[Edu-sig] Python for non-programmers

[Kirby Urner]

>The same distinction shows up in trying to teach English writing
>skills. It is much easier to teach students to write about something
>when they have something to say.
>

That's interesting feedback to my post Steve.

I actually use this approach, of using Python in the context
of another subject area, where it means something, has a 
clear purpose, already familiar to the student, in my 
'Computer Literacy + Numeracy' series, linked from my
http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/cp4e.html  

Here I'm going over familiar ground, math topics, using 
Python notation as an alternative way to express math 
concepts (in executable form -- a big plus).  This is 
why I characterized my approach as 'between (c) and (d)'.

I think if you look at my categories again, you might 
see that there's nothing here that would discourage your
approach, which is to tackle the domain of physics using
Python as one more tool.

I have two observers in my picture:  the student and 
the teacher.  The teacher already presumably knows quite
a bit of Python, plus a lot about some subject area 
(e.g. physics).  The student is perhaps learning both
Python and the subject, or just Python, or just the 
subject (already knows Python).  From the standpoint 
of CP4E, I think we're most interested in cases where
Python is still being learned, although it's also 
interesting to think about how to add clarity to a
subject (e.g. physics) with "already knows Python" 
taken as a given -- even on the part of the students.

Kirby