From kirby.urner at gmail.com Thu Jun 2 11:29:02 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2016 08:29:02 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] @ for "complicated multiplication" Message-ID: Thanks to Guido's keynote at Portland Pycon 2016, I finally absorbed that @ had joined the ranks of overloadable operators. In reading up on the history of complex numbers and such, and group theory especially (also referenced by Guido in his keynote), I've found how mathematicians exulted to discover that multiplication could be so complex with such encapsulated objects as matrices and quaternions. A breakthrough. In a way, they discovered object oriented programming and operator overloading, or at least prefigured it. Objects of complicated state (a matrix of 3 x 3 objects) could come with their own behaviors when "multiplied". Thanks to ideas about "inverse" and "identity", a certain "design pattern" would hold. Using this new operator @ to signify the more generic forms of multiplication that go with abstract algebra, makes sense. We're thinking of @ in place of what many texts use: a little circle. This new feature would suggest reworking the curriculum around a Composable type to work with @ instead of * (I might do that with Permutation too). Like this: # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ Created on Thu Jun 2 08:02:28 2016 @author: K. Urner (c) MIT License """ class Composer: def __init__(self, f): self.f = f def __call__(self, var): return self.f(var) def __matmul__(self, other): # "complicated multiplication" return Composer(lambda var: self.f(other.f(var))) def __repr__(self): return "Composer({}) at {}".format(id(self.f), id(self)) # demo import math def F(x): return 2*x + 2 def G(x): return math.sqrt(x) f = Composer(F) g = Composer(G) h = f @ g r = h(10) try: assert f(g(10)) == h(10) # <-- whistle blower print('(f @ g)(%s) = %s' % (10, r)) except AssertionError: # <-- referee print("f @ g failed to meet expectations, sire") h = g @ f r = h(10) try: assert g(f(10)) == h(10) # <--- Quality & Assurance print('(g @ f)(%s) = %s' % (10, r)) except AssertionError: # <-- provide feedback print("g @ f failed to meet expectations, sire") # Kirby -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jurgis.pralgauskis at gmail.com Fri Jun 3 03:50:54 2016 From: jurgis.pralgauskis at gmail.com (Jurgis Pralgauskis) Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2016 10:50:54 +0300 Subject: [Edu-sig] MineCraft with Python Message-ID: Hi, intro: many kids like MineCraft :) probably you know/heared of MineCraft Pi https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/getting-started-with-minecraft-pi/ But there seems to be Py for real MC http://coderdojotc.readthedocs.io/projects/python-minecraft/en/latest/ http://www.instructables.com/id/Python-coding-for-Minecraft/ PS.: a nice article (from js4MC world) https://github.com/walterhiggins/ScriptCraft/blob/master/docs/YoungPersonsGuideToProgrammingMinecraft.md -- Jurgis Pralgauskis tel: 8-616 77613; Don't worry, be happy and make things better ;) http://galvosukykla.lt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amitsaha.in at gmail.com Sat Jun 4 16:19:19 2016 From: amitsaha.in at gmail.com (Amit Saha) Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 06:19:19 +1000 Subject: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other way around Message-ID: Interesting article: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun Jun 5 17:06:42 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 14:06:42 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other way around In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: My apologies to Amit and request for forgiveness in advance in taking quite a few hours to approve this. Pycon is just ending and the other listowner has much further to travel. I'll aim to get faster. Amit's posts won't queue after this. -- Kirby On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: > Interesting article: > > > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amitsaha.in at gmail.com Sun Jun 5 19:50:10 2016 From: amitsaha.in at gmail.com (Amit Saha) Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 09:50:10 +1000 Subject: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other way around In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 7:06 AM, kirby urner wrote: > > My apologies to Amit and request for forgiveness in advance in taking quite > a few hours to approve this. Pycon is just ending and the other listowner > has much further to travel. I'll aim to get faster. Amit's posts won't > queue after this. No problems, Kirby. Thank you for your work. > > -- Kirby > > > On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: >> >> Interesting article: >> >> >> https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Edu-sig mailing list >> Edu-sig at python.org >> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig >> > -- http://echorand.me From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun Jun 5 19:56:44 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 16:56:44 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other way around In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Great article. I introduced Peter Farrell around . I'm not an employee there just someone kicking around in the code school space, coming up with ideas. Peter, a math teacher by training and credential, shares my enthusiasm for introducing a real REPL, along with saving / reusing functions. I helped myself to two Diet Cokes, following the Python Circus pattern of offering participants some free soda pop **. I were only there a few minutes, in route to Ethiopian food at SE 50th and Division. Sheri, the CEO, said they're getting more and more high schoolers banging on their door hoping to acquire skills denied them through other venues. I can attest to seeing this phenomenon with mine own eyes. However, what Peter and I are looking at is more PD (professional development) for their adult math teachers, a more efficient way to fan the knowledge outward using existing distribution mechanisms. We'll brainstorm together in a collegial spirit. This won't be "boot camp", more pooling memes. I don't sense much resistance to this idea, including from math teachers, who are chomping at the bit to be allowed to innovate, rather than to serve as task masters for some remotely put-together hewn in stone "core". There was already a lobby (Software Association of Oregon) pushing exactly this agenda back in 2009.