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

[kirby urner]

[ thread moved to edu-sig ]

> On Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 4:37 AM, Maria Droujkova <droujkova at gmail.com> wrote:

>> Some of my kids are about to start using Python for our Physics and
>> Modeling, up from Scratch. I am scared to death and still have not selected
>> a version for them. All of them run Windows and Mac OS.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Maria Droujkova
>> http://www.naturalmath.com
>>
>> Make math your own, to make your own math.
>>
>
> Hi Maria --
>
> I am wondering what Physics and Modeling is like.  From a programming
> point of view, I imagine a clock or time increment is usually
> involved, which means a loop of some kind.  As time ticks by, this or
> that happens to objects.
>
> Here's a somewhat generic way of thinking about "objects in time":
>
> http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/alien.html  (meant to be user-friendly
> and conversational, against the backdrop of ongoing arguments on a
> math teacher list -- I think you know the one).
>
> As to which version of Python, a lot depends on if students want to
> use something extra besides bare Python.  If not, then 3.1 and above.
>
> Your students seem rather young in this picture, if just moving from Scratch?
>
> It would be interesting to get some more details if you have the time
> to spare.  And fear not, you will find much that is fun and rewarding
> in this next chapter.
>
> Kirby
>
> PS:  I notice Carl Trachte is beginning to explore the new format
> specifiers in his first two blog posts of 2010:
> http://pyright.blogspot.com/
>
> Note that in 2.6 one has the ability to go:  from __future__ import
> print_function
>
> Plus it runs everything 2.5 and below.  That's why I suggest the
> edu-sig web page make 2.6 something like the earliest Python you'd
> want to use for educational purposes.  That'd be generic advice
> suitable for Python.org web site.  Of course teachers on the front
> lines will have their own reasons for doing what they do.
>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> 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.
>>>
>>
>