Re: [Edu-sig] From europython -- should we do Python for kids?
In a message of Thu, 23 Mar 2006 06:17:42 +0100, Gregor Lingl writes:
Laura Creighton schrieb:
I think doing this would be fun. Since the CFP hasn't gone out yet, we haven't really organised ourselves all that well yet.
But I think that Introductory Python is a good idea. I wonder if a separate Python-for-the-kids section would be good as well, and how many kids we could get to Europython if we offered this?
What do other people think of this?
I'm considering to attend Europython this year - as it will take place in Switzerland, which is not far from Austria ;-) and also after the end of the school year in (eastern) Austria.
Moreover I considered to give a short talk about, or presentation of, the turtle module I'm currently developing.
Please do.
Incidentally I've written a book "Python für Kids" (in German), a second edition of which I'm going to prepare this summer.
Make a talk about this, also.
So you can imagine that I would definitely be very interested in some event like the one you proposed - as well as to further the use of Python in education in general.
As far as I know there was an educational track last year at Europython. Will this also be the case this year. What will (or should) be the relation to "Python for kids" that track? (part of? replacement?)
Yes, there will be an education track. I am chairing it.
** Oh, I just noticed that your posting was a reply to some posting elsewhere.**
Yes, a posting to the europython mailing list. But I told them to come here to discuss what the education track should be doing. We have the freedom to do whatever we want as part of Europython. The question is, what do we want to do? I know some people from South Africa are coming, and would like to discuss 'teaching scientific computing using Python in South Africa'. I told Kirby, who is going to the Mark Shuttleworth computers and education bash (which is happening __real soon__, no? ) to be on the look out for interesting people to invite to Europython. The plan is for the Call for Proposals to go out today sometime, and then we can get a better picture of who wants to present what, but since this is a self-organising conference, the only real rule is 'what we get depends on what we do'. So I want to open this up for discussion. What do we want to accomplish and how?
In principle I also can imagine to give some beginner course ...
Sorry for ending this posting so abruptly - it's early in the morning here and I've to go to work. Will be back in the evening.
Here too, and I am off to work as well. Take care, Laura
Regards, Gregor Lingl
Laura, brainstorming
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Return-Path: europython-bounces@python.org Delivery-Date: Wed Mar 22 23:27:56 2006 To: europython@python.org From: Jan Ulrich Hasecke <jan.ulrich@hasecke.com> Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:37:10 +0100
Subject: [EuroPython] Python for Kids? X-BeenThere: europython@python.org
Hello,
I am interested to register for the europython and would like to come with my son. He is 13 and has started to program with python 2 years ago. He is interested in the game track of course. Are there any other events for "kids", interested in learning python?
There is a very good book around in German "Python for Kids" for example.
Danke für die Blumen!
Are you planning to do some beginner courses or courses for
advanced beginners?
Sincerely Jan Ulrich Hasecke
DZUG e.V. - Deutschsprachige Zope User Group - www.zope.de - www.dzug.org Forster Straße 29 - 06112 Halle/Saale Telefon +49 345 122 9889 9 - Fax +49 345 122 9889 1
_______________________________________________ EuroPython mailing list EuroPython@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/europython
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Hi, I subscribed to follow the discussions here for some time. It was me, who asked for informations about python for kids events at the europython. Am 23.03.2006 um 07:05 schrieb Laura Creighton:
So I want to open this up for discussion. What do we want to accomplish and how?
I can not do much but to show our situation. I am not a developer, but I am engaged in the german speaking zope user group and this is my link to python. So I am not able to really help my son when he runs into problems. We live in a medium town, but up to now he does not find other kids using python or blender in our town. I imagine that there are some kids around who are a little isolated, because they are the only ones in there town using python. Side effect of this is, that he has to use material from the web, which is mostly in English. Thats ok, it will improve his language skills. ;-) So maybe it is only my problem not being a developer, and there won't be many participants coming with their kids to the europython. He would like an advanced beginner course, because after working with the book of Gregor Lingl he is in the middle of "Objektorientierte Programmierung mit Python" a standard learning book in German. And he started to use soya together with blender. So tips and tricks using blender and soya would be very appreciated. ;-) Generally: If there will be some events for kids, this should be promoted specially, because not many participants will expect this. But maybe more than expected will come with their kids or even families (Geneva is nice enough!) if they knew that their kids could learn something and won't just hang around. Cheers! juh -- DZUG e.V. - Deutschsprachige Zope User Group - www.zope.de - www.dzug.org Forster Straße 29 - 06112 Halle/Saale Telefon +49 345 122 9889 9 - Fax +49 345 122 9889 1
My initial take is it's a good idea to do actual Python trainings at various levels, especially for participants feeling somewhat peripheral to the main conference tracks, owing to a language barrier of some kind. The pre OSCON workshops (before the actual start of the conference) accomplish a similar purpose, in tandem with sprints, which are more for experts taking advantage of a (sometimes rare) opportunity to collaborate with peers in meatspace. I don't think the main tracks can be given over to trainings simply for lack of time and generality. A EuroPython should generally assume a high level of Python literacy as a given, and not devote its core schedule to ensuring basic language proficiency. That's simply because such conferences are all too short and expensive, and what participants need is usually higher level. In the education realm, that would translate to seminars about pedagogy (what works, what doesn't), and about content (this is how we use Python to teach math, geography, physics or whatever). I'd think a prime topic for discussion might be Education Distros, i.e. pre-package Pythons that contain not only add-ons we might need, but plenty of actual curriculum (branded), say in the form of HTML, MPEG, JPEG and so on. DVDs another option. Speaking of video, has anyone but me watched the Python-with-Tk trainings on video.google.com. I like the laid back, low pressure style. Kirby
participants (3)
-
Jan Ulrich Hasecke -
kirby urner -
Laura Creighton