[Edu-sig] Re: python for homeschoolers

[Kirby Urner]

Currently the both-parents-working economics of an average 
household makes schooling away from home the most practical
option for many.

I'd like to see more hybrids -- different mixes of @home vs.
@school than we see today (e.g. 50-50).

In any case, CP4E means taking advantage of Python's accessibility
to promote basic programming skills across the board.  I think 
the best way to do this would be to anticipate computer use on 
the model of calculator use, with math classrooms especially 
switching to the former.  

Then we'd build a curriculum which contained "some basic 
programming skills" as a premise, beginning in 8th grade if not 
sooner.  This wouldn't be an elective or AP requirement, but
a built-in feature of what we mean by "numeracy".  Knowing 
some programming will be as much a cultural norm as knowing
how to drive a car or ride a bicycle.  "Basic programming" 
doesn't have to mean writing fancy GUIs.

But homeschoolers are in a position to go ahead of the curve
and trailblaze what will become standard in the private/public
institutions only later in the game.

Kirby

>I'm much less interested in "getting python into the schools" than
>in the opportunity of a CP4E vision bringing support to non-formal,
>non-schooled decentralized learning models.
>
>Kids are inside the schools, python is outside: The two can evolve 
>together by bringing the latter in, but it could go a lot further
>by getting the former out.
>
>We would be happy to hear about any other independent youngpy
>learners out there..
>
>-Izk
>( Christopher Isaac Larnder )