[Edu-sig] Python

[kirby urner]

Python seems a very non-controversial pick, plus there's student
leadership on this issue, i.e. if you allow a choice, see what
happens.  As Jeff points out, they don't seem to suffer, in aggregate,
for choosing the better language. :)  Actually, learning Python
provides great motivation for then tackling C-family system languages,
including Java.  That's how you get on python-dev after all.

What's up for grabs is what "computer science" has to mean, like how
much game playing we might get away with.

What's great about Python is it doesn't fall by the wayside like Alice
might, or Scratch, but it's not either/or.  Those two are for younger
aged kids.  You have your teddy bears, then you have your barbie
dolls.  Python is more barbie doll than teddy bear, i.e. just right
for high school aged scholars.  Then it keeps staying relevant.  They
come back and thank you later (according to reports).

My lobbying position vis-a-vis Oregon is in support an entirely new
four year track through the high school years, called DM in contrast
to CM or AM, for "continuous" or "analog" math.  They'd run in
parallel (these tracks), which means green field development for our
trials, while CM runs undisturbed, traditional precalc (including calc
if accelerated).

We'll have some calc too of course, lots of peer reviewed jabber on
math-teach. The D tends to mean "digital" BTW, getting away from
"discrete" as too weighed down with preconceptions already.

Given our demographic is music savvy, they understand the transition
from analog to digital in everyday life, to the point where nowadays
getting an analog turntable for vinyl records is considered charmingly
retro (I got us one for Christmas recently, listen to old Beatles and
U2 with my family).

Our goal is to have a lot of the "mathematics" of our day be
"charmingly retro" one day soon, as we wean off the calculators and
start using computer languages for real, including in government
schools and community centers for older workers and hobbyists.

We're focusing on FOSS because its free but also standard (easy to
grab and install, if you move to another school, no need to worry
about licensing if wanting to show off the Python you've learned to
your next set of math teachers).  I'll be doing a public talk on these
themes end of this much, at OS Bridge, Portland's newest open source
pow wow.  See some of you there maybe?

Kirby


On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 5:00 PM, Jeff Elkner <jeff at elkner.net> wrote:
> Hi Gerry,
>
> I'm cc'ing a number of folks (and a mailing list) on this reply in order to
> get you more feedback than I could alone provide.  Firstly, the Python in
> Education Special Interest Group (edu-sig) is the place to start:
>
> http://www.python.org/community/sigs/current/edu-sig
>
> Dr. Andre Roberge is currently managing that part of the python web site,
> and I've included him in the cc list.  You may want to consider joining our
> mailing list.
>
> Of interest in your deliberation may be the presentation given at PyCon 2009
> by the Michigan University CS department on their decision to switch to
> Python in their CS 1 course:
>
> http://us.pycon.org/2009/conference/schedule/event/8/
>
> (btw.  You can look for TJHSST graduating senior, Filip Sufitchi, in the
> audience at the beginning of the presentation ;-)
>
> The essence of their findings is that CS majors performance was not effected
> by using Python in the first course, while everyone else (since half the
> students in their CS 1 classes are not CS majors), benefitted by leaving the
> CS 1 class with a tool they could actually use in their work in other
> fields.  I included Dr. Charles Severance from U. of Michigan in the cc list
> as well.  He has a book just out on the Google App Engine:
>
> http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596800697/
>
> The programming language for the Google App Engine is Python, so this book
> includes a good intro.  The book is very well written and easy for bright
> high school students to understand.
>
> I'm working on a free, on-line, first year text book aimed at high school
> students:
>
>  http://openbookproject.net/thinkCSpy/index.xhtml
>
> (note: you can't view this document properly with Internet Explorer, but any
> other browser should work fine.)
>
> Since I'm not teaching CS this year, work on the book has slowed down, but I
> should be able to work on it during the Summer.  The first 12 chapters are
> finished, making it a perfectly usable resource with which to start out.
>
> I hope this all helps.
>
> Thanks, and good luck!  Please let me know if there is anything else I can
> do to help.
>
> jeff elkner
>
>
> On Sat, May 30, 2009 at 1:45 PM, Berry, Gerry J <GJBerry at fcps.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Hope things are going well and that you are enjoying your job. I retired
>> from TJ this past June but I am still doing some teaching there.
>> I have received request for info on what a good first course in CS would
>> be. After working with you and Shane Torbert, I think that for most high
>> school students Python makes a lot of sense. Can you direct me to some good
>> web sites that might help schools who want to set up a Python course at high
>> school or middle school level. Any ideas would be appreciated.
>>
>> Hope you have a terrific summer.
>
>
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