[1] "Adhering to Common Core standards" doesn't mean buying anything in particular, neither textbook nor test. But I digress. Message to teachers: don't let the "edu-bullies" push you around. Peter reported feeling heartened by his visit. I'm still following up on a lot of new connections, thanks to Pycon. Great networking venue! Great time hanging out with Peter. More related postings to MathFuture (another shared file cabinet drawer). Kirby ** (this every-Monday meetup is distinct from ye old PPUG -- formerly PORPIG -- monthly meetup @ UrbanAirship these days, Portland Python User Group, see maillist and Meetup.com for details if passing through, and/or stop in @ ). [1] http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2009/08/education-planning.html On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: > Interesting article: > > > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mamckenna at sch.ci.lexington.ma.us Mon Jun 6 12:04:30 2016 From: mamckenna at sch.ci.lexington.ma.us (Marianne McKenna) Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2016 12:04:30 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 155, Issue 3 Message-ID: I am currently out of the office. If you need help, please contact building tech support. If it's an immediate need, please contact Paul Musto or Patty Hunter. I will respond to your email as soon as I am able. Thanks -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Mon Jun 6 12:34:40 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 09:34:40 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 155, Issue 3 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I'll aim to put all "out of office" auto-responders on 'mod' meaning they'll queue for approval (or not). -- Kirby On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 9:04 AM, Marianne McKenna < mamckenna at sch.ci.lexington.ma.us> wrote: > I am currently out of the office. If you need help, please contact > building tech support. If it's an immediate need, please contact Paul > Musto or Patty Hunter. I will respond to your email as soon as I am able. > Thanks > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From funcalculus at gmail.com Mon Jun 6 12:35:59 2016 From: funcalculus at gmail.com (Peter Farrell) Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 09:35:59 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Edu-sig Digest, Vol 155, Issue 3 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks for taking me around, Kirby! I'm pursuing PD opportunities here in the SF Bay Area, and I'd love to come back and co-teach a "Math Through Technology" class at ! I agree wholeheartedly with the EdSurge article Amit forwarded. I recently gave a demo lesson at a school that doesn't yet have a CS program and I showed how the goals of programming linked to each of the "math strategies" the math teacher used to decorate the classroom: find patterns, plug in numbers, draw a graph, and so on. (But I didn't get the job.) It's going to be slow going, but with resources like Amit's book, my book, and Kirby's future book, math teachers will no longer feel alone in wanting to modernize their field. Peter Farrell On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 9:00 AM, wrote: > Send Edu-sig mailing list submissions to > edu-sig at python.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > edu-sig-request at python.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > edu-sig-owner at python.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Edu-sig digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. How programming supports math, not the other way around > (Amit Saha) > 2. Re: How programming supports math, not the other way around > (kirby urner) > 3. Re: How programming supports math, not the other way around > (Amit Saha) > 4. Re: How programming supports math, not the other way around > (kirby urner) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 06:19:19 +1000 > From: Amit Saha > To: edu-sig at python.org > Subject: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other way > around > Message-ID: > Z19RK6oqbPqg at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Interesting article: > > > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20160605/b3bc977b/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 14:06:42 -0700 > From: kirby urner > To: Amit Saha > Cc: "edu-sig at python.org" > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other > way around > Message-ID: > 6iWkPmVzNArjCy772A at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > My apologies to Amit and request for forgiveness in advance in taking quite > a few hours to approve this. Pycon is just ending and the other listowner > has much further to travel. I'll aim to get faster. Amit's posts won't > queue after this. > > -- Kirby > > > On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: > > > Interesting article: > > > > > > > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Edu-sig mailing list > > Edu-sig at python.org > > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20160605/816267bf/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 09:50:10 +1000 > From: Amit Saha > To: kirby urner > Cc: "edu-sig at python.org" > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other > way around > Message-ID: > < > CANODV3k2HxO-_5oTiBQek2X6Rf7TSL54mB1G2W37gvwLak20og at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 7:06 AM, kirby urner wrote: > > > > My apologies to Amit and request for forgiveness in advance in taking > quite > > a few hours to approve this. Pycon is just ending and the other > listowner > > has much further to travel. I'll aim to get faster. Amit's posts won't > > queue after this. > > No problems, Kirby. Thank you for your work. > > > > > -- Kirby > > > > > > On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: > >> > >> Interesting article: > >> > >> > >> > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Edu-sig mailing list > >> Edu-sig at python.org > >> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > >> > > > > > > -- > http://echorand.me > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 16:56:44 -0700 > From: kirby urner > To: Amit Saha > Cc: "edu-sig at python.org" > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] How programming supports math, not the other > way around > Message-ID: > Wt4yNF0Xr-YrFzAdwcH6yftycDaHJ_Hwp9Q at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Great article. > > I introduced Peter Farrell around . I'm not an employee there > just someone kicking around in the code school space, coming up with > ideas. Peter, a math teacher by training and credential, shares my > enthusiasm for introducing a real REPL, along with saving / reusing > functions. > > I helped myself to two Diet Cokes, following the Python Circus pattern > of offering participants some free soda pop **. I were only there a few > minutes, in route to Ethiopian food at SE 50th and Division. > > Sheri, the CEO, said they're getting more and more high schoolers > banging on their door hoping to acquire skills denied them through > other venues. I can attest to seeing this phenomenon with mine own > eyes. > > However, what Peter and I are looking at is more PD (professional > development) for their adult math teachers, a more efficient way to > fan the knowledge outward using existing distribution mechanisms. > We'll brainstorm together in a collegial spirit. This won't be "boot > camp", more pooling memes. > > I don't sense much resistance to this idea, including from math teachers, > who are chomping at the bit to be allowed to innovate, rather than to > serve as task masters for some remotely put-together hewn in stone > "core". There was already a lobby (Software Association of Oregon) > pushing exactly this agenda back in 2009.[1] > > "Adhering to Common Core standards" doesn't mean buying anything > in particular, neither textbook nor test. But I digress. Message to > teachers: don't let the "edu-bullies" push you around. > > Peter reported feeling heartened by his visit. I'm still following up > on a lot of new connections, thanks to Pycon. Great networking > venue! Great time hanging out with Peter. More related postings > to MathFuture (another shared file cabinet drawer). > > Kirby > > ** (this every-Monday meetup is distinct from ye old PPUG -- formerly > PORPIG -- monthly meetup @ UrbanAirship these days, Portland Python > User Group, see maillist and Meetup.com for details if passing through, > and/or stop in @ ). > > [1] http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2009/08/education-planning.html > > > > > > On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 1:19 PM, Amit Saha wrote: > > > Interesting article: > > > > > > > https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-31-how-programming-supports-math-class-not-the-other-way-around > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Edu-sig mailing list > > Edu-sig at python.org > > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20160605/581b0d48/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Edu-sig Digest, Vol 155, Issue 3 > *************************************** > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Mon Jun 6 15:31:08 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 12:31:08 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] PD for math teachers (was digest) Message-ID: << SNIP >> It's going to be slow going, but with resources like Amit's book, my book, > and Kirby's future book, math teachers will no longer feel alone in wanting > to modernize their field. > > Peter Farrell > Thanks for reminding me of my future book. I just emailed you some draft text suggested how we might start on defining types, when we're ready. I agree we needn't start with that. Python's built-in types are enough to start with. Kirby -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Wed Jun 22 13:45:11 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 10:45:11 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit Message-ID: Quiet around here, because the action is all on Twitter I think. Anyway, more blogged followup. I still can't find a Micro:Bit for sale in this neck of the woods, like at Fry's (our electronics superstore) or SurplusGizmos. http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2016/06/more-edusummit-business.html What if a family from the UK enrolls junior in the International School (downtown) and wants junior to stay abreast her or his peers. The code school I haunt is just a couple blocks away, why not go there after school? Fry's does have the Pi though. I just learned the manufacturer was sold to a Swiss company (I tweeted about it). Kirby -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ntoll