[Edu-sig] the Python ecosystem...

[kirby urner]

We've been discussing the evolving Raspberry Pi picture on MathFuture
somewhat (overlapping contributors), noting Wolfram Language throwing
itself in the ring, as another language the Pi supports.  My Gchat with
Indonesia this evening was about that.

I had another Hangout with the eduSummit gang.  We experimented with Google
Moderator as a means of working with whatever our Call for Proposals
manages to generate.

Steve Holden set up a "Pi Lab" with four identical workstations, a man
named Trevor (suitably UK-sounding) coming in once a week.  We didn't get
wolfram-engine running yet, but only because we've been lazy, I suppose one
might charge (been really busy).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirbyurner/11319784916/in/photostream/
(picture of Pi Lab, opening day)

I've been wanting to spin up an Amazon instance with Vpython already going,
which one would think'd be a piece of cake, except when do I find the
time?  I'd like to demo some Python5 code options maybe, what could we do
with these additional libraries?  I should yak with Traction Station.

VPython on the Pi... a possibility?  I just need to Google some more...
probably been done.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vpython-users/8YnuZa6w7m8

So my question for Indonesia was "would school systems switch?" now that a
student could have a Pi + Mathematica for less cost than a scientific
calculator with far less than half the brains.  Imagine some high school
class, say Calculus.

Of course there's an easy answer to that one:  some will / some won't (plus
some aren't in the posited initial position so not able to "switch").  Your
level of support is far higher in the UK I'd say, at the moment.  But then
of course Wolfram Language isn't about which side of the Atlantic (or
Pacific) you're on.

Kirby
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20131213/14702b90/attachment.html>