From kirby.urner at gmail.com Mon Nov 1 18:14:26 2010 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:14:26 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] recap (GOSCON week in Portland) Message-ID: GOSCON I just got Steve Holden (Holden Web, PSF Chairman) to the airport (PDX). Steve was here for GOSCON (government + open source) which is organized by Open Source Labs (OSL), Deb Bryant in particular. Themes around open government (there's an O'Reilly book by that title) include: open source / open data. Government (at all levels) is naturally a source of open data. The developer community (private sector, non-governmental orgs etc.) are avid consumers of (some of) this data. The ideal "smart school" would host a number of civic-minded applications that provided students with access to interesting data sets, many of them having to do with the local environment. GIS IN ACTION Clearly we're talking about GIS (geographic information systems). In the forefront of using GIS to inform the public policy making process is Ecotrust, also with headquarters here in Portland. I don't know if Ecotrust had a footprint at this year's GOSCON, where I was myself a peripheral player, in support of Holden Web. When leading a pilot on computer science and related skills for Portland Public Schools (Winterhaven PPS), I was asked to give it a GIS flavor. This involved using Google Earth and looking at KML files, the flavor of XML written as a result of sticking "push pins" into the map. Where does XML fit into a K-12 curriculum? Currently almost nowhere. EDUPYCON Holden Web is hoping to produce a number of events that will boost the open source / open data aspect of public / private collaborations. I continue to suggest eduPycon (edu.pycon) as a promising genre, recalling conversations at Pycon with Jeff Rush and others. Another puzzle piece here is simulations both with and without avatars. COFFEE SHOPS NETWORK Yet another puzzle piece is the science-minded reverie on LCDs, something to look at when sipping a coffee and studying, perhaps with others. These may be public LCDs in student unions, branded "smart bars" (e.g. Portland's Backspace), or these could be streaming to your dorm room. Instead of sports / news / weather, picture studying organic chemistry and having a steady stream of relevant animations coming your way, reminding you of key content. StudyStreams [tm] might be your source point. With the occasional advertising, this could be a free service, with pay versions more specifically customized. The open source business plans for all this have been filed under Coffee Shops Network for those interested. Kirby From zmiller at gsc.edu Sun Nov 7 00:24:54 2010 From: zmiller at gsc.edu (Zac Miller) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 19:24:54 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science Message-ID: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association. Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. Does anyone know more about this? Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using Python? I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. Interested in any opinions out there. -Zac Miller From calcpage at aol.com Sun Nov 7 00:47:10 2010 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Sat, 06 Nov 2010 19:47:10 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Message-ID: <8CD4C2410017FC7-121C-EBFC@webmail-d048.sysops.aol.com> Unfortunately, many High School teachers act like a bunch of lemmings worried about results and all do the same thing every year in lock step - one of these time honored traditions being prepping for or teaching to the test. This will continue regardless of the delivery language. I've been teaching AP Computer Science since it started in 1984 using Pascal. The same thing went on with Pascal, C++ and Java. The focus of the AP Computer Science course right now is Object Oriented Programming (OOP). We teach these students about classes, methods and objects; constructors, accessors, mutators and instance fields. We emphasize the 4 pillars of OOP: encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance and polymorphism. I don't teach to the test, never have and never will. However, I do give them samples of MCQs and FRQs they are expected to master through out the year. I do this in AP Computer Science A/AB, AP Calculus AB/BC and AP Physics C Mech/E&M. I have heard rumors about a move from Java to Python, but I don't think its more than a rumor at this point! HTH, A. Jorge Garcia http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 Teacher & Professor Applied Mathematics, Physics?& Computer Science Baldwin Senior High School & Nassau Community College -----Original Message----- From: Zac Miller To: edu-sig at python.org Sent: Sat, Nov 6, 2010 7:25 pm Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association. Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. Does anyone know more about this? Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using Python? I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. Interested in any opinions out there. -Zac Miller _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig at python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig From lognaturel at gmail.com Sun Nov 7 00:49:19 2010 From: lognaturel at gmail.com (Helene Martin) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 16:49:19 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Message-ID: I teach AP computer science and a course I call Creative Computing that uses Python as the tool for exploring computing (see http://garfieldcs.com for full course descriptions and daily activities). Java does have some ugly syntax but overall I love teaching the AP course. I aim to make my students into curious people with great problem-solving skills and I hardly ever mention the AP test itself. Though the test is heavily object-oriented, I teach procedural-style Java first since I think strong mental models of computation are what will benefit the majority of my students as they move on to whatever it is they will be doing. When I do introduce OO, students see it as a useful form of abstraction and see the need for it as their programs had been getting unwieldy. Despite only covering object-oriented programming in the tail end of my course and using the GridWorld case study for a couple of projects, my students have so far done very well on the AP test (disclaimer: I only had one section of 22 last year and now have about 80 students so we'll see how things go this year). I think it's very possible to focus on producing great thinkers and to see the test just as a validation of that process. This may be an unpopular view around these parts but I feel that the pedagogical philosophy guiding a course is far more important to look at than the language it's taught in. Yes, many AP CS courses seem to take this rote plod-through-the-material-for-the-test approach but I don't think that has anything to do with Java. It would be possible to teach a Python course in just that way, too. All in all, Java and Python are fairly similar tools and shouldn't be treated as ends but just a means to explore computation, I think. Just changing the language of the AP test probably wouldn't change the courses teaching related classes very much is my guess. That is, of course, unless there were a push for great professional development and more continuous support for classroom teachers. H?l?ne Martin http://helenemartin.com On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 4:24 PM, Zac Miller wrote: > Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association. ?Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. ?Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? > > >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. ?Does anyone know more about this? > > Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using Python? ?I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. > > Interested in any opinions out there. > > -Zac Miller > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > From vceder at canterburyschool.org Sun Nov 7 01:01:38 2010 From: vceder at canterburyschool.org (Vern Ceder) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:01:38 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Message-ID: I also teach Java/AP in addition to teaching Python (and sometimes C). I would generally agree with Jorge and H?l?ne, although over the years, I've come to find both the nature of the AP and the choice of Java more irritating. Our parents and administration ARE interested primarily in results, whether I like it or not, and the AP exam forces me to spend my time a little differently than I would like. And Java IMHO is just not well designed for novice programmers working on relatively small programs. So I guess I would find a Python based AP an improvement, but the direction we're heading at the moment is towards a dual enrollment course offered through the local university. If we can make that work, then students will get college credit without some of the drawbacks of the AP system itself. Cheers, Vern On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Helene Martin wrote: > I teach AP computer science and a course I call Creative Computing > that uses Python as the tool for exploring computing (see > http://garfieldcs.com for full course descriptions and daily > activities). > > Java does have some ugly syntax but overall I love teaching the AP > course. I aim to make my students into curious people with great > problem-solving skills and I hardly ever mention the AP test itself. > Though the test is heavily object-oriented, I teach procedural-style > Java first since I think strong mental models of computation are what > will benefit the majority of my students as they move on to whatever > it is they will be doing. When I do introduce OO, students see it as > a useful form of abstraction and see the need for it as their programs > had been getting unwieldy. Despite only covering object-oriented > programming in the tail end of my course and using the GridWorld case > study for a couple of projects, my students have so far done very well > on the AP test (disclaimer: I only had one section of 22 last year and > now have about 80 students so we'll see how things go this year). I > think it's very possible to focus on producing great thinkers and to > see the test just as a validation of that process. > > This may be an unpopular view around these parts but I feel that the > pedagogical philosophy guiding a course is far more important to look > at than the language it's taught in. Yes, many AP CS courses seem to > take this rote plod-through-the-material-for-the-test approach but I > don't think that has anything to do with Java. It would be possible > to teach a Python course in just that way, too. All in all, Java and > Python are fairly similar tools and shouldn't be treated as ends but > just a means to explore computation, I think. Just changing the > language of the AP test probably wouldn't change the courses teaching > related classes very much is my guess. That is, of course, unless > there were a push for great professional development and more > continuous support for classroom teachers. > > H?l?ne Martin > http://helenemartin.com > > On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 4:24 PM, Zac Miller wrote: > > Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science > Teachers Association. Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP > Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. > Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP > Computer Science? > > > > >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP > Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. Does anyone > know more about this? > > > > Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the > is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP > course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using > Python? I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python > programmers instead of on an exam. > > > > Interested in any opinions out there. > > > > -Zac Miller > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Edu-sig mailing list > > Edu-sig at python.org > > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > -- This time for sure! -Bullwinkle J. Moose ----------------------------- Vern Ceder, Director of Technology Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804 vceder at canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137 The Quick Python Book, 2nd Ed - http://bit.ly/bRsWDW -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From zmiller at gsc.edu Sun Nov 7 02:00:40 2010 From: zmiller at gsc.edu (Zac Miller) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 21:00:40 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> , Message-ID: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8E@amp.gsc.edu> That is another angle I was looking at it from: college GPA. The AP credit doesn't add to the student's GPA, so it may be better in the long run for the students to skip the AP credit and take the computer science course in college. Even if they already know the material taking the course in the first semester will give them an easier time adjusting and also put some buffer on their GPA if they make the A they should be able to. Maybe looking at it that way doesn't make any sense to anyone but me. I think the dual credit method is a great way to go, we're trying to set that up for GIS classes here. Maybe I should look at that as another option for my county as well instead of pushing AP, since currently we are not teaching the AP Computer Science course anywhere. -J. Zachary Miller ________________________________ From: Vern Ceder [vceder at canterburyschool.org] Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 8:01 PM To: Helene Martin Cc: Zac Miller; edu-sig at python.org Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science I also teach Java/AP in addition to teaching Python (and sometimes C). I would generally agree with Jorge and H?l?ne, although over the years, I've come to find both the nature of the AP and the choice of Java more irritating. Our parents and administration ARE interested primarily in results, whether I like it or not, and the AP exam forces me to spend my time a little differently than I would like. And Java IMHO is just not well designed for novice programmers working on relatively small programs. So I guess I would find a Python based AP an improvement, but the direction we're heading at the moment is towards a dual enrollment course offered through the local university. If we can make that work, then students will get college credit without some of the drawbacks of the AP system itself. Cheers, Vern On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Helene Martin > wrote: I teach AP computer science and a course I call Creative Computing that uses Python as the tool for exploring computing (see http://garfieldcs.com for full course descriptions and daily activities). Java does have some ugly syntax but overall I love teaching the AP course. I aim to make my students into curious people with great problem-solving skills and I hardly ever mention the AP test itself. Though the test is heavily object-oriented, I teach procedural-style Java first since I think strong mental models of computation are what will benefit the majority of my students as they move on to whatever it is they will be doing. When I do introduce OO, students see it as a useful form of abstraction and see the need for it as their programs had been getting unwieldy. Despite only covering object-oriented programming in the tail end of my course and using the GridWorld case study for a couple of projects, my students have so far done very well on the AP test (disclaimer: I only had one section of 22 last year and now have about 80 students so we'll see how things go this year). I think it's very possible to focus on producing great thinkers and to see the test just as a validation of that process. This may be an unpopular view around these parts but I feel that the pedagogical philosophy guiding a course is far more important to look at than the language it's taught in. Yes, many AP CS courses seem to take this rote plod-through-the-material-for-the-test approach but I don't think that has anything to do with Java. It would be possible to teach a Python course in just that way, too. All in all, Java and Python are fairly similar tools and shouldn't be treated as ends but just a means to explore computation, I think. Just changing the language of the AP test probably wouldn't change the courses teaching related classes very much is my guess. That is, of course, unless there were a push for great professional development and more continuous support for classroom teachers. H?l?ne Martin http://helenemartin.com On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 4:24 PM, Zac Miller > wrote: > Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association. Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? > > >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. Does anyone know more about this? > > Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using Python? I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. > > Interested in any opinions out there. > > -Zac Miller > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig at python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig -- This time for sure! -Bullwinkle J. Moose ----------------------------- Vern Ceder, Director of Technology Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804 vceder at canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137 The Quick Python Book, 2nd Ed - http://bit.ly/bRsWDW From ccosse at gmail.com Sun Nov 7 02:57:23 2010 From: ccosse at gmail.com (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Charles_Coss=E9?=) Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 01:57:23 +0000 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Message-ID: Speaking of Java and Python ... I was thinking earlier this week about the difference in a Java-trained programmer programming in Python versus Python-trained programer programming in Java. (The latter is neater and cleaner, I think) For a Python programmer having to use Java there is Jython. (jython.org -- the best thing to ever happen to java). Adios - -Charles On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 11:24 PM, Zac Miller wrote: > Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association. ?Most of the focus was on how to better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a few things at the meeting. ?Are any of the K12 educators here that are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? > > >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to Python. ?Does anyone know more about this? > > Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing for educators using Python? ?I think I prefer keeping my focus on producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. > > Interested in any opinions out there. > > -Zac Miller > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > -- AsymptopiaSoftware|Software at theLimit ? ? ? ? ? http://www.asymptopia.org From litvin at skylit.com Sun Nov 7 01:56:33 2010 From: litvin at skylit.com (Litvin) Date: Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:56:33 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20101106193746.0401c6a0@skylit.com> Zac, I do not teach AP CS or Python, but, as you know, my wife, Maria Litvin, does teach both, and we have co-authored popular AP CS textbooks and AP prep books since 1997. When AP CS switched from C++ to Java/OOP in 2004, it took the College Board over three years from the decision to switch to the implementation. They used the time to develop the exams and their case study and to train CS teachers. (Maria served on the College Board's Ad Hoc Committee for Professional Development in Java.) Switching the exam language is a huge deal for the AP CS Development Committee. I wouldn't expect any changes very soon. At the moment, the College Board is exploring the possibility of a new CS exam, called Computer Science Principles -- http://csprinciples.org/. They have received an NSF grant to do that. It is unclear to me whether they are just spending NSF's $2m or are serious about developing a new exam. I think "CS principles" is a bit of a misnomer. The five college pilots for this course seem to offer little CS (and few "principles"). It is unofficially known as a "CS-0" course. The pilots teach Scratch and Alice; a couple teach a bit of Python. It seems likely that if this course materializes, it will be based on Python or at least Python will be one of the language options. But it seems to me unlikely that this course will soon replace the current CS course, because the current course is relatively successful -- 20,000 exams annually and accepted by many colleges for placement/credit. Will they switch the current exam from Java to Python? Theoretically this is possible, but not very soon. For this to happen, the majority of colleges must switch their intro CS curses to Python first. MIT did! At the same time, many people seem to be finally getting tired of Java/OOP with its arcane terminology, pompous, pseudo-mathematical documentation, and obsessively/compulsively verbose code. I believe the switch to Java/OOP, more than anything else, has led to declining enrollments in AP CS and CS majors in colleges. So, who knows, maybe the Development Committee will manage to merge some ideas from AP CS Principles with the current syllabus and switch to Python sooner. Would this be a good thing? I think so. An AP course sets a national standard, which is the least common denominator for students and teachers. Students who take a year-long CS course with a knowledgeable teacher should have little trouble getting a 5 on the AP exam. Teachers are free to teach what they want, as long as they cover the basics described in the AP syllabus. The AP case study (currently GridWorld) is a reasonable teaching tool. The College Board emphasizes that they test COMPUTER SCIENCE, not programming, and just use a language as a vehicle for testing the knowledge of fundamental concepts. Typically they restrict the language to a small subset (and will mercilessly truncate Python if it is adopted). In reality, quite a bit of the current exam is straight Java programming. More so since they dropped the AB-level course (data structures) in 2010. But the way the exams are structured and graded, a student does not have to produce a working program to get credit. Producing "great Python programmers" is not the goal of AP CS (which doesn't mean "great programmers" can't get a 5 on an AP exam). I don't feel qualified to debate whether this is a worthwhile goal for K12. I personally prefer that K12 students acquired a good foundation, preferably starting, as early as possible, with discrete math, and learned a bit of programming, preferably in Python. :) Gary Litvin www.skylit.com At 07:24 PM 11/6/2010, you wrote: >Today I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Computer >Science Teachers Association. Most of the focus was on how to >better teach the AP Computer Science exam and Java but I did learn a >few things at the meeting. Are any of the K12 educators here that >are using Python also teaching AP Computer Science? > > >From speaking with the people at the meeting I got the idea that > the AP Computer Science test would eventually transition to > Python. Does anyone know more about this? > >Also, from their descriptions of teaching the AP class it seemed >like the is focus is mainly on preparing for the test...do you think >that the AP course using Python would be a good thing or a bad thing >for educators using Python? I think I prefer keeping my focus on >producing great Python programmers instead of on an exam. > >Interested in any opinions out there. > >-Zac Miller >_______________________________________________ From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun Nov 7 04:43:46 2010 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:43:46 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] python tutoring Message-ID: I experimented with doing another one-on-one tutoring in Python, of a 12 year old boy, right here at the Blue House (what we call it). The mom came along too (she knows me already). Noah is clearly a fast learner. At 12, he's acing 10th grade algebra. He told me he's already studied Java some and was eager to dive into recursion immediately. Speaking of recursion, search on that in Google. It'll ask you: did you mean recursion? Hah hah. Also search on "anagram" and "ascii art" (actually, that latter only seems to work using the search box in the top right on my browser, hmmm. The main innovation here was how I set up the class room. My laptop was projected to the wall, duplicating what I had on my screen. His laptop (property of Holden Web) powered a VGA flatscreen on the table, duplicating what was on his laptop screen. This way I could see what he was seeing and he could see what I was seeing, even though we sat facing each other (mom did some knitting on the couch). I also had speakers hooked up to the projecting laptop, which turned out to] be important. The mom, a knitter, wanted to start things off right with a funny cartoon she'd found.[1] I followed up with one of my own cartoons made with the same framework.[2] I think it's a good idea to take breaks now and then and look at short video clips. On the topic of recursion he wanted to talk about the Tower of Hanoi. We watched a stack of 10 being moved, with a move counter. Noah predicted exactly how many moves it would take. It took a few more than the 1023 he predicted, but then a blurb came up saying a few extra moves had been made.[3] He felt very vindicated. We also talked about that fable about the king wanting a favor, which some guy said he'd do if only he could get paid in rice, 1 grain on the 1st square of a chess board, 2 grains on the next, then 4, 8, 16... doubling each time up to all 64 squares. The king thought that sounded quite reasonable, but it was something of a trick wasn't it? Anyway, you've probably heard this all before. What Noah somehow already knew, is that 2**0 + 2**1 + 2**2 + ... + 2**63 == 2**64 - 1. i.e. SIGMA (i == 0..j) 2**i == 2**(j+1) - 1. Here's some Python to check that: >>> 2**64 - 1 == sum([2**n for n in range(64)]) True I'm guessing his answer for the Tower of Hanoi (10 disks) was right too. Yep.[4] Kirby [1] actually, hers was pretty tame, involved knitting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIlyY5_6EU Now I see this is a whole genre, some of them rather off color. [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p698mXuHmTs Yeah, a little creepy. I offer some analysis here: http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2009/02/regarding-objectifying.html [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bE-wmZy0w (we skipped to near the end after awhile -- somewhat repetitive) [4] http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.tower.hanoi.html >>> 2**10 - 1 1023 See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_two http://www.sosmath.com/CBB/viewtopic.php?t=48174&sid=2ad1972ed1e8fc4efbf8aa30c269b076 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun Nov 7 05:46:53 2010 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 21:46:53 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: <7.0.1.0.2.20101106193746.0401c6a0@skylit.com> References: <1DECD34B57C2C44A8F3374D034E6735A02A795AFDA8D@amp.gsc.edu> <7.0.1.0.2.20101106193746.0401c6a0@skylit.com> Message-ID: Here in my district, both AP and IB tracks are offered. The latter definitely has more prestige, as in snob appeal, and is frankly a more robust curriculum. They're reading Howard Zinn for history already, the Euros require it. Then we have other step ladders into promising trajectories, such as apprenticeships through Saturday Academy (where I'm sometimes discovered), OHSU (teaching medical facility), and variously tagged programs with the Urban League, AFSC, lots of stuff I don't know about. Some of these involve community service, which is important to many academic institutions (some more than others). Python fits in through Saturday Academy, where I've led numerous classes, including for the Hillsboro Police Dept (where Intel is), also at Oregon Graduate Institute, Portland State, and Reed College this summer. These students have ranged from roughly 12 to 18 years of age, otherwise quite a mixed demographic, not always English as a first language. However, I don't bill my Python classes as Computer Science so much, given political pressure to make this be Math, and therefore not an elective. You may stick to the traditional math track, or you may switch to something more computer science like, but your required three years for a high school diploma will by fulfilled either way -- which isn't to say you can't take more math than the minimum. My expectation is that even more step ladders, with over-the- Internet testing (at certified testing centers in many cases) will assess candidate students for many interesting work / study programs. These programs will give USAers more opportunities to venture overseas, which is always a plus when it comes to developing geographic awareness. Seeing more of the world is well nigh a mandatory prerequisite for many responsible positions. Probably that's why IB has such currency (even over AP): it's a ticket to some better placements. However, let me show my ignorance and say I don't really know what IB has by way of computer programming. I didn't do IB in high school, dove into CS as a minor at Princeton, with philosophy more front and center. I just uploaded some pictures of my bookshelves to give the flavor, if anyone cares to take a peak. On the other hand, I did score well on my AP exams and placed directly into honors calculus, coulda done college in 3 years if I'd floored the gas pedal, but why race through a good time in the 'hood? Where else was I gonna learn more, before diving into high school math teaching in the inner city (a few train stops from World Trade Center? I later worked in publishing (McGraw-Hill) and learned a lot about what makes the education industry tick. The Internet is a disruptive technology, which is both the good news and the bad news. >From my standpoint, Python is better positioned than Java because it has more street cred in OSS circles (also OERs) whereas the Java community stayed more proprietary for longer. The developing world is fascinated by Cyberia (as in cyberspace) and its promise of free educational materials. Having legally free operating systems makes a big difference when hard currency is scarce. Both Python and Java work well in that ecosystem, whereas Visual Studio does not. Part of what Hillsboro Police wanted us to teach was how to use power tools while keeping it legal. No worries about facing accusations of piracy when you've got IBM on the same wavelength. Yes, that's an oversimplification about Visual Studio not being as academically viable (given Mono etc. -- pronounced Moe Know, not Mah No), but having something as powerful as Python running legally for free is nothing to sneeze at. Java too. I work the chat line with students in Indonesia as well as Portland, finding eager learners across the board. Not waiting for school teachers to "make you" is one of the secrets to success, I think we'd all agree. Kirby PS: I also work with adults, such as doing that recent gig at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore with the space telescope people. Here in Portland, I'm networked with a bevy of "rad math" teachers. Here's another one: http://punkmathematics.com/ (you may be aware of the edupunk movement, which seeks to bypass a lot of the established channels by means of OERs etc. -- lots of bloggers focus on it, so I'll avoid being overly redundant here). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From calcpage at aol.com Sun Nov 7 17:55:32 2010 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2010 11:55:32 -0500 Subject: [Edu-sig] AP Computer Science In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CD4CB3B93A40A2-15EC-15B83@webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com> I teach two courses that are new to my school this year using SAGE and by extension python. I also teach AP CompSci (used to be AB now A). The first is a rewrite of my "Computer Math" course using Maria and Gary Litvin's new text "Mathematics for the Digital Age." This course used to be an intro to computer science and is a pre-requisite to AP Computer Science the following year. Now its more of a Discrete Math class but we use SAGe and do plenty of python. Mainly Regents track Juniors and Honors track Sophomores take this. The second is a lab course, "Calculus Research Lab" (I wanted to call "Scientific Computing Lab," but my boss changed it), that meets every other day like a science class for my AP Calculus BC students. We use several free pdf texts from http://www.sagenath.org to do Calculus in a computer lab setting and we use some python. These students are very over scheduled, so this new lab is not required. To get enough kids to sign up for this new course, I had to open it up to the AP Calculus AB students too so there's a lot of review for my BC kids which ain't all bad. HTH, A. Jorge Garcia http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 Teacher & Professor Applied Mathematics, Physics?& Computer Science Baldwin Senior High School & Nassau Community College From kirby.urner at gmail.com Mon Nov 8 00:17:54 2010 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 15:17:54 -0800 Subject: [Edu-sig] noticing a citation to MFTDA... Message-ID: I visit this blog from time to time, often because of a link from math-teach (as was the case time, where Benezet is again being discussed). Kirby >From the comments section: http://rationalmathed.blogspot.com/2009/04/learning-math-by-thinking-hassler.html?showComment=1241886900000#c2653646878615873077 PS: I just overheard my daughter talking about a debate in which a team took the position that ending corporate personhood would amount to a violation of human rights, because it would be a form of genocide under current law. Pretty funny. === MPG writes: Teachers are key, but for them to be effective, they need to be free to teach real mathematics from a broad range of perspectives. Our attempts here to limit K-12 mathematics to the same boring nonsense we've been trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to shove down kids' throats for over a century is just utterly inadequate for the needs of a 21st century democracy. There is SO much wrong with how restricted and narrow our vision is that it would take years of blogging by me and many others to touch on it all. For a look at just a few of the possibilities, look at the Computer Science Unplugged Web Site, the This Is MegaMathematics! site, and google a book called DIGITAL MATHEMATICS FOR THE DIGITAL AGE and PROGRAMMING IN PYTHON. These aren't all that's out there, but they begin to touch on alternatives few teachers in regular K-12 are looking at or exploring. Some would, if they could, but almost no one is in a position to do so. etc. From mpaul213 at gmail.com Thu Nov 11 16:27:44 2010 From: mpaul213 at gmail.com (michel paul) Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:27:44 -0800 Subject: [Edu-sig] presenting python at math conference Message-ID: Last Friday I got a chance to present Python and Sage at the California Math Council annual conference in Palm Springs. I discussed 3 things - what 'computational thinking' is and why it should be in the math curriculum, Python, and Sage. Here's a link: http://standalone.sagenb.org/home/pub/20/ It's a Sage file. To be able to interact with it, create a notebook account at standalone.sagenb.org. Just choose a username and password. Once you've opened the file in your account, you can evaluate the cells, change them, do whatever you want. It went really well - although the network was a bit sluggish. However, people were really amazed. They had heard of Python and so were a little curious, but they had never seen Sage before. The theme of the conference was 'Equity in Mathematics', and we had to address 'Access, Achievement, Identity, and Power'. So, I said "All of this stuff is FREE. OK? Free and cross platform. Anyone with internet connection has access to it. And, this stuff is really powerful. You'll see. And once you learn your way around it, you'll have a great sense of achievement!" : ) - Michel -- "Computer science is the new mathematics." -- Dr. Christos Papadimitriou -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bblais at bryant.edu Sat Nov 13 12:25:54 2010 From: bblais at bryant.edu (Brian Blais) Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:25:54 -0500 Subject: [Edu-sig] ondrag with turtle module Message-ID: <1BBAA6BF-3CB7-4063-A063-94B7D60CACF9@bryant.edu> Hello, I posted this on the main python list, but some of you have used turtle extensively and may know what my problem is. I am trying to get the turtle to respond to the mouse. I am on 2.6 on Mac OSX (Enthought distribution). The following code: import turtle turtle.reset() turtle.speed(0) turtle.ondrag(turtle.goto) turtle.pendown() running it in ipython brings up a window, but clicking, dragging, or anything like that doesn't move the turtle or draw anything. running it in just plain python brings up the window, but it instantly closes. I added: turtle.mainloop() which keeps the window open, but the clicking or dragging still doesn't move the turtle or update the window in any way. am I doing something wrong? thanks, bb -- Brian Blais bblais at bryant.edu http://web.bryant.edu/~bblais http://bblais.blogspot.com/ From bblais at bryant.edu Sat Nov 13 15:10:41 2010 From: bblais at bryant.edu (Brian Blais) Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:10:41 -0500 Subject: [Edu-sig] drawing with the mouse with turtle...solved? In-Reply-To: References: <4cdde466$0$29992$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Message-ID: <02F35119-461B-4FE4-B082-A5274B5998A4@bryant.edu> On Nov 12, 2010, at 8:48 PM, Brian Blais wrote: > > On Nov 12, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: > >> On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:24:50 -0500, Brian Blais wrote: >> >>> I'd like to draw on a turtle canvas, but use the mouse to direct the >>> turtle. I don't see a good way of getting the mouse coordinates and the >>> button state. >> >> I think the right way to do that is by creating an event handler to the >> turtle. These docs are for Python 2.7 turtle, but they may be applicable >> to older versions as well: >> >> http://docs.python.org/library/turtle.html#turtle.ondrag >> >> I quote: >> >>>>> turtle.ondrag(turtle.goto) >> >> Subsequently, clicking and dragging the Turtle will move it >> across the screen thereby producing handdrawings (if pen is down). >> >> >> That's probably all you need to do. > > > that's what I tried first, with no luck. I am on 2.6 on Mac OSX (Enthought distribution). The following code: > > > import turtle > > turtle.reset() > turtle.speed(0) > turtle.ondrag(turtle.goto) > turtle.pendown() > > running it in ipython brings up a window, but clicking, dragging, or anything like that doesn't move the turtle or draw anything. running it in just plain python brings up the window, but it instantly closes. I added: turtle.mainloop() > > which keeps the window open, but the clicking or dragging still doesn't move the turtle or update the window in any way. > Here is code that "works", with at least one small oddity: import turtle def gothere(event): turtle.penup() turtle.goto(event.x-360,340-event.y) turtle.pendown() def movearound(event): turtle.goto(event.x-360,340-event.y) def release(event): turtle.penup() def reset(event): turtle.clear() turtle.reset() turtle.speed(0) c=turtle.getcanvas() c.bind("", gothere) c.bind("", movearound) c.bind("", release) c.bind("",reset) s=turtle.Screen() s.listen() the oddity is that the coordinate transformations, x-360 and 340-y, are done by eye and do not seem to be related to any of the coordinate values I could find. my screen size is 300x400, the x and y canvas scales are 1 and 1, but if I try to transform with those numbers the mouse is clearly off. any ideas? bb -- Brian Blais bblais at bryant.edu http://web.bryant.edu/~bblais http://bblais.blogspot.com/ From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun Nov 21 10:03:15 2010 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:03:15 -0800 Subject: [Edu-sig] tutoring in Python again... Message-ID: Greetings all -- Two weeks have passed since my last tutoring gig. This 12 year old is ahead of the pack in terms of learning object oriented programming. He's studied Java already and today wanted to learn more about public vs. private variables. The last paragraph in this blog post about has links to the source code we used (some wrinkles on the usual Snake class). He wrote his own class as well, but that's on a different computer. http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2010/11/visit-with-architect.html Lotsa links go everywhichway if you're looking for eclectic readings. Kirby 4dsolutions.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: