[Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 60, Issue 4

[Anna Roys]

Hi all!
I am new to your list. A piece of my background includes teaching  in K12
Computer labs (multiple disciplines). I am  a Python newbie, however, I am
very interested in learning Python so I can teach it to middle and high
school students. Please see my response embedded in message below:

RE: Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:59:12 -0700
From: "kirby urner" <kirby.urner at gmail.com>
Subject: [Edu-sig] IDLE fonts
To: "edu-sig at python.org" <edu-sig at python.org>
Message-ID:
       <f604188c0807111659v47387148t56507d7bc6c129d3 at mail.gmail.com>
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"When I first start a Python class, e.g. for Saturday Academy, we go to
the configure IDLE screen.  I often do this while projecting, as I'm
also blowing up the projected font to something more pedagogically
large (suitable for reading from the back row)."

Anna writes:
I think this is very important - as teachers, we lose the attention of some
students simply because they cannot see our projections. I do the same as
you - increase font size first and survey if all can see what is projected.
I often grab bits of knowledge on the screen and ask questions that can only
be answered if it is part of a students prior learning or they can read it
for themselves. I also ask my students to stand up if they agree with my
statements. I do this off and on throughout my sessions - this gets their
blood pumping and often picks up those students who are starting to drift
away from engagement.

Kirby writes:
"Understandably, once students see they're free to choose a different
font, many of them do so.  I tend to make noises about how some are
more readable than others, am definitely a proponent of fixed width,
although I'm willing to bow to personal preferences."

Anna writes:
I see this as helpful in one way and detrimental in another. For example
some students let my voice trail into to "wah wah" and just play with fonts
and lose the lesson objectives all together  -  not good. I have the same
problem with having the internet a click  and window shrink away.  K-12
students are slick and can quickly "hide" what they are really doing as I
circulate around the lab during practice time . (Not to say that whatever
they are doing in the "background is not learning, but it is not the lesson
objective I had for a particular session) My goal is always 100% student
engagement. Sometimes if I have been "lecturing" for more than 15 minutes I
give the students a  two minute "break" where they can play with fonts, do a
quick google search or whatever and then backtrack with them a bit on the
lesson of the day and then go forward. This seems to help some.

Font preference are an interesting topic - Why do some people prefer some
fonts over others? Personally, I find font choice has to do with emotion and
personalties as well as choosing the correct choice for a particular
audience. For K-12 students it seems to often be -  just exploring the world
of fonts.

Kirby writes:
"When I move around from one computer to another, helping students with
bugs, I'm often confronted with an assortment of different typefaces.

I'm thinking next time to go in the other direction and encourage
experimenting with some truly different looking fonts -- but not so
different that the code becomes unreadable (not ding bats)."

Anna writes:
Depending on the level of the students, I often use font play as an
anticipatory set, asking students what their preferences are - just to get
everyone's full attention and  to coerce a relaxed feeling in my lab.

Kirby writes:
"I think we're all somewhat attuned to the psychological attributes of
different fonts, e.g. Comic Sans has a different "atmosphere" than New
York Times or Courier New."

Anna wrties:
I agree that the psychological attributes of different fonts do impact us,
but maybe different fonts impact each of us differently and maybe even
change from day to day. My students seem to be fascinated by any font that
they do not typically find in textbooks.

Looking at fonts from the perspective of being an adult student, myself,
rather than as a facilitator in a K-12 computer lab, my preference would be
what ever can be clearly read and is not "fancy". For me "fancy" is more for
my whimsical creative side than my logic orientated side.

I have also found that colored fonts can be useful in teaching K12. I often
use "color memories" to help tie new learning and  build on prior learning.
I have used this in teaching in various disciplines and have found it
effective. I can ask a question to my students testing what they have
absorbed of my lesson objective and although they may not be able to tell me
a specific "bit of knowledge" they can give me a color association. I then
take that color association and use it to step back to the content I was
testing for understanding. I then carry on with other content for a few
minutes and then come back and re-phrase the same question a little
differently using a color association and Voila! - all students have the
content I intended to deliver. In the Education circles I have often heard
this type of instruction delivery referred to as "associative learning"

Kirby writes:
"Before I show off what I consider to be a fun and useful IDLE font,
suitable for future classes, I'd like to poll other subscribers as to
whether they do anything unusual in the fonts department, either for
the benefit of new students, or for themselves.

I'll follow up on Monday."

Kirby
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