[Edu-sig] re: CP4E (states cgi demo)

[Kirby Urner]

> > OK, so a next iteration of where I'm going with my little lesson about
> > databases is here:
> >
> > http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/geoquiz.html
> 
> Since I don't suspect I would be able to do it, you might have the 5th
> graders find the bug - as Frankfort is not the capital of Kansas.
> 

That's not what's in the data (sans any fix).  I've got Topeka for Kansas,
Frankfort for Kentucky.

The raw data is available to teachers and students:
http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/python/newstates.txt

I should add a Python script that simply dumps the contents of the states
table as an HTML table.  That'll be my next enhancement.

> I have fond memories of my father quizzing my sisters and I on state
> capitals to pass the time on long car rides - which is perhaps why the
> impersonal technological alternative touches a particular nerve - sadly.
> 
> Art

It doesn't *have* to be impersonal, even if it's cgi & MySQL.  A kid could
code this at home and proudly show her dad.  The dad could play while the
kid watches.

I do agree however, that 5th grade would be a lower age limit coming from a
bell curve standpoint, i.e. most kids exploring this content in any real
depth would be older.  

My goal as a curriculum writer is just to make the material available in a
connected, not-dumbed-down form, and leave the rest to natural
self-selection.  

In particular, I'm writing stuff I may want to use myself in a teaching
capacity -- at West Precinct, for Saturday Academy, or with the GIS people
for example (having just done 3 hours with GIS people, end of March, is
probably influential here).

I've added a splash of color since the last posting.  I'm feeling like I'm
nearing the end of this particular project (I may tweak the source some --
all those individual print statements could be amalgamated, plus I'd like to
write more comments, with mention template-based solutions).

http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/geoquiz.html

Kirby