[Edu-sig] when and why should kids learn Python?

[kirby urner]

>
> My big disappointment with Python was that graphics was not integrated
> more smoothly into the package.  Engineering involves a lot of plotting,
> and that should happen without extra effort.  The integration with C could
> also be improved, for those applications where speed is important.
>
>


Yes, I agree with your points, about the 2nd language being more
different.  Probably if #1 is Python, then #2 should be Lisp family as you
say, and/or strongly typed.

Regarding Python not natively including anything graphical in the Standard
Library or core, that's a barrier for younger students coming from an MIT
Scratch background, also strong on acoustics.  You may have seen Codesters
already.  Here's one I coded just last night as a part of an ongoing
discussion on math-teach (CS and math are becoming "as one" in the early
grades):

https://www.codesters.com/preview/11a6566e8105408489662f851bb21c7e/

You can actually run the code by clicking the green arrow button.  Notice
how the namespace is enhanced with Sprites and what not.  The goal is to
provide a graphical bridge to lexical programming,. I work for a company
that indeed uses this with kids.  I'm in some school or other every weekday
but Monday for about an hour after school -- so yeah, still extracurricular.

Codesters is Python 2.7 under the hood, not 3.x, which I consider a
weakness, but not a show stopper.  This is an "in between" platform.  We're
on our way to a more Jupyter Notebook + IDE like environment, and or
designing simple websites.

Speaking of websites, I'm into making examples that don't even use HTML
i.e. the HTTP requests are all for JSON data and the like.  Just to
separate the idea of "website" from the usual stereotype, of something we'd
want to "browse".

Kirby
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