Mailman 3 - Edu-sig - python.org

seasonal challenge to calculator dominance in high schools
by kirby urner June 24, 2019

June 24, 2019

Somewhere every summer, I tend to call into question the wisdom of buying the kids another scientific calculator at the drug store (we call them that here, pharmacies have calculators hanging on racks at the checkout, to cash in on gullibility and impulse buys). This year: https://nbviewer.jupyter.org/github/4dsolutions/School_of_Tomorrow/blob/mas… That's of course the read-only version (vs. mybinder.org) with the benefit of a free video at the bottom, not visible on Github, where I give my viewers the elevator speech i.e. pitch Jupyter Notebooks using Python as superior to slaving away with a graphing calculator. Not that anyone is still using graphing calculators right? Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse (idiom). Kirby

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Python mod for standart Minecraft
by Jurgis Pralgauskis May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019

We can combine the power of learning Py with the power of enjoying MC! Has anyone tried it? https://www.instructables.com/id/Python-coding-for-Minecraft/

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Another quick look at Codesters
by kirby urner May 25, 2019

May 25, 2019

I'm involved in a multi-state distance education program where I pop up as a talking head, remotely. The kids have Chromebooks. Middle School aged. Here's a short Youtube about that platform: https://youtu.be/HMOkOy9pCGo?t=69 (free to sign up, the tool our school uses -- the opening minute or so is about another curriculum topic, hence the t=) If you've not seen Codesters before, and have work in the Learning to Code arena, you might wanna check it out. Kirby

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Teaching Python Podcast
by Perry Grossman May 8, 2019

May 8, 2019

Hi All, You might find this Teaching Python Podcast of interest: https://www.teachingpython.fm/ Perry

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what is 'self'? (plus link to Trey's article on callability)
by kirby urner April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

If we're ever at a loss for what to talk about, in this context, of Python teachers, I could recommend a list of default topics, one of which would always be... What is this 'self'? The self appears right when we introduce the class construct (keyword class). And then we say things like "Python provides it" or "Python fills it in". What is "it" then? "It" is "the instance". For some, things are starting to get muddy. For coders familiar with OOP style grammars i.e. they're coming from another language such as JavaScript or Java (quite different I realize), they've got a sense of it, from keyword 'this'. However Python is widely touted as a gateway language into OOP style thinking, so we get a lot of first timers. We owe them a clear picture of self. One andragogical technique comes straight from the docs: instance = C() C.method(instance) # <-- needs instance as argument is equivalent to: instance = C() instance.method() # <-- instance is "subject" as in subject.verb() ... of course we may add additional arguments at will, but lets keep it simple. In OOP, all the selves share the same template or class code, so how is Python to distinguish one self from another? It's not like each self is carrying around a copy of the method code. The model is more like having DNA in common (a shared genetic core). As in: class Creature: def eat(self, food): # <--- needs to know which self self.stomach.append(food) With: instance.eat("spaghetti") # <-- self known to Python we have enough info to figure out which self, and Python obligingly brings it forward, to fill the placeholder, usually 'self'. With: Creature.eat(instance, "spaghetti") # self supplied by the caller we're not giving enough distinguishing information with generic Creature, and so instance has to be provided, as the self. Further andragogical elaboration involves showing what I mean by "usually 'self'" i.e. self is not a keyword but a placeholder. Here I tend to go for a Chinese character substitute, e.g. for "Ego", to remind the learner of Unicode in addition. Emoji can't be Python names or I might go for one of them. * * * Another good article by Trey Hunner just came out. He's one of the more prolific Python teachers *that I know about* (an important caveat as I'm always missing *a lot*): https://treyhunner.com/2019/04/is-it-a-class-or-a-function-its-a-callable/ He takes up the issue of "callables that are functions" versus "callables that are actually types (classes)". That can help with fine tuning one's sense of what a "type" is, plus callability in general is a bridge to decorators, and this article definitely goes there. Kirby

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What is an "object"?: Polyhedrons & OOP
by kirby urner April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

Of course the literature contains numerous definitions. A similar question might be "what is a noun?". Objects are "that which the nouns name" in the Pythonic paradigm. They (the objects) live in memory at id() addresses ("like street addresses" I might tell my students). However, impressionable minds need more to hang a hat on that just boring grammar words (like "noun"). In UML (universal markup language) we have our customary symbols and diagrams: https://atomicobject.com/resources/oo-programming/abstraction-and-identity I often use a Creature -> Animal -> Mammal -> subclasses of Mammal taxonomy, when introducing inheritance and what we call the MRO (method resolution order). Another association of "object" we might build upon is "polyhedron" or "that which has shape". class Polyhedron: def __init__(self, v, f): self.v = v self.f = f self.e = v + f - 2 # euler's law for polyhedra def scale(self, factor): """ scale volume by factor, beget a new poly """ return type(self)(vol = self.volume * factor) __mul__ = __rmul__ = scale class Tetrahedron(Polyhedron): def __init__(self, vol=1): super().__init__(v=4, f=4) self.volume = vol class A(Tetrahedron): def __init__(self): super().__init__(vol=1/24) class B(Tetrahedron): def __init__(self): super().__init__(vol=1/24) # etc. (S, E, T) class Cube(Polyhedron): def __init__(self, vol=3): super().__init__(v=8, f=6) self.volume = vol class Octahedron(Polyhedron): def __init__(self, vol=4): super().__init__(v=6, f=8) self.volume = vol etc. (longer list of subclasses). If the Learning to Code curricula were to feature more source of this nature, we could facilitate reaching out to the geometry teachers with an intuitive picture of "dot notation" as a means of accessing "containers" of a very literal kind, if abstract. Associations around "object" have something concrete to build on, adding generic methods such as rotate() -- about what axis? -- and translate() -- for moving the shape relative to others, or to an origin (could involve creating a new shape at the new place, relative to the old). We could easily add surface area as another attribute, along with default edge length corresponding to our default volumes (YMMV in terms of what defaults your curriculum chooses). Indeed this is the right place to emphasize the power law, that changing all edges by a factor of n, e.g. doubling them (n=2) changes area by n**2 and volume by n**3. A selling point of the simple code base shown above is I'm not trying to do anything vectorial yet i.e. the shapes are so far coordinate free. We're free to turn to actual physical models and other media besides source code, to flesh out the concepts we're talking about. OO wins. Geometry wins. Dot notation wins. Python wins. I've been taking this tack in my Youtubes lately, building up a stash for a science fiction time when these ideas are more mainstream. Not that this focus on Polyhedrons as paradigm objects is all that esoteric. Square and Circle types have been common in textbooks at least. There's a bias against "3D" and I suppose that's what I'm countering, as speaking experientially, we do not live in Flatland. The approach to coding I'm advocating is also encouragement for spatial, not just planar, visualizations. Euclidean proofs may be more involved, however we have other generalizations such as Euler's Law for Polyhedra and Decartes' Deficit to introduce. Having the OO experience tie in with spatial geometry more intimately provides greater opportunities for imaginative play, and exercises the computing machinery in ways it's already very good at. Kirby

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more about Codesters (in browser Python learning environment)
by kirby urner March 8, 2019

March 8, 2019

I've posted quite a few times to edu-sig about Codesters, an in-browser JavaScript platform (based on Skulpt) that runs a reduced Python, but with added features. Cool learning environment! I've just uploaded another teaching Youtube, with a very live-demo flavor i.e. the goal changes slightly as new strategies get adopted. However, there's measurable progress, as measured by me, the talking head. https://youtu.be/0GYLToWnhI4 Season Changer in Codesters ( < 8 mins) My eventual project, which I'm hoping the whole class will engage in (not each working solo, but as a team), puts you in an 8x8 "chessboard" where the arrow keys take you from square to square, and each square is a background image. That's a simple framework. You may then imagine simple games such as Buried Treasure based on this simple infrastructure. A matrix of hexagon-pentagons on a sphere? That would be for another classroom and platform. :-D Codesters does implement the Turtle with penup, pendown, the directional commands, so is in many ways another doorway into Logo-style 2D graphics. It has a physics engine, with bouncy walls and gravity. Go crazy! Fun world! Again, don't think of Codesters as striving to be a Python3. It's more Python2 flavored and is a stepping stone, an instructive environment. Here in the education sphere, we get to deal with (and even design) such things. :-D Many of us here have been trailblazers, still are. Yay us! Kirby