at ntoll.org Wed Jun 22 14:27:09 2016 From: ntoll at ntoll.org (Nicholas H.Tollervey) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:27:09 +0100 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <576AD87D.5050909@ntoll.org> On 22/06/16 18:45, kirby urner wrote: > > Quiet around here, because the action is all on Twitter I think. > > Anyway, more blogged followup. > > I still can't find a Micro:Bit for sale in this neck of the woods, like > at Fry's (our electronics superstore) or SurplusGizmos. > > http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2016/06/more-edusummit-business.html > > What if a family from the UK enrolls junior in the International School > (downtown) and wants junior to stay abreast her or his peers. The code > school I haunt is just a couple blocks away, why not go there after school? > > Fry's does have the Pi though. I just learned the manufacturer was sold > to a Swiss company (I tweeted about it). > > Kirby > > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > Devices won't be available until mid-July and only then via online re-sellers. Google Farnell micro:bit and you'll find the right things. N. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 473 bytes Desc: OpenPGP digital signature URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Thu Jun 23 01:01:32 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 22:01:32 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: <576AD87D.5050909@ntoll.org> References: <576AD87D.5050909@ntoll.org> Message-ID: Thanks Nicholas that's entirely consistent with what you said at Pycon, I'll be patient. :-D In the meantime I purchased the newest Pi today (free shipping from Amazon), my main motivation being to work through examples in Peter Farrell's book, Hacking Math Class (is that title too scary for non-geeks? But then "Python" itself scares many teachers with [0]). He's using the Pi3D library and I've always been an avid fan of doing 3D graphics. It'll run on Ubuntu with effort but I'm on MacOS, and besides, for realism (to get it like it's presented to students) I should use an actual Pi. Steve Holden (a former PSF Chairman) gave me some, but I apparently gifted them onward, kinda like those OLPC XOs I used to own. Peter seems to be one of those rather rare birds who dares to think the generic high school math curriculum needs to change, not that we need to suddenly on-board a CS faculty, which most experts agree is unlikely to happen ("so get over it" is the message). Not only does he think the way I do, he's written a book. Lots of source code. Unfortunately, the USA's Common Core Math is moving in the opposite direction of Hacking, is rather deliberately CS-unfriendly in saying over and over "Base 10, Base 10..." like a mantra, meaning "stay away from any so-called 'alternative bases' at all costs." On the ground, some schools dare to deviate [1], but the test-meisters count every second not teaching to the test, a wasted second. Common Core is about everyone marching to the same drummer, to a greater extent than we've ever seen in USA schools (historically novel, and more corporate than government led, as a convenience to big publishers -- such a pain when the states diverge i.e. exercise self government). Anyway, I started a Twitterverse campaign to ask IEEE why Common Core Math is OK with them, given its CS-unfriendliness, when NASA thinks we should all learn hex.[2] NASA seems a lot smarter than IEEE to me, but maybe I haven't done enough homework yet? I've done quite a bit. Did anyone else see The Martian with Tom Hanks? That was hex code that saved his life. A coded message from NASA perhaps? :-D Best wishes to the UK tomorrow, whatever its fate. God bless and all that. Kirby [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetophobia [1] http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/142866/where-does-binary-arithmetic-manipulation-enter-the-mathematics-engineering-curr [2] http://controlroom.blogspot.com/2016/06/learn-hex.html On Wed, Jun 22, 2016 at 11:27 AM, Nicholas H.Tollervey wrote: > > Devices won't be available until mid-July and only then via online > re-sellers. Google Farnell micro:bit and you'll find the right things. > > N. > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ntoll at ntoll.org Thu Jun 23 02:39:12 2016 From: ntoll at ntoll.org (Nicholas H.Tollervey) Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2016 07:39:12 +0100 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: References: <576AD87D.5050909@ntoll.org> Message-ID: <576B8410.1090408@ntoll.org> On 23/06/16 06:01, kirby urner wrote: > Best wishes to the UK tomorrow, whatever its fate. God bless and all that. Thank you. It's been a nasty campaign with terrible examples of closet racism (see the UKIP poster) and plenty of lies, damn lies and statistics thrown about. The next 24h are definitely going to be interesting. Best wishes, N. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 473 bytes Desc: OpenPGP digital signature URL: From calcpage at aol.com Fri Jun 24 13:00:55 2016 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:00:55 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> Hi Kirby, et al,I just took a look at "Hacking Math Class" for the first time today. Funny, it looks a lot like what I did with my AP Calculus class as a final project after the AP Exams.Have a look at our executive summary ScreenCast: https://youtu.be/OkmGGEYZr7EHere's the first half of the project as a YouTube PlayList: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL956Pn2cKSjr7Gfw06OlNqtPtnw7clrHHere's the second half: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL956Pn2cKSje0HeHkR38C8BVWbTeOFUyHTH, A. Jorge Garcia Applied Math, Physics & CS http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 2015 NYS Secondary Math http://PAEMST.org Nominee -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Fri Jun 24 16:40:44 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:40:44 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> References: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: Absolutely, I think of you as one of the five or six active Pythonic Math teachers, plus or minus a few. The rest are CS teachers, which I salute, but it's not a STEM discipline except maybe hiding behind the E and the Es are known to be shy, non-combative, pocket-protector nerd types who don't stand up for their rights, really easy to push around. Ergo CS is second fiddle / second banana not required not for credit, but unless you take three years of M in America, or maybe four, your out a high school degree. That's all been changing and Oregon is fine with CS-friendly math courses, and my website touts the legality of doing that. Euclid's Method right along with GCD from prime factors? Absolutely. Here's an enumeration of things I consider CS-friendly, all legal in Oregon: (1) not all functions use numbers (lexical domain used) (2) a REPL is introduced (calculator was a first step) (3) functions of more than one step are saved and reused (4) Euclid's method is introduced (5) includes Euler's function "the totient" of N (6) introduces number bases other than 10, esp. 2 (binary) & 16 (hex) (7) friendly to cryptography as a topic, also standard encodings (QR codes) (8) introduces prefix notation for operators (per Scheme and LISP) (9) introduces dot notation (per most OO languages) Refugee families streaming into Portland are just learning our system and some are wondering why junior has to bus across town for the same GED content (to some lead in the pipes high school) whereas they're asked to go to "community college" for "remedial" courses. Why can't the whole family take a course just like yours, online or off? What's the law that keeps whole families from going to school together? Seems pretty anti-family to many newcomers. Some cultures don't like how we send "lonely Dory" off to "Tease the New Muslim Kid High", while mom and dad have to slave through online GED stuff in English on the web, even though both were calculus teachers in Syria or whatever. Complex world! I'm mostly on @twitter and would gladly follow you but couldn't find a handle. Kirby On Fri, Jun 24, 2016 at 10:00 AM, A. Jorge Garcia wrote: > Hi Kirby, et al, > I just took a look at "Hacking Math Class" for the first time today. > Funny, it looks a lot like what I did with my AP Calculus class as a final > project after the AP Exams. > Have a look at our executive summary ScreenCast: > https://youtu.be/OkmGGEYZr7E > Here's the first half of the project as a YouTube PlayList: > https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL956Pn2cKSjr7Gfw06OlNqtPtnw7clrH > Here's the second half: > https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL956Pn2cKSje0HeHkR38C8BVWbTeOFUy > > HTH, > A. Jorge Garcia > Applied Math, Physics & CS > http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com > http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 > 2015 NYS Secondary Math http://PAEMST.org Nominee > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amitsaha.in at gmail.com Sun Jun 26 05:38:27 2016 From: amitsaha.in at gmail.com (Amit Saha) Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2016 19:38:27 +1000 Subject: [Edu-sig] O'Reilly Webcast: Doing Math with Python Message-ID: Hi all, I am very excited to share that I am doing a webcast this coming week with O'Reilly titled "Doing Math with Python" (http://www.oreilly.com/pub/e/3712). You can register for it on the event page. Here are the date and time of the webcast: Wed, June 29th at 7 PM, San Francisco Wed, June 29th at 10pm, New York Thu, Jun 30th at 3am - London Thu, Jun 30th at 7:30am - Mumbai Thu, Jun 30th at 10am - Beijing Thu, Jun 30th at 11am - Tokyo Thu, Jun 30th at 12pm - Sydney I have created a GitHub repository (https://github.com/doingmathwithpython/oreilly-webcast-2016) which will have the rough transcript, final slides and the code examples as Jupyter Notebooks. Hope you can join me there. Best Wishes, Amit. From calcpage at aol.com Mon Jun 27 14:03:10 2016 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:03:10 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <15593078247-2e01-1c88@webprd-a02.mail.aol.com> Who needs a calculator anyway? Here's a little blog post you may find interesting. Why don't we dump Graphing Calculators and teach a little Python Coding? Shadowfax Cluster Rant 2009-2016: How To Part II: Pythonic Calculus 2016! http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-part-ii-pythonic-calculus.html HTH, AJG Sincerely,? A. Jorge Garcia? Applied Math, Physics & CS? http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com? http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009? 2015 NYS Secondary Math http://PAEMST.org Nominee -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Tue Jun 28 03:19:21 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 00:19:21 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: <15593078247-2e01-1c88@webprd-a02.mail.aol.com> References: <15593078247-2e01-1c88@webprd-a02.