Women, robots, and Python
Greetings! I've just joined this list, and have found the last couple of weeks' discussions to be right on target for me. I teach at Bryn Mawr College, an all women's school just getting a computer science (and cognitive science) program off the ground. The problems of gender and CompSci are complex ones, but ones that I think Python has a role in which to play. I hope that discussion continues here. We aren't ready to teach any courses in Python (yet) but the last project that I started is written in Python, called Pyro, for Python Robotics. It wasn't too long ago that planning a robotics system in an interpreted language would have seemed insane (and there are probably some that still think that!) But Python has turned out to work very well for our uses. One of the main goals was to encourage students to understand all aspects of the robotic control system, especially the "brains". we also wanted the system to be able to be used by "real" robotics researchers. So far, we have succeeded. The system is fast enough to control different types of robots (with lasers, sonars, and cameras) using simple Python control programs, to more complex ones written in Fuzzy logic, or neural networks... all in Python. You can download (or just checkout) Pyro at http://emergent.brynmawr.edu/wiki/?Pyro I look forward to conversations on intro teaching, gender issues, robots, and Python. Thanks, -Doug -- Douglas S. Blank, Assistant Professor dblank@brynmawr.edu, (610)526-6501 Bryn Mawr College, Computer Science Program 101 North Merion Ave, Park Science Bld. Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 dangermouse.brynmawr.edu
On Mon, Aug 19, 2002 at 04:05:47PM -0400, Douglas S. Blank wrote:
Greetings!
I've just joined this list, and have found the last couple of weeks' discussions to be right on target for me.
I teach at Bryn Mawr College, an all women's school just getting a computer science (and cognitive science) program off the ground. The problems of gender and CompSci are complex ones, but ones that I think Python has a role in which to play. I hope that discussion continues here.
We aren't ready to teach any courses in Python (yet) but the last project that I started is written in Python, called Pyro, for Python Robotics.
I have forwarded many of the mails from this thread to my colleagues who are interested in gender and science. Since this thread really is going on and on, and I wish to add my experince of Python and girls. I worked with seven girls recently on the developement of a Python/Zope based knowledge management project (called GNOWSYS http://www.zope.org/Members/nagarjuna/GNOWSYS). I have also worked with boys in the same project. I haven't found any marked difference in the nature of their contributions. They have exhibited same analytical skills as the boys, and in fact found the girls' contribution more substantial since I found them more sincere and have spent more time . But, I havent found anything that makes Python girl friendly. Python is programmer friendly, irrespective of gender. I am taking mostly girls this time in the project, because I want to have more female hackers around. Nagarjuna
participants (2)
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Douglas S. Blank -
Nagarjuna G.