[Edu-sig] Python environment - web based?

Chris Boesch scboesch at gmail.com
Thu Jun 30 09:02:22 CEST 2011


Hi Matt, 

If your or anyone has an idea of the problems that they would like to see algebra students solving with python, I can volunteer to help create a Singpath.com path focused on algebra. There are already a lot of math problems in the Beginner Python path (drag-n-drop python) and the main Python path (write 3 to 10 line python solutions). 

In Singpath you wouldn't get to see graphical results, but everything would be web-based on work from most browsers ( not IE).

Best Regards, 
Chris Boesch
Associate Professor of Information Systems (Practice)
Singapore Management University
cboesch at smu.edu.sg


On 30-Jun-2011, at 2:40 PM, edu-sig-request at python.org wrote:

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>   1. Fwd: [SIGCSE-members] Python environment - web based?
>      (Andrew Harrington)
>   2. Python and pre-algebra (mary.dooms at comcast.net)
>   3. Re: Python and pre-algebra (kirby urner)
>   4. Re: Fwd: [SIGCSE-members] Python environment - web based?
>      (Berkin Malkoc)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:03:28 -0500
> From: Andrew Harrington <aharrin at luc.edu>
> To: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: [Edu-sig] Fwd: [SIGCSE-members] Python environment - web
> 	based?
> Message-ID: <BANLkTikJWrzTvGXcAT+9+uDxPVRHHgTJ4g at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> This is a good subject to revisit, on web based Python.  I like his interest
> in Python+math, too.
> Andy
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Matt Brenner <mbrenner at csteachlearn.com>
> Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 9:20 AM
> Subject: [SIGCSE-members] Python environment - web based?
> To: SIGCSE-members at listserv.acm.org
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> As long as Python environments are on the table...
> 
> Does anyone know if there is a web-based Python environment available? I am
> working to weave together the traditional, analytical approach to math with
> a computational approach. I call the approach CAAMPS (Computationally
> Augmented Approach to Math and Problem Solving). The first implementation
> will be for sixth grade public schools with average, high-stakes math scores
> in the 2nd quartile (25th - 50th percentiles).
> 
> Getting software installed on K-12 computers can be very difficult. To avoid
> that collection of problems, I would like to be able to host a development
> environment on my own servers, so the students will need nothing more than a
> web browser (and Internet connection). Does anyone know of any off-the-shelf
> solutions? Though I'm leaning toward Python, I'm not yet committed.
> 
> By the way, I previously posted a link to a long essay, "The Four Pillars
> Upon Which the Failure of Math Education Rests (and what to do about them),"
> describing the state of math education and the basis for CAAMPS:
> 
>    www.k12math.org/doc.php?doc=**4pillars-si<http://www.k12math.org/doc.php?doc=4pillars-si>
> 
> In the interest of brevity, I have boiled it down in an Executive Summary:
> 
>    www.k12math.org/doc.php?doc=**4pillars-summary-si<http://www.k12math.org/doc.php?doc=4pillars-summary-si>
> 
> Comments are always appreciated.
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Matt
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dr. Andrew N. Harrington
>  Computer Science Department
>  Loyola University Chicago
>  512B Lewis Towers (office)
>  Snail mail to Lewis Towers 416
>  820 North Michigan Avenue
>  Chicago, Illinois 60611
> http://www.cs.luc.edu/~anh
> Phone: 312-915-7982
> Fax:    312-915-7998
> aharrin at luc.edu
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:15:42 +0000 (UTC)
> From: mary.dooms at comcast.net
> To: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: [Edu-sig] Python and pre-algebra
> Message-ID:
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> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> 
> I teach 6th grade math and Python was suggested as a way to apply pre-algebra concepts in a programming context. My programming background consists of one C++ programming class. How do I begin? Are lesson plans and small programs available, for example, where students could write and "drop in" a script that includes integers and the output would not only calculate it, but see the relevance of it in a real world situation? 
> 
> 
