[omaha] Python Workshops @ DoSpace Group

[Jeff Hinrichs - DM&T]

To all of who offered to help in any form with giving Python workshops @
DoSpace,

I've been hammering out some ideas for a class targeted at those new to
programming in particular.

We should probably start a conversation about it and see what we can put
together.

Here are some goals, because we need to have something to measure against:

* should allow for students to do something with Python as soon as possible
- don't want them bored and inattentive.

* The See/Do affect of examples should have the following qualities:

  * be pep8 compliant (only deviating when we are teaching a specific
topic.)

  * be easy to test.  No example has print or input in the middle of a
function other than main or one designed to deal with user interaction.
Too many examples mix I/O with processing leaving students with a knack for
writing hard to test code.  (All example code and problems should have an
associated test suite [py.test] to accompany them.)

  * Should emphasize DRY and only deviate when showing them undry
situations and how to correct.

  * Early coding problems are often quite boring, so there should be some
sort of setup for them, a backstory, to get the students invested in their
solution.  For Example - learning comparison operators -- "Sam is a young
AI with untrained neural nets and we need to write a module to help train
him had to organize two things so he can put them on a shelf in order."
 Sounds a lot more interesting than write a function that compares 2 things
and output them in order from smallest to largest. *yawn*


So what are your ideas?  What are you willing to help out with?  We'll need
material reviewers, testers and trainers and TAs for actual classes.


I believe someone has offered to be our DoSpace ambassador. Sorry, but I
didn't write down your name at the meeting.  Would you speak up once again.


-- 
Best,

Jeff Hinrichs
402.218.1473