[Edu-sig] "Croquet Project" and Python ?

[Arthur]

Francois writes -

> 
> I say all that because you guys are rare...
> In the open source community I sadly find that  the percentage of people
> intersed in the vital field of education (like me and you) is pretty,
> pretty, small.
> I actualy didn't  find any "community" able to reach the critical mass
> to strongly influence any national curiculum in regard to programming
> with kids.

I've despaired some time ago as to the possibility of reaching the kind of
consensus necessary to reach "critical mass" in this realm.  Within the
small group that takes an interest in the general area, views are wildly
divergent regarding anything that begins to approach specifics. 

I, for example, have real interest in programming's integration into a
general education curriculum and almost no interest in programming and
"kids". That is, beyond hoping that kids become generally well prepared for
undertaking this kind a study when they are post-kid,  by for example,
learning a good deal about music and gaining a good grasp of mathematical
fundamentals while they are still kids.

I happen to garden.  And like watermelon.  But the growing season here in
the Northeast US is short.  So this year I nurtured some seed indoors, and
transplanted them outside as soon as I thought they could survive the late
spring temperatures. But by late July it was impossible to distinguish these
plants from those grown from seeds sowed directly in the ground early in
July when the ground had warmed.  

I don't see any harm having been done by my efforts to force the issue, but
neither can I say anything was accomplished.

Art