[Edu-sig] The fate of raw_input() in Python 3000

[kirby urner]

On 9/9/06, Michael <ms at cerenity.org> wrote:
> On Friday 08 September 2006 23:28, kirby urner wrote:
> > It's a rather large vocabulary sometimes, but the sense of a
> > namepaces, perhaps augmentable (definitely augmentable in Python) is
> > the "first encounter" we want to promote.
>
> NO IT'S NOT. You are not the world.
>

Sounds like Wittgenstein.

> It's a first encounter that YOU (and a few others maybe) want to promote.
>
> You are not the world.

No, I'm a school of thought in competition with other schools of
thought.  My colleagues and I would like our students to avoid some
brain dead menu tree 1960s mainframer approach (that might come later,
for a more specialized audience), and just learn what they've
//already learned// in math class:  that functions may be defined and
remembered, variables too.

That, they already know, since like elementary school.

We want to *leverage* what's in math class, and *apply it* in ways
they don't ever seem to get around to, when just sticking with TIs (no
colorful polyhedron cartoons on Google Video; oh I get it, the culture
is sick (not the whole world, mind you)).

What's maybe new for these South African kids, studying on their own
in TuxLabs, is OO, though that's going to be commonplace even in USA
high schools before long.

Won't it be nice for community college profs, when 90% of the incoming
already know Python, Ruby or something vaguely similar?  Heaven.

> Also, different people learn differently. Forcing a single approach to
> teaching because you're too pigheaded to recognise that you are not the
> world is disgusting to see.
>

This is a "recruit for my school" model, not a "you must take my
course" model.  A student with your attitude might be enouraged to
sign up with the brain dead competition.  Fight us, don't join us
(then join if you turn out to be any good?).

> You are not the world. You are a reason I don't talk about the reason I
> subscribed to this list in the first place though.
>
>
> Michael.

Just ignore my stupid posts, set a spam filter whatever.  I'm a school
of thought with views.  I'm *not the only one* who thinks "Namepaces
on Day One" -- or probably your teacher is clueless.  At least do
'import this' fer gosh sake.

I say that not because "I'm the world" but because I'm trying to steal
you students (that is, if they think my approach might work better for
them).

Kirby