[Edu-sig] Getting more involved with education and the PSF...

Fri May 23 21:47:07 CEST 2014

If Chalmers steps up for both, fine, but I agree with Naomi:  We should not
make this a precedent.
There is a real question of what edu-sig coordinator would mean, past
monitoring the listserv.

As has been the case historically, there is always the question of how to
get volunteer effort together for what.

Andy

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 11:08 AM, Jeff Elkner <jeff at elkner.net> wrote:

> What I'm hoping for is broader participation and on-going effort in
> promoting Python in education.  It makes sense to coordinate this
> effort with the PES, which could serve as a yearly gathering of folks
> who have been working together throughout the year.  This is a good
> time to do this, following Van Lindberg's announcement of the new,
> community PSF and the call for more folks to get involved in the
> community.
>
> I think we should do this through the edu-sig for the following reasons:
>
> 1. The edu-sig is the currently existing group within the official
> Python community whose focus is Python in education.
> 2. The goal of the PES is the same as the goal of the edu-sig - to
> support and promote Python's use in education.
>
> Thoughts?  If there is general agreement, I'd like to propose that we
> ask Chalmer to be the coordinator of the edu-sig for the next year and
> that he take the lead in organizing the PES as his main task.
>
> On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 11:27 AM, Naomi Ceder <naomi.ceder at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > As far as coordinating the PyCon Education Summit, I don't think there
> is a
> > strong precedent for any connection between Edu-Sig and running the
> summit.
> >
> > In general, PyCon people are just that - PyCon organizing spots aren't
> tied
> > officially to any other Python organizations.... they may well be on the
> > PSF, the board, etc... but they certainly don't have to be, other than
> Ewa,
> > who is officially board secretary and event coordinator. PyLadies events
> > might be an exception, but otherwise I'm not thinking of any.
> >
> > Since I initially pitched the first summit to Edu-Sig to less than
> lukewarm
> > support, I'm a little surprised now to hear the summit being proposed as
> the
> > official event of Edu-Sig... not that I'm against it, particularly, but
> I do
> > think committed individuals are often more effective at getting specific
> > things done. :-)
> >
> > Still if that's what you all want to do, and it can be a catalyst to
> > re-invigorate Edu-Sig and make it more representative of all kinds of
> Python
> > education, I certainly wouldn't object.
> >
> > So my short answer is, "there is no precedent, do what you think best."
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Naomi
> >
> >
> > On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 3:40 PM, Jeff Elkner <jeff at elkner.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> OK, I'm all set with the access I need to edit the edu-sig page.  I
> >> plan to spend at least part of my time on May 31st (National Day of
> >> Civic Hacking) working on the web site.
> >>
> >> The bottom of our web page currently says: "Send suggestions for
> >> changes to the edu-sig list.", which is a good way to handle
> >> suggestions.
> >>
> >> Looking over the SIG page here: https://www.python.org/community/sigs/,
> I
> >> read:
> >>
> >> * Each SIG has a charter, a coordinator, a mailing list, and a
> >> directory on the Python website.
> >> * SIG membership is informal, defined by subscription to the SIG's
> mailing
> >> list.
> >> * Anyone can join a SIG, and participate in the development
> >> discussions via the SIG's mailing list.
> >>
> >> I don't think we have a edu-sig coordinator at present.  Would this be
> >> something you would be interested in doing, Chalmer? Perhaps Naomi can
> >> shed some more light on the practice for the last two years since she
> >> started it, but it seems to me that a revived edu-sig would be the
> >> logical group to help coordinate the PES.
> >>
> >> At some point soon we should add edu-sig on the SIG page as one of the
> >> currently active SIGs.
> >>
> >> On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 11:18 AM, Chalmer Lowe <chalmer.lowe at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> > Jeff:
> >> >
> >> > Thanks for spinning up this conversation. Great stuff.
> >> >
> >> > My intent is to volunteer to chair the Python Education Summit (PES)
> >> > next
> >> > year (based on Naomi's comments regarding stepping down). I don't know
> >> > what
> >> > the formal process is to make that official... Naomi... can you shed
> >> > light
> >> > on that?
> >> >
> >> > As everyone prolly already knows, that is not a task that can be done
> >> > alone,
> >> > so there should be plenty of opportunities for others to get their
> hands
> >> > dirty. My guess/hope is that Jessica will want to help again this
> year.
> >> >
