[Edu-sig] Considering Python for an algebra course

[michel paul]

Hi Maria,

Yes, Python will definitely work for your purposes.  And you can definitely
learn enough in a few months without being a specialist to use with algebra
kids.  Guido's built in tutorial is great.  That's how I started.  Python is
an absolutely amazing self-contained environment.  Take a look at the turtle
module.  It's essentially Logo.  I've had kids to projects with it, and they
take to it very quickly.  I show them a few things, like a 'spirosquare'
function, and let them explore.  And beyond just graphics, Python is perfect
for creating lists of ordered pairs to study function behavior or for
studying recursion.  It's basically a super calculator that you can easily
modify.

I'm also a big GeoGebra fan as well.  I use it all the time to create
visuals for lessons.  And it's also great for students to use for projects.


But yes, for going beyond just math, Python is perfect, as it's a general
purpose language.

- Michel

On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 4:30 AM, Maria Droujkova <droujkova at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I am new to this list. I am working on an algebra course where teens will
> create their own learning materials and share them as open educational
> resources (OERs). I'd like to organize the course around a computer
> environment. I have three candidates for it so far: Scratch, Geogebra and
> Python. I like these three because they all have robust communities of
> people sharing open source code.
>
> Scratch has the immediate multimedia appeal, is equally loved by boys and
> girls, and is very easy to get into. Minus: it's rather limited when it
> comes to a bit more advanced math. We tried to create fractals on it this
> Spring in a homeschool coop, and it was cumbersome.
>
> Geogebra was created specifically for the type of projects I want to run.
> It is easy enough to start, for kids. I find its specialization to be a
> limiting factor, though - it would be nice if kids saw the environment's
> potential beyond math.
>
> With Python, I have more questions than answers, because I am just starting
> to learn it. Do you think it will work for my purpose? Do I need to get a
> real programmer involved, or can I learn enough Python in a few months to
> help kids well enough, without being a specialist? What questions do I not
> know to ask?
>
> I would appreciate any pointers.
>
>
>
> --
> Cheers,
> MariaD
>
> Make math your own, to make your own math.
>
> http://www.naturalmath.com social math site
> http://www.phenixsolutions.com empowering our innovations
>
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