[Texas] [dfwPython] brainstorming new ways to teach Python 101

[Jeremy Dunck]

On Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 10:33 PM, Brad Allen <bradallen137 at gmail.com> wrote:
> A couple of days ago we learned that our PyTexas 2010 volunteer teach
> Python 101 had to drop out. Since the event is on Aug 28, we don't
> have much time to find an instructor, or for that instructor to
> prepare. We know students and other beginners are coming, so how can
> we avert disaster?
...

I see that was Greg Lindstrom.  Do we have any materials he'd prepared
for that?  Are there common 101 materials available from the PSF or
similar?

How many 101 people are expected?

> According to our survey, over half of the respondents are experienced
> Python developers, most of whom I think are capable of teaching, if
> asked to explain a particular topic or faced with a chance to answer
> specific student questions.  Those who can't be bothered to volunteer
> can just show up late, but I would expect most of the attendees to
> step up to the challenge.

Where are the results of that survey?  Sorry I've only been sporadicly
paying attention to PyTexas.

> One idea for making this work would be to develop a strategy for
> pairing up the students with the teachers who can explain what the
> student needs to know. Here's how it might go:

This fits closely with a way of teaching I've been thinking about, but
I agree the laptop coverage could be an issue.

What about a start-of-class quiz to figure out who is more experienced
of the group and have that person lead a pair of greener people?
Don't need full coverage that way, and I think small groups of 2 or 3
would still be useful for collaborating.

> 3. During class, students raise their hands waving a colored ticket in
> the air to attract a tutor to come by and help them learn that
> specific curriculum item.

One problem with this is that there will be a bunch of bootstrapping
issues that can't be waited on -- installing and intro to REPL is one
of them.  I think front-of-class instruction for the starting stuff
that can't be deferred would still be useful, with follow-on support
for people that got lost in that intro.  Otherwise I think the idea is
pretty good.  Perhaps an add-on would be if people are able to teach a
topic, they safety-pin that ribbon to their shirt.  Less waving, more
hailing.