[Edu-sig] K12 Open Minds Reminder - Sessions announced!

[kirby urner]

I'm glad this is happening Vern, and I've been studying the website.

Your 'Open Source Options for Teaching Programming K-12' is probably
somewhat like my Python Briefing in part, the gig I cater to math
teachers in those schools with geek parents willing to kick up enough
fuss to cause a mini-revolution in math teaching practices (few and
far between so far nationally, these brewing tempests in teapots, but
then Portland is "special" (Church Lady allusion)).

If you find anyone pounding the podium about SQL pre-college, hooked
with Venn Diagrams etc., maybe put them in touch with me?  Even better
if they're using Python for hands-on, with SQLite or whatever.

It's a full scale offensive out here, getting more SQL in the high
schools, with some really nasty whispering campaigns both directions
(nothing new in math wars) plus nobody is sure what it'd mean for high
school students to be doing inner and outer joins with possibly
reckless abandon (we agree to safeguards, a sandbox, Polyhedra on
MySQL a good place to start, including with blobs?).

I'm not dragging edu-sig into it much though, as here we have the good
CS professors, not the rabid AlgebraFirsters I'm talking about (Robert
Moses et al), or students of Katrina Math program (cite Math Forum,
math-teach).  Colleges have a different set of problems, and besides,
SQL isn't Python.

Also, we don't like to over-politicize around here, I've learned from
past experience.

Kirby


On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 9:50 PM, Vern Ceder <vceder at canterburyschool.org> wrote:
> This is just a quick (and final) reminder that the K12 Open Minds
> conference is fast approaching. See http://www.k12openminds.org for more
> details - this is one of the few conferences devoted to Free and Open
> Source Software in K-12 education.
>
> There are two updates worth mentioning. First, the preliminary sessions
> list is now available at http://www.k12openminds.org/sessions - check it
> out and consider joining us. Both Andy Harrington and I will be talking
> about teaching Python, and Walter Bender from SugarLabs will also be
> presenting.
>
> Second, the deadline for rooms at the conference rate of $97 a night has
> been extended to Tuesday, Sept 2. After that, the room rate will
> increase dramatically. So if you are planning to attend, book a room now
> (see the "Hotels" link on k12openminds.org). You should be able to book
> online all through the weekend.
>
> I know that time is short, but we hope you will consider joining us in
> Indy for this event.
>
> Cheers,
> Vern Ceder, K12 Open Minds Planning Committee
> --
> This time for sure!
>   -Bullwinkle J. Moose
> -----------------------------
> Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
> Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
> vceder at canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137
>
>
>
>
>
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