For my part, I've been musing on the animals we're seeing: turtles on Python. I'm into monkeys. And Python's a snake (some say a comedy troupe, but I say "it ate Monty"). I'm invited to a Shuttleworth Foundation gig in London in April to brainstorm on a proposed curriculum pipeline in South Africa that'd start 'em in Logo, move on to Squeak, thence to Python. Lots of big names invited, plus me. Then I notice the Scheme folks might come and wonder if they're like the zookeepers. because, like, we have all these animals: {Logo : turtle, Squeak : mouse, Python : snake}. Now the Schemers show up, and plan a circus or something? Anyway, interesting fantasy. My current interest is that Parrot avatar Jim Huginin demos in some of his IronPython previews. He grabs it out of the Windows .DLLs and makes it squawk and fly, from the Python command line. It's a cross between VPython and Looney Tunes (more flat than 3D). I think this stuff has potential, in terms of scripting, in terms of girls even caring. There's a title on my bookshelf about the computer screen having a lot in common with the theater stage. When you file in to a theater, take your seats in the rows, they hand you a Programme (no coincidence). The playwright writes a script. We need to make numeracy training more literary and vice versa, and I see computer animation and/or "GUI TV" as a bridge. But that doesn't mean losing touch with the command line and doing all drag and drop programming with icons (although we can do some of that too, ala GameMaker & Mindstorms). We'll still use ordinary Python -- just with different puppets than we might be used to, on the other ends of our strings. Kirby
----- Original Message ----- From: kirby urner <kirby.urner@gmail.com>
For my part, I've been musing on the animals we're seeing: turtles on Python. I'm into monkeys. And Python's a snake (some say a comedy troupe, but I say "it ate Monty").
I'm invited to a Shuttleworth Foundation gig in London in April to brainstorm on a proposed curriculum pipeline in South Africa that'd start 'em in Logo, move on to Squeak, thence to Python. Lots of big names invited, plus me.
Then I notice the Scheme folks might come and wonder if they're like the zookeepers. because, like, we have all these animals: {Logo : turtle, Squeak : mouse, Python : snake}. Now the Schemers show up, and plan a circus or something? Anyway, interesting fantasy.
The Moose. Where is Mr. J pre-digital Moose. His absence has me feeling persectued, again.
My current interest is that Parrot avatar Jim Huginin demos in some of his IronPython previews. He grabs it out of the Windows .DLLs and makes it squawk and fly, from the Python command line. It's a cross between VPython and Looney Tunes (more flat than 3D). I think this stuff has potential, in terms of scripting, in terms of girls even caring.
There's a title on my bookshelf about the computer screen having a lot in common with the theater stage. When you file in to a theater, take your seats in the rows, they hand you a Programme (no coincidence). The playwright writes a script.
Digital, actually is cold. And children are too sensitive not to perceive it as cold. Anything we can actually pet around? I'd feel better about it if I knew what problem, exactly, we were solving. Or are we just riding tsunamis. Art
----- Original Message ----- From: ajsiegel@optonline.net
Then I notice the Scheme folks might come and wonder if they're like the zookeepers. because, like, we have all these animals: {Logo : turtle, Squeak : mouse, Python : snake}. Now the Schemers show up, and plan a circus or something? Anyway, interesting fantasy.
Let's say we find just the right formula: 3 turtles, a mouse, 2 snakes- shake and stir and we can create geeks at will. Remind me why that's good. Don't tell me - I know - Web Frameworks.. More web frameworks. ;) Art
Digital, actually is cold. And children are too sensitive not to perceive it as cold.
Yes, but they love cartoons.
Anything we can actually pet around?
I'm all for that too. Not either/or.
I'd feel better about it if I knew what problem, exactly, we were solving.
We're trying to recruit more girls by taking the edge off of technology some (more dolls, fewer bayonets). A kinder gentler CS? Doesn't mean we stop with the war games. Quakers play Quake. But it's metaphoric violence.
Or are we just riding tsunamis.
Art
Kids grow up watching a lot of TV, has a big impact. But pedagogy is still very pre-TV in a lot of ways, passed down through traditions that've been going since Rome and before. So how to break out of the pre-TV mode and embrace the fatter pipe bandwidths that computers and such now provide? I think by making TV, not just watching it, and that also means "scripting" with languages such as Python. I'm into multi-track audio also. Kirby
----- Original Message ----- From: kirby urner <kirby.urner@gmail.com>
We're trying to recruit more girls by taking the edge off of technology some (more dolls, fewer bayonets). A kinder gentler CS? Doesn't mean we stop with the war games. Quakers play Quake. But it's metaphoric violence.
Kirby, For my taste, you are getting your rap down way too well. For the record - I found it necessary to walk out of - yes - a Monty Python movie. Limbs were being severed, and people were laughing. Wasn't in that kind of mood. My sisters might think that the fact I couldn't sit through that at the time was a manifestation of mental imbalance. Trite stuff, your paragraph above, IMO. Art
For my taste, you are getting your rap down way too well.
Wait'll you hear the music that goes with it! (I haven't yet either). ;-D
For the record - I found it necessary to walk out of - yes - a Monty Python movie.
I had a lot of trouble with 'The Meaning of Life' when I saw it. I was already feeling dark, ended up feeling darker.
Limbs were being severed, and people were laughing. Wasn't in that kind of mood.
Hey, I understand. I've found MP's stuff hilarious, other times I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. That's how it is with humor. I'm not a fascist when it comes to making others laugh (not even at my own jokes). I like Ali G. quite a bit, when it comes to mentioning the talented comedians of our day. Paraphrasing from memory: Ali to retired astronaut: when youz came to the moon, what was the reaction of the peoples there? Astronaut: What?? We never had any thought that the moon would be populated! Ali: do you think man will ever walk on the sun? Astronaut (stifling incredulity): No. Ali G: how about in winter, when the sun is cold? His interview with Pat Buchanan -- I've watched it several times -- is a riot. Here's a blog entry with a link to QuickTime (still works, just checked it): http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2005/12/charter-school-approved.html (clip).
My sisters might think that the fact I couldn't sit through that at the time was a manifestation of mental imbalance.
Trite stuff, your paragraph above, IMO.
Art
S'OK. The question seemed kinda trite too. Fact is, we're gonna explore some options. Call it a tsunami, call it what you will. Don't care. I don't see any high risk that these experiments in using Gnu Math to make GUI TV will leave a lot of dead bodies in my wake (on the contrary, more likely we'll attract geek girlz), so I'm gonna go for it. Here's the *real* reason then: because I *want* to. And I'm not asking you to laugh. Kirby
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