the moment. (Sorry for the amount of code; it is designed to be all cut-and-pasted in one chunk to be run altogether as an example. In a classroom situation it would be broken up in various steps.) The next step would be to introduce the second dimension (streets). Any kind of comments would be appreciated, especially as I am thinking of writing a rur-ple lesson using this approach :-) André ==================== # Minimal robot that can move. class Robot(object): def move(self): print "I moved." Reeborg = Robot() Reeborg.move() print "----------------" # Add real movement along a line class Robot(object): def __init__(self): self.avenue = 1 def move(self): self.avenue += 1 print "I moved to Avenue %d"%self.avenue Reeborg = Robot() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() print "----------------" # Add movement in both directions along the line class Robot(object): def __init__(self): self.avenue = 1 self.step = 1 def move(self): self.avenue += self.step print "I moved to Avenue %d"%self.avenue def turn_around(self): self.step = -self.step print "I turned around." Reeborg = Robot() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.turn_around() Reeborg.move() print "----------------" # Add obstacles (walls) class Robot(object): def __init__(self): self.avenue = 1 self.step = 1 self.walls = [0, 5] def move(self): self.avenue += self.step if self.avenue in self.walls: print "A wall is preventing me to move to Avenue %d"%self.avenue self.avenue -= self.step else: print "I moved to Avenue %d"%self.avenue def turn_around(self): self.step = -self.step print "I turned around." Reeborg = Robot() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.turn_around() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.turn_around() for i in range(5): Reeborg.move() print "----------------" # Create world and robot separately; put robot in world class World(object): def __init__(self): self.walls = [] def add_wall(self, avenue): self.walls.append(avenue) def is_clear(self, avenue): return avenue in self.walls class Robot(object): def __init__(self, world): self.avenue = 1 self.step = 1 self.world = world def move(self): self.avenue += self.step if self.world.is_clear(self.avenue): print "Something in the world is preventing me", print "to move to Avenue %d"%self.avenue self.avenue -= self.step else: print "I moved to Avenue %d"%self.avenue def turn_around(self): self.step = -self.step print "I turned around." w = World() w.add_wall(0) w.add_wall(5) Reeborg = Robot(w) Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.turn_around() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() Reeborg.move() w.add_wall(3) Reeborg.turn_around() for i in range(3): Reeborg.move() print "----------------"

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This in the mail
by Laura Creighton March 5, 2006

March 5, 2006

I got this in the mail today. Any teachers need some? Laura ------------ Folks - My company is looking to replace about 300 (!) 1U rack mount linux boxes. Anyone interested in them for either bulk purchase or for a worthy charitable cause? Specs: 1U chassis w/ 150W PSU Pentium 4 (some 2.4Ghz, some 2.8Ghz) Fairly standard desktop motherboard 512MB RAM 40GB ATA disk 2x ethernet (some FE, some GE) No warranty, floppy drive, cd-rom, or anything else The units are located in San Francisco, and if you're interested you need to think about the logistics of getting them to where you want them. Caveats: - - Please - this information is *not* for public consumption. If you talk to someone else about them, don't mention the company name, just refer them to me. - - The machines are currently in active use on our grid... but there's probably some duds in the group - - Be aware that these servers are noisy(!) and power-hungry. --------------------------------

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SIGCSE Special Session Slides
by Brad Miller March 5, 2006

March 5, 2006

Hi Everyone: I have posted the slides, and miscellaneous links from the SIGCSE Special Session "Successful Approaches to Teaching Introductory Computer Science Courses with Python" You can find them at http://www.cs.luther.edu/Python The special session was a lot of fun and we had an excellent turnout. We counted over 100 people in attendance! The discussion following our short presentation was very positive. It is clear that there is growing interest in using Python for introductory computer science. Brad -- Brad Miller, PhD Assistant Professor Luther College http://www.cs.luther.edu/~bmiller jabber: bnmnetp(a)jabber.org

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Re: [Edu-sig] suggestions about turtle.py
by Christian Mascher March 4, 2006

March 4, 2006

Hi all, some years ago I had to teach using a macintosh lab: due to some problems with Tk on mac there was no Idle (and no turtle.py IIRC). That was when I realized how useful the "batteries included" Idle (-n) together with the old turle.py really was for me. It is my standard "graphics package". I once used it to demonstrate the adding up of arrows for physics (arrows representing sine-waves with different phases like from a grating): you could script this from idle and look at the different resulting amplitudes for different angles (arrow spirals curling up or not). Physicists will know what I mean. A Turtle was exactly the right tool to do this. As a quick way to introduce loops etc. with visual feedback the turtle has always worked out well in my (school) classes: ages 15-17. I also like it that the old turtle.py lets you decide if you want to do it procedural (module-level functions) or OO-like. And if you want to hide the things you don't need or rename methods etc. just implement an appropriate intermediate module with your favorite settings and put it in the pythonpath for the class to import: # ooTurtle.py from turtle import Pen class Turtle: def __init__(self, mycolor='black'): self._pen=Pen() self.color(mycolor) def color(self,*args): self._pen.color(*args) ... So dir(Turtle) will only show the methods you explicitly put in there. And you can have the names that you want. Gregor Lingl wrote: > > In the meantime (and looking forward to preparing a second edition > of my book) I've been working on a new turtle graphics module - I named > it Xturtle.py. BTW, I like your book. > 1) I submit my Xturtle.py module along with a set of 10+ demo samples. > I've zipped them into a package and I'll try to submit them as > an attachment in a separate follow up posting. Great stuff. > Moreover let's remember, that > turtle graphics was invented to teach programming to very young people. > So let's do it in a way, that interesting things can easily be done with it. Still: "young" could be quite old. I still like to play around with turtles... > (a) How about compatibility? Should every old turtle program be > executable with the amended module? Remind that there is some > strange behaviour in the old module concerning fill. IMO it should be > discussed if the "radians"-mode in turtle.py should be retained. (Is it > really useful?) As I could rename methods (i.e. to German) anyway, backwards compatibility isn't that important. I just need to find the things I need. Fixing things to go with a new turtle-module shouldn't be difficult. But there should always be an Out-of-the-Box turtle in the standard installation. > (c) I'd propose to add a sort of TurtleCanvas class to the turtle > module. Seems reasonable to me. Just my 2c. Cheers Christian

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