Mailman 3 October 2007 - Edu-sig

Thesis about Python & Zope
by Jan Ulrich Hasecke 16 Nov '07

16 Nov '07

Hi, did anybody already posted this link? http://www.stadtgespraeche.com/technik It is a thesis in German about Python and Zope in education. The only one in German AFAIK. Next week I have a meeting as representative of the parents in the school of my boys. And the agenda sounds as if there are chances to discuss new approaches in teaching computer science. Up to now they only sporadically uses Openoffice.org. They heard about Open Source Software but Python is the name of a serpent. ;-) I hope to say something about Python, I even suggested a workshop and I would like to back up my words with educational studies. I know there are tons of good links in the archives of this list, but I am so busy that I fear I could not evaluate them. It would be more than nice, if you could point me to a page with links to revelant studies or just post links to new studies. Studies with european context preferred. TIA juh -- www.sudelbuch.de Satiren und Essays

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Re: [Edu-sig] Forum hosting for HS Python group
by Richard Guenther 30 Oct '07

30 Oct '07

Thanks. And thanks to everyone else who responded. I have many choices here and will let students drive some of these decisions. Other recommendations have been noted and I will be presenting these possibilities to a group of teachers in the near future. We've got a google page started (just a group page, a code wiki will possibly follow), and I think we may also use Blogger somehow. Both of those are just too convienient to pass by. Although I could get our district to host, it's easier to just bypass them for now. In the future we'll probably host with Moodle as our school is moving to a Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) focus. Right now, however, OS is seen as either "too good to be true" or "security risk!" or even "what the heck is that?" Thank you to all that responded. I read each and every one :-) Richard P.S. My students indeed ARE very familiar with facebook. I'm sure that suggestion will go over well with them. It's the parents who tend to get nervous about facebook. ----- Original Message ---- From: Michael Tobis <mtobis(a)gmail.com> To: Matthew Schinckel <matt(a)schinckel.net> Cc: edu-sig(a)python.org Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 1:17:30 PM Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Forum hosting for HS Python group Google code. http://code.google.com/hosting . Most wikis are code-unfriendly. You'll have to jump through a few hoops to get started, but you won't actually have to install your own wiki. Google code is what you need, I think..... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Forum hosting for HS Python group
by Richard Guenther 30 Oct '07

30 Oct '07

Hi everyone. Anyone have recommendations for a good online forum host. I wouldn't mind paying a bit to ensure a few things like: 1. No poor taste spambot postings (this will be used by students) 2. Open only to members of our programming club 3. Easy to set up so that students can maintain it This would be for my high school computer programming club. Basically, we want an easy way to share our Python code and have some fun. Thanks, Richard __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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python for kids... (version 0.4)
by Jason R Briggs 29 Oct '07

29 Oct '07

Hi All I've just updated the site with the latest version of SWFK (see here for more info: http://www.briggs.net.nz/log/2007/10/28/version-04/) This adds a ToC, fixes some of the references that weren't valid for Python2.4, adds while-loops and, as previously discussed, moves some of the Turtle discussion a few chapters earlier. Kind regards Jason

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(no subject)
by Richard Guenther 28 Oct '07

28 Oct '07

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python for kids...
by Horst JENS 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

sorry for being late... just discovered the Edu-sig list today. I want to add that Gregor Lindl, the author of the German book "Python für Kids" has improved the turtle module to a module called "xturtle". xturtle was presented at the Europython 2006 but sadly come too late to be included into Python 2.5. It is well worth a look and there is a homepage in English from the author about it: http://www.rg16.asn-wien.ac.at/~python/xturtle/index.html also want to add that i teach Python to kids and made some videos about Easygui: http://www.showmedo.com/videos/series?name=pythonJensFromKidsSeries The videos are in German but have English subtitles. I would love to work together with other teachers to make more videos. For fun, mostly, and also to show that teaching PYthon to kids is a good idea. Now i happy dive into "Snake-Wrangler" :-)

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Re: [Edu-sig] python for kids...
by Jason R Briggs 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

