[Edu-sig] Edu-sig page advice to teachers

[kirby urner]

On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 5:42 AM, Vern Ceder <vceder at canterburyschool.org> wrote:
> kirby urner wrote:
>>
>> I'm wondering if this should be fine tuned to more explicitly
>> encourage 2.6 and above if doing Python 2 (because of
>> 3rd party dependencies), 3.x in all other cases.
>
> +1
>

2.6 has the new format specifiers.  I think that's important.

>> An appropriate topic for discussion though.  What 3rd
>> party libraries would break?  I'm big into VPython, so right
>> off the bat I'm facing such issues.  Anyone else using that
>> or am I the only one?
>
> Not using VPython much, other than for an occasional gee-whiz demo ;).
> Personally, the fact that PyGame's support is still incomplete might be a
> problem for my more advanced classes - I haven't checked to see if there's a
> big problem there. Thanks to the turtle library my low level kids would be
> fine.
>

VPython has moved to 2.6 on Windows, which is the platform I've
used in the math labs at Portland State etc.

"For Linux, simply use Boost 1.41 to build Visual."

Heh, that makes it sound easy.

Having haunted these various lists and conferences for
awhile, it's my impression that VPython is still not on most
radars.

The scenario I've pushed (sometimes practice):
spatial geometry in a Python-endowed math class, is
still esoteric, avant-garde.  Not sure anyone is doing
it.

> Of course the main thing that would break would be existing lessons and
> instructional handouts...
>
> Cheers,
> Vern
>

Yes, but that's always happening in our fast-moving
technological world.  Always gotta redo those handouts.
A teacher's work is never done (think job security).

If you come across a poster featuring VPython, maybe
let us know?  Always on the lookout.  Turtle graphics,
way cool too.

Kirby

> --
> 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
>



-- 
>>> from mars import math
http://www.wikieducator.org/Digital_Math