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: Greeting AJG -- The background image in your blog shows what look to be emulated TI calculators on every student's screen, and I was wondering if the nSpire CAS TIs you mentioned using were actually emulated, yet licensed on a per seat basis which is why they needed to be donated. Apologies for my ignorance about the current state of the calculator market. My own trajectory through high school was discovering programmable calculators as an extracurricular hobby. My good friend's dad, a civil engineer, had an HP65 and my friend and I could do little programs that even "rolled the stack" as an operation. With parenthesis free reverse polish notation (no equals key either) we had a strong sense of what a stack was, sorta FORTH-like. As long as computers were big and expensive like we had at the university, I could understand why we weren't sharing programming with the high schools. The IBM 370 I was sending my programs to (PL/1, FORTRAN, Snobol, APL) was huge, had its own building (shared with a 360 as I recall). The Unix PDPs scattered about were also plenty expensive. I asked for play time on those and as this institution pampered undergrads, I was given some. However, around the time of the PC revolution in the 1980s, even before the Open Source / Free Software revolution, pre GNU / Linux, I started getting more skeptical that scientific calculator era standards were apropos. The screens were so tiny and what about 3D? Programming is really more interesting but the calculator languages were so black boxy and tied to the one device.... We I do appreciate about the scientific calculator is who much they densely pack in to a tiny box. Going over each key, explaining what it does, is all by itself the basis for a good course. But that wasn't usually the approach taken. Only a few keys would be explained, their meanings leaked out in dribs and drabs over the years. Not so fun. Like with any subject, sticking to the standard timeline can lead to high levels of frustration. One must undertake to study to on one's own to move ahead at one's own pace. One may wish to go faster or slower, and also take detours, explore tangents. Anyway, I'm preaching to the choir here aren't I? By the time we get to Linux and Freedom Toasters in the Republic of South Africa [1], I'm getting closer to flabbergasted that we're still clinging to the graphing calculators throughout high school. I'm beginning to sense I'm a stranger in a strange land. By this point in 2016, yet more years later, I'm rather uncomprehending of the status quo, which seems somewhat bizarre to me, like the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice and Wonderland. For example, I can't make head or tail of why the US Common Core is saying to ignore the "hex rails" our "decimal trains" actually run on. The bias against doing programming to learn math, when even decent scientific calculators could do that, comes across as foreign. I have to conclude the high school culture is not one I particularly understand, having left the high school math teaching profession pre hypertext and even pre Internet for most intents and purposes (I had a guest account with the New Jersey Institute of Technology on something dialup). In the year since, I have field tested numerous courses with real high and middle school aged guinea pigs (willing and eager), mostly with a nonprofit called Saturday Academy, but these were not for state credit and of a somewhat experimental nature. As a parent volunteer, I was permitted to teach an all 8th grade Python-based course at Winterhaven, our "geek Hogwarts" in Portland, and some of the content I covered is summarized here: http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/winterhaven/ http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/winterhaven/section3.html I'd summarize some of the "lessons learned" (such as to balance technical content with lore, storytelling) and take these on the road to Pycons and OSCONs, most concertedly to Chicago, the city of my birth. I'm less in on the conference circuit these days (I didn't give any talks at this year's Pycon and missed OSCON, though I did help screen the latter's presentation proposals). As Nicholas noted at the eduSummit, I continue actively posting to edu-sig here at least, one of my main haunts for some decades. Speaking of Nicholas Tollervey, I was at PDX Code Guild this evening for Flying Circus night, and for the first time really had a chance to dive in to his slim volume Python in Education, Teach, Learn, Program (O'Reilly) https://flic.kr/p/JA7ene (book cover) The book shares in some detail about the hardware devices we could be sharing with more students, in addition to running Python in the cloud and/or on desktops / laptops and/or on Android / iOS (again, I'm not myself very tolerant of tiny screens and keyboards for writing / reading code). https://flic.kr/p/Jx87k5 (Raspberry Pi) https://flic.kr/p/Jx85V1 (MicroPython board) https://flic.kr/p/Jx85tj (Microbit) The shift in emphasis to devices such as these seems to already be a fait accompli in many education systems. The main argument against joining the trend seems to be the nature of the tests themselves, which are defined around using a calculator. Isn't that the tail wagging the dog though? I mean I do appreciate test driven development, but passing unit tests that might as well have been written in the 1980s seems too much like living in a time warp to me i.e. it's anachronistic. I'm glad other front lines teachers are thinking something similar. Kirby [1] http://www.freedomtoaster.