[Baypiggies] Baypiggies Meeting Tonight @LInkedIn - Learning Math and Science Using Python

[James Nicholson]

Glen, thank you for the kind words. It's been my pleasure to be a part of
the Python/BayPiggies community these past months.

The idea Glen mentioned is to use Google Hangouts on
Air<http://socialmediaweek.org/files/2013/01/Hangouts-On-Air-Guide_v3.pdf>to
start broadcasting our monthly talks live. There would be two cameras,
and the main video feed could toggle back and forth depending on what is
happening (this is supported with the production controls of Google
Hangouts on Air).

Camera #1 would be a screen share from the speakers laptop. This would
allow viewers to see the slides a lot better than when we have a camera
pointed at the projector screen.

Camera #2 would be a video camera or webcam tracking the speaker. If they
like to talk with there hands or point at things on the projector screen
(like Alex Martelli <http://youtu.be/GcdcLoEJleI?t=11m30s>) it would be
nice to capture that.

Most of the 1hr+ video feed would be dedicated to viewing the presenter's
screen share, because that's what the content usually revolves around, but
it would be nice to occasionally cut to the camera trained on the speaker
so the viewer can see who is talking.

It would be really exciting to do this for Guido's talk on January
23rd<http://www.meetup.com/silicon-valley-python/events/138635282/>.
Here's what I'd need to make that happen:

   1. Two wired ethernet connections in the LinkedIn conference room (one
   for my laptop and one for Guido's). This is crucial, for the sake of having
   the highest data transfer rate possible. Google strongly recommends against
   doing a hangout on air over wifi.
   2. A dry run of a hangout on air with Guido (preferably at least one
   week prior) to make sure our laptops have the right software and are ready
   to broadcast.

>From past emails, I believe Rachel is our contact at LinkedIn. Rachel, do
you think we could use two ethernet ports in the conference room we'll have
for our meeting on January 23rd?

If someone can put me in touch with Guido (and ask him if he is willing to
participate in this way), I can arrange a time for a dry run.

Let me know your thoughts and/or suggestions. And thanks to Glen and Rajesh
for helping to inspire this idea and test it
out<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE10T4Vz3Ig>
.

Happy new years eve, here's to a cheerful and Pythonic 2014!

-James


On Tue, Dec 31, 2013 at 10:16 AM, Glen Jarvis <glen at glenjarvis.com> wrote:

> I just want to throw this out there:
>
> James has been doing an *incredible* job being our videographer. In fact,
> he has some very exciting ideas that would improve the process greatly (and
> they seem very realistic/plausible).
>
> KUDOS, James!
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Glen
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 31, 2013 at 7:34 AM, James Nicholson <nicholsonjf at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> The video from Peter's talk is now up on our YouTube channel, and can be
>> found here:
>>
>> http://youtu.be/HfvQ6O7Di0g
>>
>> -James
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, December 19, 2013, John Wegis wrote:
>>
>>> Hello Everyone,
>>>
>>> Our presentation tonight will be "Learning Math and Science Using
>>> Python" by Peter Farrell.
>>>
>>> *Location:*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *LinkedIn Corporation2061 Stierlin Ct (aka Bldg 6)Room - Neon
>>> CarrotMountain View, CA 94043*
>>>
>>> *Abstract:*
>>>
>>> In 1980 Seymour Papert’s *Mindstorms* suggested that everything
>>> meaningful in math education could be done using a computer. Mathematics
>>> teaching has yet to take full advantage of modern technology.
>>>
>>> Python should be in the toolbox of every student right from the
>>> beginning of algebra, not only because it makes arithmetic trivial but
>>> because it can facilitate deeper exploration of topics ranging from algebra
>>> to calculus.
>>>
>>> In this presentation we’ll see how Python can be used to clarify
>>> difficult topics high school students are faced with in math and science.
>>>
>>> Unlike outdated skills like factoring polynomials, working with
>>> functions is more valuable than ever thanks to computers and Python in
>>> particular because (forgive my oversimplification) in Python “everything is
>>> a function.”
>>>
>>> High school math and physics courses also demand a knowledge of vectors,
>>> so more teachers should take advantage of the 3-D possibilities of Visual
>>> Python to model situations using vectors. It will be shown how physical
>>> situations otherwise involving disheartening differential equations can be
>>> modeled and easily solved in VPython. Furthermore, conjectures which
>>> were previously difficult to prove in physics can be easily created and
>>> visually proven by high school students with a little Python.
>>> *Speaker: *
>>> Peter Farrell has been a high school math teacher and tutor on the East
>>> Coast and the West Coast and even on the Equator. He’s currently a STEM
>>> Instructor at four Summit Charter High Schools in the Bay Area through
>>> Learningtech.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *If you wish to post jobs here, please go to : Job Listings
>>> <http://baypiggies.net/job-listings/job-listings> *
>>>
>>> *Meeting Schedule*
>>> The meeting begins @ 7:30PM.
>>> The main presentation will start @ 7:40 PM, after the usual
>>> announcements.
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
>
> --
>
> We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action
> always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
>
> -- Frank Tibolt
>
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