> Or, perhaps, the program controls a "wheelchair" robot and students would write scripts to drive the robot at a certain speed considering the slope of a ramp? 
> 
> 
> As you can see, I am a novice, but I see great potential and am willing to learn. 
> 
> 
> Thanks, 
> 
> Mary 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:50:25 -0700
> From: kirby urner <kirby.urner at gmail.com>
> To: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python and pre-algebra
> Message-ID: <BANLkTikxVffq1YKh9DA45xrLv=c7cuqqXg at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> Hi Mary --
> 
> Many subscribers to edu-sig have developed interesting approaches over the
> years.
> 
> There's a lot of interest in turtle art and/or turtle graphics.  There's
> this tendency to divide algebra from geometry, whereas some teachers think
> it's important to keep lexical and graphical connected.
> 
> To that end, my pre-algebra tends to focus on numeric sequences that have a
> clear geometric meaning (like triangular and square numbers, but I also take
> it into volume and growth sequences in space -- polyhedral numbers some call
> these sequences).
> 
> You'll get the flavor my approach from the Oregon Curriculum Network web
> site, this page in particular, and this essay in particular:
> 
> http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/cp4e.html
> 
> http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/numeracy0.html
> 
> I'm guessing others will chime in.
> 
> Python's 'How to Think Like a Computer Scientist' literature, a free
> syllabus, is not inconsistent with developing skills in algebra.
> 
> If you want to be more serious and formal about "object oriented" and link
> in a notion of "math objects", I recommend spiraling through the same or
> similar material with that in mind.
> 
> They may not be ready for vector objects tomorrow, but perhaps the day
> after.
> 
> Polyhedrons are stellar objects because they're both abstract and concrete
> in their properties and behaviors.
> 
> Algebra and geometric shapes are good friends, or should be, starting with
> such as V + F == E + 2.
> 
> Kirby
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:15 PM, <mary.dooms at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> I teach 6th grade math and Python was suggested as a way to apply
>> pre-algebra concepts in a programming context. My programming background
>> consists of one C++ programming class. How do I begin? Are lesson plans and
>> small programs available, for example, where students could write and "drop
>> in" a script that includes integers and the output would not only calculate
>> it, but see the relevance of it in a real world situation?
>> *
>> *
>> *Or, perhaps, the program controls a "wheelchair" robot and students would
>> write scripts to drive the robot at a certain speed considering the slope of
>> a ramp?*
>> *
>> *
>> *As you can see, I am a novice, but I see great potential and am willing
>> to learn.*
>> *
>> *
>> *Thanks,*
>> *
>> *
>> *Mary*
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Edu-sig mailing list
>> Edu-sig at python.org
>> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
>> 
>> 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:40:39 +0300
> From: Berkin Malkoc <malkocb at gmail.com>
> To: Andrew Harrington <aharrin at luc.edu>
> Cc: edu-sig at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Fwd: [SIGCSE-members] Python environment - web
> 	based?
> Message-ID: <BANLkTi=rA9pZ7GnAy+8AiJw_WK1LsmYDXQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 6:03 PM, Andrew Harrington <aharrin at luc.edu> wrote:
> 
>> This is a good subject to revisit, on web based Python.  I like his
>> interest in Python+math, too.
>> Andy
>> 
> 
> Getting software installed on K-12 computers can be very difficult. To avoid
>> that collection of problems, I would like to be able to host a development
>> environment on my own servers, so the students will need nothing more than a
>> web browser (and Internet connection). Does anyone know of any off-the-shelf
>> solutions? Though I'm leaning toward Python, I'm not yet committed.
>> 
> 
> Sage [1] can be a great option in these kind of situations. It can be tried
> online [2] and there are a couple of places [3] where you are guided through
> the process of setting up your own Sage servers.
> 
> Regards,
> Berkin
> 
> [1] http://www.sagemath.org
> [2] http://www.sagenb.org/
> [3] http://wiki.sagemath.org/DanDrake/JustEnoughSageServer
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