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Toaster -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sergio_r at mail.com Mon Jun 27 15:08:52 2016 From: sergio_r at mail.com (Sergio Rojas) Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 21:08:52 +0200 Subject: [Edu-sig] O'Reilly Webcast: Doing Math with Python (Amit Saha) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2016 19:38:27 +1000 From: Amit Saha To: "edu-sig at python.org" Subject: [Edu-sig] O'Reilly Webcast: Doing Math with Python Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Hi all, I am very excited to share that I am doing a webcast this coming week with O'Reilly titled "Doing Math with Python" (http://www.oreilly.com/pub/e/3712[http://www.oreilly.com/pub/e/3712]). You can register for it on the event page. Here are the date and time of the webcast: Wed, June 29th at 7 PM, San Francisco Wed, June 29th at 10pm, New York Thu, Jun 30th at 3am - London Thu, Jun 30th at 7:30am - Mumbai Thu, Jun 30th at 10am - Beijing Thu, Jun 30th at 11am - Tokyo Thu, Jun 30th at 12pm - Sydney I have created a GitHub repository (https://github.com/doingmathwithpython/oreilly-webcast-2016[https://github.com/doingmathwithpython/oreilly-webcast-2016]) which will have the rough transcript, final slides and the code examples as Jupyter Notebooks. Hope you can join me there. Best Wishes, Amit. ------------------------------ Hi Amit, What is needed to successfully run your jupyter notebook "Interactive Mandelbrot Set.ipynb"? When opening, it shows the Mandelbrot picture at the bottom. When executing the cell, nothing shows up. I am using: Python 3.5.1 |Anaconda 4.0.0 (64-bit)| (default, Dec 7 2015, 11:16:01) [GCC 4.4.7 20120313 (Red Hat 4.4.7-1)] on linux which includes: IPython : 4.1.2 Numpy : 1.10.4 Matplotlib : 1.5.1 Scipy : 0.17.0 Regards, Sergio PD. the other notebooks execute fine From calcpage at aol.com Wed Jun 29 21:05:20 2016 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:05:20 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] Let's dump the Graphing Calculators! In-Reply-To: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: <1559ed6bba3-a34-3067@webprd-a88.mail.aol.com> Who needs Graphing Calculators anymore? Here's a couple of blog posts you may find interesting. Let's use python instead: http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-part-ii-pythonic-calculus.html Let's use a Computer Algebra System like SAGE instead: http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-part-ii-2016-sage-computer.html HTH,? A. Jorge Garcia? Applied Math, Physics & CS? http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com? http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009? 2015 NYS Secondary Math?http://PAEMST.org?Nominee -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From calcpage at aol.com Wed Jun 29 21:20:17 2016 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:20:17 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] more follow-up re Pycon / EduSummit In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <1559ee469d2-a34-30fa@webprd-a88.mail.aol.com> Hi Kirby,? >>> The background image in your blog shows what look to be emulated TI calculators on every student's screen, and I was wondering if the nSpire CAS TIs you mentioned using were actually emulated, yet licensed on a per seat basis which is why they needed to be donated.?? >>> I have 2 emulators on my Ubuntu Desktop nowadays.? WABBIT is for the TI84C and KARMTI is for the TI nSpire CX CAS. These are both FOSS WimpDoze apps I run under WINE. I also have a permanent tab in Firefox pointing to http://sagecell.sagemath.org >>> My good friend's dad, a civil engineer, had an HP65 and? my friend and I could do little programs that even "rolled? the stack" as an operation.? With parenthesis free reverse polish notation (no equals key either) we had a strong? sense of what a stack was, sorta FORTH-like. >>> My first programmable calculator was the TI58C at Cornell in the 1980s which used a form of Assembly Language! It had magnetic strips to store programs I wrote.? It even had a printer attached whereby I could print out my code and output graphs! >>> The Unix PDPs scattered about were also plenty? expensive.? I asked for play time on those and as this institution pampered undergrads, I was given some. >>> In High School in the 1970s we had a 300baud modem connecting to a PDP/11780 via phone line. >>> However, around the time of the PC revolution in the 1980s, even before the Open Source / Free Software? revolution, pre GNU / Linux, I started getting more? skeptical that scientific calculator era standards were? apropos.?? >>> My first home PC was an IBM PS2 Model 30 8086 around 1987. I also took home a Commador PET PC to figure it out over the summer after my Student Teaching in 1985. >>> For example, I can't make head or tail of why the US Common Core is saying to ignore the "hex rails" our? "decimal trains" actually run on.?? >>> I don't listen to the CC rhetoric, I still teach other bases, truth tables and digital circuits!? >>> The bias against doing programming to learn math,? when even decent scientific calculators could do that,? comes across as foreign.? I have to conclude the? high school culture is not one I particularly understand,? having left the high school math teaching profession pre? hypertext and even pre Internet for most intents and? purposes (I had a guest account with the New Jersey? Institute of Technology on something dialup). >>> All the High Schools I've worked at are programming friendly.? However, more and more new teachers have no background or interest in CompSci. >>> I'm less in on the conference circuit these days (I didn't give? any talks at this year's Pycon and missed OSCON, though I? did help screen the latter's presentation proposals).? As? Nicholas noted at the eduSummit, I continue actively? posting to edu-sig here at least, one of my main haunts? for some decades. >>> I speak at local T^3 conferences and LIMACON at SUNY Old Westbury. Recently, I applied to the PAEMST and got denied since I don't speak nationally. >>> I mean I do appreciate test driven development, but passing? unit tests that might as well have been written in the 1980s? seems too much like living in a time warp to me i.e. it's? anachronistic.? I'm glad other front lines teachers are thinking something similar. >>> Amen! Sincerely,? A. Jorge Garcia? Applied Math, Physics & CS? http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com? http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009? 