Hi Philip I'm afraid that your attachment didn't make it through. Can you try again? Perhaps an screenshot image on its own might work. If you get the error when entering the line: t = turtle.Turtle() try with: t = turtle.Pen() As a side-note, I've almost finished updating a newer version of the book, with slightly re-ordered chapters and fixing a few minor errors (such as the reference to Turtle()) Kind regards Jason phil danaher wrote: > Dear Jason R Briggs > > I have been looking at snake wrangling for kids and reached page 47 > which introduces turtle graphics. I am using a MacBook with your > recommended version of MacPython and get the attached error message > when entering the code. Any suggestions for the FAQ section. Until > this point have enjoyed the book and would like to test it with my > students next year if OK with you :) Keep up the good work. > > cheers > > Phiilip > > > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:40:33 +1300 > > From: jasonrbriggs(a)gmail.com > > To: edu-sig(a)python.org > > Subject: [Edu-sig] python for kids... > > > > Hi All > > > > I'm hoping to get some feedback (flameback?) for a book I've been > > working on (on and off for the last year or so), endeavouring to teach > > Python to kids (8-12). It's not perfect (by any stretch of the > > imagination), since it hasn't had a professional edit -- nor have I > > given it the requisite 6 month or so cooling down period to go back and > > hack out large chunks of dross with a bit of > > 'what-the-hell-was-I-thinking' objectivity. But I'm hoping some may > > find it useful, and over time I might get enough feedback to tidy it up > > a bit. > > > > Anyway, the download link can be found on this page: > > http://www.briggs.net.nz/log/writing/snake-wrangling-for-kids/ > > > > And a bit of background reading as to why I even bothered can be found > > here, if at all interested: > > http://www.briggs.net.nz/log/category/swfk/ > > > > Any commentary would be useful, and attribution will, of course, be > given. > > > > Jason > > _______________________________________________ > > Edu-sig mailing list > > Edu-sig(a)python.org > > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Listen now! New music from the Rogue Traders. > <http://ninemsn.com.au/share/redir/adTrack.asp?mode=click&clientID=832&refer…> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >

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Ditch "self"?
by kirby urner 24 Oct '07

24 Oct '07

Guido: "Personally, I find that the criticism of explicit self has about as much merit as the criticism of Python's use of whitespace." [ http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=214325 ] Ya, my thought as well. Lotsa people with nasty bad Java habits come kibitzing to Python's door, expecting to be taken seriously (not! -- except sometimes). What I like about 'self', as much documented here (edu-sig), is it ain't a key word, i.e. it's a placeholder in which any unicode glyph might go. And as discussed with John Zelle, I see advantages into projecting a sense of one's self into 'self' -- *not* as some exercise in introversion, but in order to better empathize with some external knowledge domain (dams, horse farms whatever). "I am an hydraulic pump, these are my attributes" -- that kind of thing. OO's use of "self" inherently promotes empathy *if* the pedagogy is skillful, sensitive to future developer responsibilities (and if the students are adepts, have true geek potential). Believe it or not, all this connects to my math-thinking-l position that women clearly control computer science (Ada... Grace Hopper), if not other disciplines, and even if guys with big egos like to pretend *they* do. Kirby

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Re: [Edu-sig] python for kids...
by Jason R Briggs 23 Oct '07

23 Oct '07

Hi Ajith I think the difference is probably Python 2.4 to Python 2.5 (which I was using). Pen() also works on Py2.5, so I think I'd better change to that. Will also add while-loops as well. Good idea. Thanks, J Ajith Kumar wrote: > Hello, > Thanks Jason. Excellent material. I was looking for something to > get people started in Python. By the way I use python for doing > computer interfaced > science experiments, a project named Phoenix > <http://www.iuac.res.in/%7Eelab/phoenix/>. > > t = turtle.Turtle() did not work on my Fedora core 3 machine. > t= turtle.Pen() worked instead. > > I felt it would have been better to mention while loop also in the > chapter explaining for loops. > > with regards > > Ajith Kumar > > > >

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Python for Halloween
by kirby urner 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

Something about using 'ghost' in place of 'self' in a Shell class (allusion to anime as well). Maybe I did something like this last year (having deja vu again). But I'm realizing edu-sig is no longer a preferred venue for my curriculum writing. I'd rather huddle with MIT, Bruce Sherwood, Alan Kay and play *against* Arthur's team. Arthur, you make too many enemies too quickly and too easily. Even more, I'm into my Portland Knowledge Lab (PKL) business (gotta pay that rent today) and want to make lots of Python and Synergetics teaching cartoons for HDTV (my Saturday Morning meme), with lots of brand name sponsors. But here is not the place to brainstorm in safety. Too many prying eyes and self-appointed kibbitzers. So I'm actually resigning this time. Don't expect me back any time soon. Probably won't be tracking either, at least not with any frequency. For me, it's a tilt towards private lists and closed source development (not exclusively -- I'm still a big supporter of a strong public sector). I'm learning why open source is a bad idea sometimes. I've talked to Stallman about this, though he probably doesn't remember -- I was in his audience in Portland and asked about situations when "they" simply *don't deserve* your best code. But I think more it's a matter of not wanting to show unfinished work (a big no no in Fuller's self discipline, according to 'Critical Path' I think it was). Kirby

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