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cause for the bouncing
by Kent Tong Feb. 5, 2019

Feb. 5, 2019

Hi, Just submitted some ideas to edu-committee(a)python.org and it has indeed bounced, saying that it is subject to review and approval. Hope someone will actually look at it :-) ======================================= Your mail to 'edu-committee(a)python.org' with the subject ideas for further promoting Python in Education Is being held until the list moderator can review it for approval. The message is being held because: The message is not from a list member Either the message will get posted to the list, or you will receive notification of the moderator's decision. -- Kent Tong IT author and consultant, child education coach

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Python in Education - Request for Ideas
by Ewa Jodlowska Jan. 30, 2019

Jan. 30, 2019

The Python Software Foundation Board Committee for Python in Education wants to hear how the PSF can help members of our community increase the presence of Python in education. Our first goal is to gather ideas from the community on ways the PSF can fund work to improve Python in education. We want to collect a broad spectrum of ideas and projects at all levels and in all disciplines. After the ideas phase, we will use the ideas provided to guide our request for proposals. Timeline Here’s the full timeline: - January 23- February 18, 2019: Request for Ideas phase - February 18 - March 31, 2019: Request for Proposals phase - April 1-17, 2019: Review process - April 18, 2019: Notify the accepted proposals - June-August of 2019: Accepted proposal work begins Scope The scope of the “request for ideas” phase is vague on purpose. We do not want to steer the ideas brought forth and want to see a wide variety of pitches. Think small. If you had $100 USD what would you do? Think BIG! If you had $10,000,000 USD what would you do? There is no limit to the amount of money that your pitch might cost. If we think you have a great idea and it serves to improve Python in education, we will support it. Smaller requests will come from funds we have on hand. Larger funding requests will take more work to fulfill as we will work to gather funds through several methods such as donation drives and grants from other organizations. While the Request for Ideas is vague and open ended, there are some guidelines. These guidelines will come into play during the Request for Proposal phase, but they may help you in the Request for Ideas phase. Here are some things that we will look for and consider in a proposal: Basic requirements - The criteria for acceptance will be based on the following guidelines: - Does the proposal adhere to PSF’s Code of Conduct <https://www.python.org/psf/codeofconduct/>? - Does the proposal align with the Python Software Foundation’s mission <https://www.python.org/psf/mission/>? - Is the proposal well organized and detailed? Be sure to tell us what the main issue, problem, or subject is and why is it important. - Does the proposer have any experience relevant to the proposal? While not strictly a requirement, having previous experience in what is being proposed will be considered in the overall application. - Is the subject pertaining to underrepresented topics within our community? As we strive to improve the diversity of our community, priority will be given to proposals that bring new viewpoints and additional representation to the Python ecosystem. Advanced requirements - The proposal should include a timeline and capture major milestones for the work being proposed. - If the proposal includes assistance from other contributors/resources, please share the details. - The proposal should include the expected outcomes of proposed work as well as metrics for how the outcomes will be evaluated. Submit your ideas and questions to edu-committee(a)python.org. Please avoid attaching large files such as .zip files. It is preferred that you send a shareable link (e.g. via Dropbox). Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing all of the wonderful ideas!

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Python in Education: Requests for ideas
by Peter Farrell Jan. 30, 2019

Jan. 30, 2019

Hi, Has anybody else been trying to submit ideas in response to the PSF's request from last week? The blog post is at http://pyfound.blogspot.com/2019/01/python-in-education-request-for-ideas.h… and the email is edu-committee(a)python.org I've had my email bounced back 4 times since Friday. Am I doing something wrong? Peter Farrell

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