This tutorial at PyCon in the next few weeks will cover using Python to manipulate Minecraft. Not sure if this is on the Raspberry Pi version OR works against the Desktop PC version of Minecraft. On the Raspberry Pi, folks have been manipulating Minecraft environments for years, but my understanding is that there were some differences that prevent/limited portability to the Desktop variant. https://us.pycon.org/2015/schedule/presentation/414/ Also see the Raspberry Pi version: http://www.raspberrypi.org/updates-to-minecraft-documentation/ Chalmer Lowe, MS President, Dark Art of Coding http://darkartofcoding.com/ Chairman, Python Education Summit https://us.pycon.org/2015/events/edusummit/ On Mon, Mar 23, 2015 at 1:00 AM, <edu-sig-request@python.org> wrote:

Send Edu-sig mailing list submissions to edu-sig@python.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to edu-sig-request@python.org

You can reach the person managing the list at edu-sig-owner@python.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Edu-sig digest..."

Today's Topics:

1. Re: ACM article on Python (David MacQuigg)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1 Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 20:49:39 -0700 From: David MacQuigg <macquigg@ece.arizona.edu> To: David Handy <david@handysoftware.com> Cc: Mark Engelberg <mark.engelberg@gmail.com>, "edu-sig@python.org" <edu-sig@python.org> Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] ACM article on Python Message-ID: <CAL9= h-Ot0a+k9xLqTkPv+QQ9BpSqkxq6bJRJKYTSE2cECo-7SQ@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 7:23 PM, David Handy <david@handysoftware.com> wrote:

...

This evening I had an interesting conversation with a very determined 10-year old boy who wants to learn programming in Java and nothing but Java. I told him that I recommend Python as a first programing language, because learning Python is easier. But he was adamant. It's Java or nothing. Why? Minecraft is implemented in Java. That made Java the ultimate in coolness to him. No "risk-averse bureaucratic" thinking there, just a willingness to do hard things to get what he wanted.

So I told him, go for it, more power to you, and offered my assistance. What else could I do? :) In the face of determination like that, it's lead, follow, or get out of the way...

When I was an undergrad at Caltech, we had no good courses in programming or computer science, and I really wanted to understand computers. So I dedicated most of one summer to slugging through several feet of IBM manuals. My first "computer language" was JCL!! It was a total waste. I lost interest in programming for many years. Same thing happened to my interest in literature, after a string of really bad teachers in high school.

Give that 10-year old plenty of encouragement, but be ready to catch him when he falls. Write the Java for him, if necessary, but then show him the equivalent in Python.

------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer

_______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig

------------------------------

End of Edu-sig Digest, Vol 140, Issue 12 ****************************************