2015 NYS Secondary Math http://PAEMST.org Nominee -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jason.blum at gmail.com Thu Jun 30 06:01:42 2016 From: jason.blum at gmail.com (Jason Blum) Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:01:42 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] Let's dump the Graphing Calculators! In-Reply-To: <1559ed6bba3-a34-3067@webprd-a88.mail.aol.com> References: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> <1559ed6bba3-a34-3067@webprd-a88.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: Interesting article about the whole Texas Instruments Graphing Calculator scam: https://mic.com/articles/125829/your-old-texas-instruments-graphing-calculator-still-costs-a-fortune-heres-why Meanwhile you get ten times the functionality for free on https://desmos.com/: https://edsurge.com/news/2015-04-30-texas-district-pilots-desmos-as-alternative-to-graphing-calculators But +1 on approaching math programmatically with Python. On Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 9:05 PM, A. Jorge Garcia via Edu-sig < edu-sig at python.org> wrote: > Who needs Graphing Calculators anymore? > > Here's a couple of blog posts you may find interesting. > > Let's use python instead: > > http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-part-ii-pythonic-calculus.html > > Let's use a Computer Algebra System like SAGE instead: > > http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-part-ii-2016-sage-computer.html > > HTH, > A. Jorge Garcia > Applied Math, Physics & CS > http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com > http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 > 2015 NYS Secondary Math http://PAEMST.org Nominee > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Thu Jun 30 13:06:49 2016 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 10:06:49 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Let's dump the Graphing Calculators! In-Reply-To: References: <155835b6f55-480c-1417@webprd-m95.mail.aol.com> <1559ed6bba3-a34-3067@webprd-a88.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: On Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 3:01 AM, Jason Blum wrote: > Interesting article about the whole Texas Instruments Graphing Calculator > scam: > > https://mic.com/articles/125829/your-old-texas-instruments-graphing-calculator-still-costs-a-fortune-heres-why > > Excellent article, thanks. Whereas I have love and respect for the BBC, I've been a past advocate of the Boycott Pearson campaign, precisely for the reasons mentioned above. I think Pearson has some better practices in the pipeline by now, and dropped my campaign awhile back, but I'm still rhetorically resisting the oppressiveness of big publishing in general (I used to work at McGraw-Hill and understand how what's profitable is to recycle the past with window-dressing changes). The Common Core is mostly for big publishing's convenience, as marketing to individualized curricula developed by faculty would be a real pain. Exactly right, it would be. The big publishing textbook business model is itself what's out of date -- we neither need nor want uniformity of that kind. Teachers want more pay and respect, and Jorge is a great role model for why they'd deserve both if allowed to innovate in the way Jorge has. But most are on a very short leash and have to do Pearson's dirty work as mind-killer slaves. Hah hah, there's more of my rhetoric showing. > Meanwhile you get ten times the functionality for free on > https://desmos.com/: > > https://edsurge.com/news/2015-04-30-texas-district-pilots-desmos-as-alternative-to-graphing-calculators > > But +1 on approaching math programmatically with Python. > > > Or with J and/or JavaScript and/or.... so many ways to go once the creativity is unleashed. But that's the fear: non-standardized and diverse approaches to the future, meaning college admissions offices would have to really think about their jobs again instead of just using algorithms and cookie cutters. We've swallowed the bogus argument that wholesale uniformity and "every one on the same page" has something to do with "fairness". If junior moves from military base A in Texas to military base B in Alabama, we don't want to upset her with some different content, something place-based or homegrown. The transition should be as smooth as just turning the page, as everyone is in lockstep, always the factory-minded ideal. One size fits all etc. Congratulations to those behind this "fairness = uniformity" deception, as it has worked very well for them. The gullible public has bought in to this premise. In the meantime, those very few schools who dare to break the mold are in a position to hugely advantage their students. There's nothing like shackling everyone else to TI calculators to help a lucky few stand out thanks to their school's bravery. What I don't get is why organizations like the IEEE or even the NCTM itself don't raise a fuss or in any way to insist on educational freedom. Don't teachers want any freedom? (Answer: many don't). NCTM and IEEE do not seem to understand how they're digging their own graves with their silence and that, looking back, they're going to seem awfully stick-in-the-mud as in "gee, look at these interesting fossils". You'd think at some point a sense of self- preservation, of wanting to survive, would kick in. Kirby Related polemics (hey, I'm a spin doctor too): http://mathforum.org/kb/thread.jspa?messageID=9796755#9796755 https://goo.gl/dajqz0 (based on today's correspondence) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: