From calcpage at aol.com Fri May 4 21:02:07 2012 From: calcpage at aol.com (A. Jorge Garcia) Date: Fri, 4 May 2012 15:02:07 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Edu-sig] We finished Riemann Sums! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CEF83F890697D9-21D0-19F46@webmail-d013.sysops.aol.com> We finally finished Riemann Sums! We had a major problem with internet access at my school over the last month, so we couldn't log into our customary SAGE server. But, we are now back in business. We wrote python functions for LeftSum, RightSum, MidSum, TrapSum and Simpson's rules: myLSum(g(x),a,b,n) myRSum(g(x),a,b,n) myMSum(g(x),a,b,n) myTSum(g(x),a,b,n) mySSum(g(x),a,b,n) http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com/2012/05/quarter-iv-week-2-screencasts.html HTH, A. Jorge Garcia Applied Math and CompSci http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009 From alan at odonohoe.org.uk Sat May 19 14:09:17 2012 From: alan at odonohoe.org.uk (Alan O'Donohoe) Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 13:09:17 +0100 Subject: [Edu-sig] Next Steps in Python, for teachers In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: We held a Python event for 39 teachers new to Python at our school this week. You might find the blog post with photos of interest. http://teachcomputing.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/cas-hub-next-steps-in-python/ Alan Mr A O'Donohoe Principal Teacher of ICT, Our Lady's High School, Preston, UK Twitter @teknoteacher, Skype alan.o.donohoe , Blog http://teachcomputing.wordpress.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From macquigg at ece.arizona.edu Sat May 19 20:03:58 2012 From: macquigg at ece.arizona.edu (David MacQuigg) Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 11:03:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Edu-sig] Next Steps in Python, for teachers In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1337450638.54504.YahooMailNeo@web34502.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Nice blog post, but I was hoping to learn how these teachers use Python in their classes. ?Is programming a separate class, or is it used as a tool in regular math and science classes? ?What resources are needed (computer terminals, etc., and how are they funded)? ?How many days out of a typical semester are devoted to programming, and does this activity displace something else in the regular classes? ?Is there evidence to support my assumption that use of programming accelerates the learning of math or science, such that there is no loss of learning regular subject matter? I ask these questions because I expect to have to answer them when I propose introducing Python in high schools in my community. ? ************************************************************ * * David MacQuigg, PhD email: macquigg at ece.arizona.edu * * * Research Associate phone: USA 520-721-4583 * * * * ECE Department, University of Arizona * * * * 9320 East Mikelyn Lane * * * * http://purl.net/macquigg Tucson, Arizona 85710 * ************************************************************ * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kurner at oreillyschool.com Sun May 20 03:47:37 2012 From: kurner at oreillyschool.com (Kirby Urner) Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 18:47:37 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Next Steps in Python, for teachers In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Way cool Alan. I helped spread the word here: http://www.facebook.com/oreillyschool What to do with Python? How to integrate it with STEM? Lots of ways to go, including with VPython (vpython.org). Kirby On Sat, May 19, 2012 at 5:09 AM, Alan O'Donohoe wrote: > We held a Python event for 39 teachers new to Python at our school this > week. You might find the blog post with photos of interest. > > http://teachcomputing.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/cas-hub-next-steps-in-python/ > > Alan > > * > * > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r.gaia.cs at gmail.com Mon May 21 18:08:10 2012 From: r.gaia.cs at gmail.com (Raniere Gaia Silva) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 13:08:10 -0300 Subject: [Edu-sig] Online Data Base of Dynamic Question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi, I was searching for a easily and quickly way to make math tests/exercises (I don't want a course management system like moodle or webwork ). Since I didn't find any great solution I start to make one: http://smart-teacher.alwaysdata.net/ would be interested in comments :) and in which other groups I could discuss it? Raniere -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pg at cs.stanford.edu Mon May 21 20:04:26 2012 From: pg at cs.stanford.edu (Philip Guo) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 11:04:26 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Online Data Base of Dynamic Question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Have you checked out the Khan Academy platform for generating math questions? I don't know how user-customizable it is, though. On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 9:08 AM, Raniere Gaia Silva wrote: > Hi, > > I was searching for a easily and quickly way to make math tests/exercises > (I don't want a course management system like moodle or > webwork ). > Since I didn't find any great solution I start to make one: > http://smart-teacher.alwaysdata.net/ > > would be interested in comments :) > and in which other groups I could discuss it? > > Raniere > > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lac at openend.se Mon May 21 22:20:19 2012 From: lac at openend.se (Laura Creighton) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 22:20:19 +0200 Subject: [Edu-sig] Online Data Base of Dynamic Question In-Reply-To: Message from Raniere Gaia Silva of "Mon, 21 May 2012 13:08:10 -0300." References: Message-ID: <201205212020.q4LKKJAI032533@theraft.openend.se> In a message of Mon, 21 May 2012 13:08:10 -0300, Raniere Gaia Silva writes: >Hi, > >I was searching for a easily and quickly way to make math tests/exercises >(I don't want a course management system like moodle > or >webwork ). >Since I didn't find any great solution I start to make one: >http://smart-teacher.alwaysdata.net/ > >would be interested in comments :) >and in which other groups I could discuss it? > >Raniere I have taken the liberty of posting this to testing-in-python. Many testing frameworks already exist, and some of them -- Geoff Bache's TextTest comes to mind -- may work to do what you want with minimal tweaking. But you will need to describe what it is that you want to do. Mostly we test python code here, but some of us have things that deal with more arbitrary input. And there is also Crunchy Frog which might be adaptable. Around here (TIP) we like use cases lots more than we like discussion of the internal vision for the project, which means in describing what you want, if you can say things like 'I want the teacher to provide X, and when the student provides Q, the result Z is generated' we will have an easier time of seeing if the frameworks we know and maintain can be of use to you. There are dozens represented here, all quite friendly -- so you will not be able to narrow down your choice by asking 'which is the best'. The answer is always 'for whom? to do what?'. But I think customising something here will be a lot easier than writing your own from scratch, especially if you have never done this before. And even if our solutiuons are overkill for your problems -- well, you will at least get to meet a nice group of people, many of whom have also felt the itch to write their own frameworks, and who can talk about some of the problems that await you. best, Laura From carl at free.org.nz Mon May 21 22:54:47 2012 From: carl at free.org.nz (Carl Cerecke) Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:47 +1200 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse Message-ID: I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer Clubhouse http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some kids there who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of the current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some "programming" in HTML). I would be grateful for any recommendations for material to help me and the kids. I have plenty of programming experience and some teaching experience (at the university level, though). I've written some text-only turn-based games in python before (about the level of connect-4), but nothing with graphics. The idea is supposed to be that this is driven by the interests of the children, but I need to balance that with the requirement for a bit of a programming foundation as well if they're going to be successful in writing the sort of games they're interested in. I also think I need to make sure their expectations are realistic... So, any advice/recommendations? Cheers, Carl. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lac at openend.se Mon May 21 23:03:35 2012 From: lac at openend.se (Laura Creighton) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 23:03:35 +0200 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse In-Reply-To: Message from Carl Cerecke of "Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:47 +1200." References: Message-ID: <201205212103.q4LL3Z3t006267@theraft.openend.se> In a message of Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:47 +1200, Carl Cerecke writes: >I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer Clubhouse >http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some kids the >re >who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of the >current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some >"programming" in HTML). >I would be grateful for any recommendations for material to help me and t >he >kids. I have plenty of programming experience and some teaching experienc >e >(at the university level, though). I've written some text-only turn-based >games in python before (about the level of connect-4), but nothing with >graphics. The idea is supposed to be that this is driven by the interests >of the children, but I need to balance that with the requirement for a bi >t >of a programming foundation as well if they're going to be successful in >writing the sort of games they're interested in. I also think I need to >make sure their expectations are realistic... >So, any advice/recommendations? > >Cheers, >Carl. How old are the members of the clubhouse? If at all possible you should let kids group by interest. Date of manufacture (birth date) is a rotten way to sort people and your kids, like everybody else, will be happier if people are sorted by something other than 'birth date'. I steal regularly from http://www.briggs.net.nz/snake-wrangling-for-kids.html and given that the author is in NZ as well, he might have some insights that are better shared in person. best of appreciation for what you are doing, Laura Creighton From kirby.urner at gmail.com Mon May 21 23:39:15 2012 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 14:39:15 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 1:54 PM, Carl Cerecke wrote: > I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer > Clubhouse?http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some > kids there who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of > the current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some > "programming" in HTML). Hi Carl -- A lot of kids say "games" because that's what's in their vocabulary and it most closely approximates the idea of a bright buzzing world with fun interactivity. I would recommend immediately coming back with "simulations" and identifying Sims as one of those, "not just a game". Then point out how all the Sims and their houses and furniture (and cities) are Objects and Objects have Attributes and Behavior. With all that as background, I find many kids will then amuse themselves with core Python, imagining the "game" in their heads, but in reality just doing primitive classes and functions. They pass the CS-1 level pretty quickly, if the latter is imagined as purely procedural only (not many of those left I hope). In other words, I hope you succeed in giving them excuses to learn core Python and get some clear concepts, as that will help when you introduce PyGame in the next meeting. Kirby PS: congrats to New Zealand for already having some of the more visionary and forward thinking computer science curriculum promulgators. Isn't Nat Torkington still there --or did he move again? http://nathan.torkington.com/ I figure everybody knows everybody in a place that small, like the Shire. From carl at free.org.nz Tue May 22 00:23:14 2012 From: carl at free.org.nz (Carl Cerecke) Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 10:23:14 +1200 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse In-Reply-To: <201205212103.q4LL3Z3t006267@theraft.openend.se> References: <201205212103.q4LL3Z3t006267@theraft.openend.se> Message-ID: The kids are 10-18. Yes, I won't group them by birth-date. I started teaching myself programming when I was about 10, on a Commodore-64, from books and magazines. If there's a kid that's as keen as I was at that age, then hopefully they'll be able to progress rapidly. The group will be fairly small, I imagine, so they can all be at different levels and rates without too much problem. Thanks for the snake wrangling reference. Forgot about that. Cheers, Carl. On 22 May 2012 09:03, Laura Creighton wrote: > In a message of Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:47 +1200, Carl Cerecke writes: > > >I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer Clubhouse > >http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some kids the > >re > >who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of the > >current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some > >"programming" in HTML). > >I would be grateful for any recommendations for material to help me and t > >he > >kids. I have plenty of programming experience and some teaching experienc > >e > >(at the university level, though). I've written some text-only turn-based > >games in python before (about the level of connect-4), but nothing with > >graphics. The idea is supposed to be that this is driven by the interests > >of the children, but I need to balance that with the requirement for a bi > >t > >of a programming foundation as well if they're going to be successful in > >writing the sort of games they're interested in. I also think I need to > >make sure their expectations are realistic... > >So, any advice/recommendations? > > > >Cheers, > >Carl. > > How old are the members of the clubhouse? > If at all possible you should let kids group by interest. > Date of manufacture (birth date) is a rotten way to sort people and your > kids, > like everybody else, will be happier if people are sorted by something > other than 'birth date'. > > I steal regularly from > http://www.briggs.net.nz/snake-wrangling-for-kids.html > > and given that the author is in NZ as well, he might have some insights > that are better shared in person. > > best of appreciation for what you are doing, > Laura Creighton > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From morillas at gmail.com Tue May 22 00:33:25 2012 From: morillas at gmail.com (Luis Miguel Morillas) Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 00:33:25 +0200 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: 2012/5/21 kirby urner : > On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 1:54 PM, Carl Cerecke wrote: >> I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer >> Clubhouse?http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some >> kids there who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of >> the current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some >> "programming" in HTML). > > Hi Carl -- > > A lot of kids say "games" because that's what's in their vocabulary > and it most closely approximates the idea of a bright buzzing world > with fun interactivity. > > I would recommend immediately coming back with "simulations" and > identifying Sims as one of those, "not just a game". > > Then point out how all the Sims and their houses and furniture (and > cities) are Objects and Objects have Attributes and Behavior. > > With all that as background, I find many kids will then amuse > themselves with core Python, imagining the "game" in their heads, but > in reality just doing primitive classes and functions. > > They pass the CS-1 level pretty quickly, if the latter is imagined as > purely procedural only (not many of those left I hope). > > In other words, I hope you succeed in giving them excuses to learn > core Python and get some clear concepts, as that will help when you > introduce PyGame in the next meeting. > My experience is different. We introduce programming with Scratch [1] and then we create videogames. I like pilas-engine very much, but it's not yet translated into english (it's written in spanish). Writing games with pilas is very funny and easy. After that students can learn core python themselves with very little help ;-) I like the ideas of this project [4]. Its a Microsoft Project that teaches programming (C#) with XNA (writing games for XBox and Windows Phone) I prefer Python, but this project has good ideas introducing programming with videogames. Tell us how your local Computer Clubhouse?is going :) Success! [1] http://scratch.mit.edu [2] http://www.pilas-engine.com.ar/ [3] http://www.pilas-engine.com.ar/blog [4] http://www.facultyresourcecenter.com/curriculum/pfv.aspx?Id=8856&c1=en-us&c2=0 -- luismiguel ?(@lmorillas) > Kirby > > PS: ?congrats to New Zealand for already having some of the more > visionary and forward thinking computer science curriculum > promulgators. ?Isn't Nat Torkington still there --or did he move > again? ? http://nathan.torkington.com/ ?I figure everybody knows > everybody in a place that small, like the Shire. > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig at python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig From Brian.Wilkinson at ssfs.org Tue May 22 14:09:10 2012 From: Brian.Wilkinson at ssfs.org (Brian Wilkinson) Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 08:09:10 -0400 Subject: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse In-Reply-To: References: <201205212103.q4LL3Z3t006267@theraft.openend.se> Message-ID: <557E2C474B31EA409C6D62632424A43C63A9F74963@ELMO.ssfs.org> I think that Al Sweigart's book "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" can be an excellent resource. It is a great way to learn Python in the context of creating games. A link can be found at http://inventwithpython.com/ Brian Wilkinson Sandy Spring Friends School Technology Resource Coordinator 301-774-7455 x218 Occam's Razor - The principal that simpler explanations are, other things being equal, generally better than more complex ones. From: edu-sig-bounces+brian.wilkinson=ssfs.org at python.org [mailto:edu-sig-bounces+brian.wilkinson=ssfs.org at python.org] On Behalf Of Carl Cerecke Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 6:23 PM To: Laura Creighton Cc: edu-sig at python.org Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Teaching python at a Computer Clubhouse The kids are 10-18. Yes, I won't group them by birth-date. I started teaching myself programming when I was about 10, on a Commodore-64, from books and magazines. If there's a kid that's as keen as I was at that age, then hopefully they'll be able to progress rapidly. The group will be fairly small, I imagine, so they can all be at different levels and rates without too much problem. Thanks for the snake wrangling reference. Forgot about that. Cheers, Carl. On 22 May 2012 09:03, Laura Creighton > wrote: In a message of Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:47 +1200, Carl Cerecke writes: >I'm thinking of becoming a mentor at a local Computer Clubhouse >http://www.computerclubhouse.org/. In particular, there are some kids the >re >who are quite keen to learn to make their own games, but none of the >current mentors know any programming (one said that he had done some >"programming" in HTML). >I would be grateful for any recommendations for material to help me and t >he >kids. I have plenty of programming experience and some teaching experienc >e >(at the university level, though). I've written some text-only turn-based >games in python before (about the level of connect-4), but nothing with >graphics. The idea is supposed to be that this is driven by the interests >of the children, but I need to balance that with the requirement for a bi >t >of a programming foundation as well if they're going to be successful in >writing the sort of games they're interested in. I also think I need to >make sure their expectations are realistic... >So, any advice/recommendations? > >Cheers, >Carl. How old are the members of the clubhouse? If at all possible you should let kids group by interest. Date of manufacture (birth date) is a rotten way to sort people and your kids, like everybody else, will be happier if people are sorted by something other than 'birth date'. I steal regularly from http://www.briggs.net.nz/snake-wrangling-for-kids.html and given that the author is in NZ as well, he might have some insights that are better shared in person. best of appreciation for what you are doing, Laura Creighton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kirby.urner at gmail.com Sun May 27 19:26:28 2012 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 10:26:28 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] visualizing namespaces Message-ID: Steve Holden was asking on the PSF members list (some overlap with here) for other ways to diagram / teach about namespaces in his slides. This is the slide show he's talking about. http://holdenweb.com/files/PythonIntro.pdf (namespaces = like clouds) After some back and forth, another visual: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17157315 at N00/7276024654/in/photostream The namespace is a way objects on the heap get to be "thought of" by the interpreter. The "thought balloon" (similar to Steve's cloud) in contrast to a pile of rocks (objects) belongs to the Python inside. Kirby From kirby.urner at gmail.com Wed May 30 23:35:29 2012 From: kirby.urner at gmail.com (kirby urner) Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 14:35:29 -0700 Subject: [Edu-sig] visualizing namespaces In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Although I emphasize the idea of namespaces in a "tree structure" in my caption to this picture (below), we should admit that namespaces may import one another in a cyclic networky way. It's really just what each namespace needs to do its own work, that it should import. You can get into cyclic trouble this way (I've been there). The tree structure really comes in useful with the filesystem and the whole idea of paths. I'm always surprise when I tour US public schools, how few posters or how little wall art I see with CS metaphors or CS teachings -- that's got to change with STEM I'm thinking. I see STEM as somewhat on a collision course with the "common core standards" by the way (apologies to international readership for parochial jargon) as the math standards, for example, are being dreamed up by cube farmers with not much overview. They're distilling from textbooks of the recent two generations, not thinking ahead to STEM integration. This is because common core standards was supposed to be a way to capitalize on existing textbook inventory (existing word problems, exercises), to help with recycling. Textbook publishers aren't planning any major "integration" across S, T, E and M -- that's not in their game plan. That's why the STEM people tend to want to drop over-reliance on wood pulp textbooks to begin with. You can't correct them (not the physical copies) except with a new edition. If you need hardcopy, print on demand is the way to go, and charge only those that opt for it. Requiring a hard copy for every student is more the hallmark of the dino publishers and their "common core" -- nothing to do with STEM. Speaking of tree structures and filesystems: important to emphasize sys.path fairly early in the Python training I think, as a way of reinforcing ideas about the file tree, and as a way of giving the coder / programmer a feeling of power and control, as sys.path may be added to dynamically, by your program. Kirby On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 10:26 AM, kirby urner wrote: << SNIP >> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/17157315 at N00/7276024654/in/photostream > From mary.dooms at comcast.net Thu May 31 01:27:19 2012 From: mary.dooms at comcast.net (mary.dooms at comcast.net) Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 23:27:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Edu-sig] Python in middle school redux In-Reply-To: <346757810.485367.1338418721473.JavaMail.root@sz0057a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net> Message-ID: <719762284.486535.1338420439042.JavaMail.root@sz0057a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net> I am interesting in gaining your feedback on these Python programming lessons, particularly ones that address the 6th and 7th grade Common Core. http://www.google.com/edu/computational-thinking/lessons.html I had good intentions of using python with my 6th graders, however a lack of both time and vision have prevented me from doing so. What intrigues me about these lessons is that they use programming to solve problems--deconstruct the problem to construct an algorithm. The lessons are very focused which make the task of writing a program manageable. A webinar featuring Phil Wagner will air June 6. http://mathfuture.wikispaces.com/ExploringComputationalThinking What are your thoughts? Is the another database of python lessons that address the Common Core? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: