[Edu-sig] Python Pedagogy

[Arthur]

Andre Roberge wrote:

>On 7/21/06, kirby urner <kirby.urner at gmail.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>Although we all agree to use 'self' as the "me object" proxy, it's not
>>a keyword, and we could use a different stand in, e.g.:
>>
>>class Human (object):
>>
>>    def __init__(me, name):
>>        me.name = name
>>
>>    def __repr__(me):
>>        return 'Hi, my name is %s' % me.name
>>
>>    
>>
>>>>> import subgenius
>>>>> aguy = Human('Bob')
>>>>> aguy
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>'Hi, my name is Bob'
>>    
>>
>
>The "me" approach is very anthropomorphic and may not work well in all
>languages.   Mind you, the same is true for "self".
>
>  
>
I think it interesting, and positive, that many of us interested in 
Python and education become concerned about issues of "language" in a 
sense broader than "programming language".

An example is the discussion that developed on Guido's blog in response 
to his Kay posting. 

I consider myself a "liberal artist" at heart, and have almost taken for 
granted that the comfort I find with Python is in its emphasis on 
readiblity, on the importance of naming (i.e.words), the fact that we 
can stay to the point and succinct as *writers* by taking advantage of 
duck-typing mechanism, the need *not* to have declare variables (which, 
as  a *writer*, seems like a forced redundancy), etc. and etc. *and* etc.

It seems to me that efforts around education that are  indigenous to 
Python and its community will almost necessarily be leveraging these 
qualities and thinking about words and about language more than about 
mouse clicks.

Little mystery, little magic, no search for the Grand Unified Cognitive 
Theory  that will catalyze the computer generated educational Renaissance

What there is  is new content we can expect people to need to digest to 
get them to an appropriate definition of  *being educated* Western Civ, 
circa 2006, and we are trying to provide some of that content.in 
digestible form.

Mundane, in an exciting sort of way.

My preference - Let the geniuses work off-site and report in from time 
to time, if they must.. 

We are the sub-geniuses.

What I am trying to do with PyGeo is have it approachable as a 
"document", code as text, code as object,  the code not simply behind 
the application, but in some sense being the application, as much so as 
is the response to mouse clicks on the screen when one is manipulating a 
PyGeo construction.

And what I think works, for the liberal artists, is the exegesis of text.

My early effort is here:

http://pygeo.sourceforge.net/docs/codeanatomy.html

Art