[Edu-sig] satacad python pdx

[Kirby Urner]

Hi folks -- this is some more legwork around the Python class I'm about to
start, in the capacity of instructor (I of course do Python classes as a
student as well -- like at Pycon or OSCON or like that).

I'm being somewhat thorough in showing what this looks like from the inside,
in hopes of inspiring others to consider similar strategies, e.g. teaching
Python with some other language, while focusing on some knowledge domain
(math in this case).

I'm not saying all these strategies should be adopted across the board, just
that you might get some good ideas following my progress.  For starters,
find out if your community offers a similar infrastructure for offering
academic enrichment outside of normal schooling.  It'll likely be
university-based or university-connected.  

Consistent with the goals of CP4E, we need to get Python in the hands of
many more students than just the CS majors.

Posting to the J Forum appended.

Kirby

-----Original Message-----
From: Kirby Urner [mailto:kirby at 4DSOLUTIONS.NET] 
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 8:25 PM
To: JFORUM at PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Subject: [Jforum] Urner rejoins, intro

Greetings J-ists --

I was subscribed some time ago, as maybe the archives will disclose, and now
I'm back, in part because I'm scheduled to teach a computer course starting
this Saturday, and I intend to focus on both J and Python.

Here're some details:

---
Explore topics in mathematics by writing and modifying programs in a
contemporary computer language.

A goal of this class is to help you gain proficiency as a programmer, while
delving into number theory, group theory, chaos and fractals, cryptography,
3D graphics and more. A primary tool will be Python, an object oriented,
uncluttered, general purpose language.  For contrast and mind expansion, the
J language will also be introduced.

Instructor: Kirby Urner, with a BA in philosophy from Princeton University ,
is a computer programmer and educator. He has developed computer literacy
products for McGraw-Hill and is a former high school mathematics teacher.
---

I'm not a black belt J programmer, but do have some appreciation for it, APL
being my first love as a language (Princeton had APL workstations scattered
around campus in the 1970s, wired to the IBM 370 mainframe).  Here's a web
page I published as a result of my explorations in J awhile back:

http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/Jlang.html

I'm somewhat rusty at this point, and I think reading posts on the J list
will be a good way to help me limber up a bit.  I'll also paw through the
archives a bit to find out what's been going on.
 
Kirby

NOTE:  I'm cross-posting this to edu-sig (@ python.org), where I'll be doing
some archiving about this course as well.  As a rule of thumb, I will *not*
cross-post between these two lists (I know how annoying that can be).

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