> >> > I captured a ton of notes and thoughts that I am putting to paper to
> >> > outline
> >> > 'the process' for next year's PES. Planned on putting that up on
> github
> >> > as
> >> > soon as I can. (I'm relocating right now, so free time is a luxury I
> >> > don't
> >> > have).
> >> >
> >> > Along with supporting the PES, I would love to support the types of
> >> > efforts
> >> > you are outlining here.
> >> >
> >> > Thanks again for firing up this conversation.
> >> >
> >> > chalmer
> >> >
> >> > Chalmer Lowe, MS
> >> >
> >> > http://projecteuler.net/profile/threelowelifes.png
> >> > Level 1
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 10:32 AM, Andre Roberge
> >> > <andre.roberge at gmail.com>
> >> > wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 11:16 AM, Jeff Elkner <jeff at elkner.net>
> wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Two questions:
> >> >>>
> >> >>> 1. Andre, what do I need to do to begin maintaining that page?
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I have not maintained the page for quite a few years now.  I changed
> >> >> computer twice in the meantime.
> >> >>
> >> >> Here's what I remember that I had to do.
> >> >>
> >> >> 1. contact someone on the web support team  (pointing out, I think,
> to
> >> >> the
> >> >> relevant edu-sig discussion)
> >> >>
> >> >> I know you just asked about how to begin, but just in case you'd want
> >> >> to
> >> >> know, here were the next steps.
> >> >>
> >> >> 2. generate some ssh key (if I recall correctly) so that I would be
> >> >> allowed to commit changes
> >> >> 3. download the whole site (first time) or update it thereafter
> >> >> 4. (re)build it locally.
> >> >> 5. edit the relevant rst file
> >> >> 6. rebuild it    (repeat 5 and 6 as needed)
> >> >> 7. commit changes
> >> >> 8. repeat steps 3 to 6 as needed (based on suggestions/requests
> >> >> received)
> >> >>
> >> >> Now, it could well be that, with the redesign, the process is much
> >> >> easier
> >> >> and can be done online using a CMS.
> >> >>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> 2. Is there anyone in this thread not on edu-sig?  My next reply
> will
> >> >>> go only to the list.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 10:09 AM, Jessica Nickel
> >> >>> <jessanickel at gmail.com>
> >> >>> wrote:
> >> >>> > Sounds like a plan. I would be happy to talk with Selena about the
> >> >>> > work
> >> >>> > to
> >> >>> > bridge the gap between k-12 educators and Python programmers. I
> was
> >> >>> > a
> >> >>> > k-12
> >> >>> > teacher for 10 years (music) and I have been working in schools
> with
> >> >>> > my
> >> >>> > program to teach python coding to kids for the past year and a
> half,
> >> >>> > so
> >> >>> > I do
> >> >>> > have some experience in that area.
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> > On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 10:02 AM, Jeff Elkner <jeff at elkner.net>
> >> >>> > wrote:
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> Great!  So it seems we have two short term goals:
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> 1. Get someone to agree to maintain the website (I'm volunteering
> >> >>> >> if
> >> >>> >> there isn't anyone else chomping at the bit to do it).
> >> >>> >> 2. Reach out to Selena Deckelman to help her with her efforts to
> >> >>> >> bridge the gap between developers and K-12 teachers (a noble goal
> >> >>> >> indeed!).
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> Do we agree that edu-sig is the sensible place to hold this
> >> >>> >> conversation?
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> If we do, can we ask Selena to join the list if she is not
> already
> >> >>> >> there?  I'll also encourage folks like Lee Harr (cc'd here), the
> >> >>> >> creator of the wonderful Pynguin environment
> >> >>> >> (https://code.google.com/p/pynguin/) to join the list and the
> >> >>> >> discussion.
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 8:01 AM, Naomi Ceder
> >> >>> >> <naomi.ceder at gmail.com>
> >> >>> >> wrote:
> >> >>> >> > One point of info I can add - the person you're thinking of
> >> >>> >> > running
> >> >>> >> > for
> >> >>> >> > PSF
> >> >>> >> > board is Selena Deckelman, who was on Nate's panel at the edu
> >> >>> >> > summit.
> >> >>> >> > She's
> >> >>> >> > been very into bridging the gap between developers and K-12
> >> >>> >> > teachers.
> >> >>> >> >
> >> >>> >> > Naomi
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> _______________________________________________
> >> >>> Edu-sig mailing list
> >> >>> Edu-sig at python.org
> >> >>> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Edu-sig mailing list
> >> Edu-sig at python.org
> >> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Naomi Ceder
> > https://plus.google.com/u/0/111396744045017339164/about
> _______________________________________________
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> Edu-sig at python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
>

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