Mailman 3 April 2008 - Edu-sig

more thoughts about Python pedagogy (pyPed)
by kirby urner April 27, 2008

April 27, 2008

So to reintroduce myself to some of you newer subscribers, I was a high school math teacher in a Dominican run school in Jersey City, before entering a career of mostly NGO work, as a programmer on the front lines (xBase). Python started as a hobby interest, connected with geometry studies, only became a part of my income stream toolkit much later in the game (many stories). I live in Portland, Oregon and am a veteran of the OSCON, PyCon and EuroPython speaker circuit, with a lot of that … [View More]stuff archived and easily accessible if you want to email me for links. My current practice is to follow Saxon, one of the popular math text book authors, in using a spiraling approach, meaning we cover data structures, functions, and classes the first day, but not exhaustively in any "silo" (they all go very deep as we know from experience). So like strings and lists, dabble in the shell, def a couple simple functions like from algebra class (these kids are all taking traditional math sequence), then do my Biotum, one of the simplest types possible that can still eat and divide (using copy module). Then on like a second pass, we'd add dictionary to data structures, default args to functions, more methods to a simple class. On a third pass, sets as data structures (a bridge to discussing concept of "immutability" thence on to tuples as a kind of list that will work as a dictionary key -- starting to tie it all together here), start with the *kw, **kwarg stuff inside the function mouth f( ), and finally bridge to inheritance (Monkey and Dog as subclasses of Mammal (object), the subclasses distinct as to __repr__ only -- __init__ at Mammal level only, simple assignment of a moniker i.e. self.name = name). So that's the Saxon idea of a spiral: data structures; functions; classes each time, but also a little deeper each time. The goal is for concepts to gain traction by being immediately *used* in a next context (something Wayne and I were yakking about on Math Forum recently). We introduce vectors only to use them in a next lesson, as constituents of polyhedra. Or I'll start with polyhedra as my primitive objects and get to vectors only secondarily, as constituents of an Edge class. I believe in teacher discretion in these matters, as a best judge of hers or his own students and teaching abilities. I keep blogs, still use xBase for a living, mostly in hospital work (having SQL embedded right in the native syntax is like bread and butter for me, not saying Python isn't good at it), have hung out on edu-sig here since its inception, lots of fun dialogs, got us a PhD thesis focused on us 'n everything (collective blush) **. I think it'd be unsurprising that Python has a dynamic core list focused on education, given all the focus and interest on improving curricula these days. I definitely think the open source languages, combined with low cost hardware, is in the process of revolutionizing the classroom once again, to the lasting improvement of the student experience, teacher as well. Kirby 4dsolutions.net ** PROMOTING COMPUTER LITERACY THROUGH PROGRAMMING PYTHON by John Alexander Miller A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Education) in The University of Michigan 2004 Doctoral Committee: Professor Frederick Goodman, Chair Emeritus Professor Carl Berger Professor Jay Lemke Professor John Swales http://www.python.org/files/miller-dissertation.pdf [View Less]

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Re: [Edu-sig] Self Study for Kids
by Albert Sweigart April 27, 2008

April 27, 2008

Jay, I am also writing a book on game programming in Python aimed at 10-12 year olds. The title is "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" and it is nearing completion. (All the source code is there, and only the last chapter needs writing, along with general editing.) A complete PDF of the final work should be ready within a couple weeks. http://pythonbook.coffeeghost.net/ Al Sweigart

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SA 8629 day 2
by kirby urner April 26, 2008

April 26, 2008

Plug for VPython in today's write-up (a YouTube): http://controlroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/sa-classnotes-2008426.html Kirby

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Re: [Edu-sig] Question about Python - Social Networking Software
by Laura Creighton April 25, 2008

April 25, 2008

In a message of Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:26:58 EDT, =?UTF-8?Q?Ivan_Krsti=C4=87?= writ es: >On Apr 25, 2008, at 8:49 AM, csev wrote: >> Should I just use DJango with a few modules? I worry that DJango is >> too much of a Mambo-clone > >Mambo is a content management system. Django is a framework for >writing web applications with particularly nice support for writing >content management systems. You're confusing the two; you can't just >"use Django". I recommend … [View More]

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Question about Python - Social Networking Software
by csev April 25, 2008

April 25, 2008

I am looking for some social networking software for a course I am teaching next winter. I would love for it to be Python. In PHP - something like Elgg would be great. It needs a Wiki, Blog, RSS feeds, etc etc. Should I just use DJango with a few modules? I worry that DJango is too much of a Mambo-clone - I want something that is user-centered (student centered) - not organization centered. Something with good access controls - with the ability to have closed groups - would be a … [View More]

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Self Study for Kids
by Jay Bloodworth April 24, 2008

April 24, 2008

Anybody know any good self study resources for kids interested in learning programming, pythonic or otherwise? The kid(s) in question are 12-14. Jay

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Re: [Edu-sig] Self Study for Kids
by Richard Guenther April 21, 2008

April 21, 2008

2008/4/21 Iman Darabi <iman.darabi(a)gmail.com>: > > > On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 2:20 PM, roberto <roberto03(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > On 4/20/08, Iman Darabi <iman.darabi(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > take a look at it : > > > http://www.computer-books.us/python_0003.php > > sorry, but this seems not to working at the moment ... > > so try this link ( tested and it's ok ) , as i remember this link is home > page of the book too … [View More]

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Considering Idioms
by kirby urner April 21, 2008

April 21, 2008

Dylan and I had some interesting chatter on the PPUG list (formerly PORPIG), regarding what I advanced as the David Goodger thesis (based on last year's OSCON tutorial), that it's more idiomatic to say "for e in thedict:" than "for e in thedict.keys():" The reasoning here (as I understood it) is thedict is an iterable and so has a __next__, meaning we don't need to flag it as anything special with the keys() modifier, i.e. stick with a more generic syntax to where the reader is just thinking "… [View More]

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Rambles from PDX/4D
by kirby urner April 20, 2008

April 20, 2008

Programming in Python, aka Pythonic Math 8629, is a go for this spring, so I'm gearing up again, dunno how much I'll blog of this one, having done semi-exhaustive retrospectives a few times already.[1][2] Intersection with UK version of Math Wars at Pycon was fun, still writing little modules around Cuisenaires, some early source code, once you've got your feet wet with the rods, fractions, other age-appropriate materials, e.g. Peter Pan, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away... Narnia, or in our … [View More]

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Using Python 3.0 for teaching
by Andre Roberge April 8, 2008

April 8, 2008

There is an interesting paper about using Python 3.0 to teach programming: http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/nde/papers/teachpy3.html André

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