[Edu-sig] Edu-Sig in Python News (O'Reilly Network)

Kirby Urner pdx4d@teleport.com
Thu, 05 Oct 2000 09:06:21 -0700


Just out yesterday: a fairly positive review of my curriculum writing 
by Stephen Figgins, O'Reilly Network's Python DevCenter bureau chief.  

He also talks about CP4E and this here EDU-SIG e-list:

  http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/python/2000/10/04/pythonnews.html

I think this observation is on target:

   teaching programming with math... isn't a popular position among 
   math or computer programming instructors who are more commonly 
   fighting for turf and funding. 

Also a good point:

   Math textbook writers continue to churn out new versions of the 
   same old stuff. Perhaps that has been because computer languages 
   have generally been difficult to read and difficult to learn, 
   or ridiculously low-powered. Python changes that. It is a high-
   powered tool that remains accessible. 

We've turned a corner, thanks to Python and all the hard work 
behind it.

Kirby
Curriculum writer
Oregon Curriculum Network

PS:  Thanks again to Arthur Siegel for bringing this article to my
attention via his posting to another more-Java-that-Python-oriented
list.