[Edu-sig] re: Pygeo, platforms, wx and Tk

[ajsiegel at optonline.net]

> Do you see PyGeo as primarily aimed at teaching Python, or 
> geometry, or both
> or neither?  I think the surrounding curriculum, as well as the 
> architectureof the package itself, will hinge on this question in 
> some respects.

All I can say is that, personally,  I use it for both.

And I am hoping that "both" is more than a hopeful answer. 

But I don't think I truly have the right to make that claim until there is
something of a curriculum attached to/with PyGeo.

However...

It is true that my phantom curricula brilliantly synthesizes both ;).

> 
> Here's another question:  say two students have PyGeo installed.  Can
> student A send student B a text file in "pygeo scripting language" 
> that will
> recreate some cool interactive exhibit, like those that come with 
> PyGeo?  

PyGeo files are only and nothing but Python files, with extension *.py.

My new demos show examples of creating new derived classes on the fly that
will behave as "native" PyGeo classes - be interactive and dynamic in 
a construction. It only requires conforming to some simple requirements
of the  - whateyoucallit? - abstract class (not the right word, but you get
the idea).

In some sense, its a good introduction to working with a simple existing
API.

And  helps avoid the blank page syndrome.  Which, IMO, is something
crucial to avoid.

And less prone, IMO, to the problems discussed in attempting
to introduce folks to things via game writing.  There are less expectations
of standards that need to be met before one has something that is
"real".

IMO.

Art