On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 4:12 PM, Vern Ceder <vce...@canterburyschool.org>wrote:
> Hi Kirby, Andre, everyone, > > Sorry for the late reply - things have been busy here... > > I was also thinking we need a short mention and a link on the edu-sig > home page to some info about the PyCon education/poster session. > This (and the more detailed information below) sounds like a great idea. I will try to work on the edu-sig home page again soon, incorporating additional links to book (and probably reorganizing the book and tutorial section). However, if may take a little while (perhaps a couple of weeks) as this is a busy time of the year for my regular "day" job. Rather than bore you with details, I'll leave it up to your imagination (for those that know what I do). André > > I haven't pitched this to the PyCon organizers yet, so we don't need to > act immediately, but I'm thinking/hoping to have something more formed > by the middle of the summer. Then we can link from the the edu-sig page to > a wiki page on the PyCon site. > > The general idea is to provide a space at PyCon for educators to show > off what they've been doing with Python, whether or not they can attend > PyCon. This not only would raise the profile of Python in education, but > would also give us all a target to aim for and a way of recording/sharing > our gains. > > Right now what I'm thinking about suggesting/asking for is: > > 1. Display space in fairly public place. I'm thinking space for posters, > a few tables for demos, some standing-around-and-talking space, etc. > > 2. Offer poster spots to anyone with an educational project, whether > they can attend or not. Of course, if they can attend and stand around > their poster during a designated session time, so much the better. OTOH, if > they can't attend they might be able to recruit a stand-in from those > attending, and at the very least they will be able to get the word out about > what they are doing. > > BTW, I would see a "poster space" being anything from a chunk of wall space > for displaying a couple of posters to some table space for demos, etc. The > details of that will depend on what the PyCon organizers will be able (and > willing) to offer. > > Other ideas include graffiti posters for attendees to add projects, notes > and comments, ala PyOhio (see > http://wiki.python.org/moin/PyOhio2008/PosterSession), encouraging > lightning talks, and submitting a "State of Python in Education" talk for > consideration in the regular program. > > Cheers, > Vern > > > kirby urner wrote: > >> Another thought is maybe edu-sig page is appropriate place to >> provide contact info for Vern Ceder. The thought there is to have >> someone to help coordinate a more academically flavored poster space >> wherein we showcase interesting applications of Python where the >> sponsor (helping pay for hotel floorspace) might not be a private >> company booth exhibitor but a university or NGO or publisher or >> whatever. >> >> User groups might have their own contests why not? >> >> I'm not saying the edu-sig page should get into all this, as it aims >> to stay brief and uncluttered, just thinking we need some way to >> suggest the "science fair" aspect of future Pycons (the idea >> originates with Steve Holden in response to BOF-expressed desires to >> get teachers more involved, Pycon having a predominantly business >> flavor, with Jeff Rush going so far as to suggest a whole separate >> EduPycon, which idea I've continued to float, as worthy of >> consideration, including in edu-sig threads why not? >> >> These slides from some random GIS conference in Oregon, where I talked >> about Python (familiar through ESRI), show what a conference is like >> when split between private companies and academia, I'm sure a familiar >> site to most of you already, just not quite what Pycon has been like >> (which is where Vern comes in): >> >> http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2009/04/gis-2009.html >> >> Somewhat unrelated, I'd welcome any comments on my What is a Scripting >> Language? answer, something I might point to in a kind of FAQ mode >> (emailed question about Python being "a scripting language"). >> >> BTW I'm glad the edu-sig page still points to Software Carpentry under >> Miscellaneous (where we also link to my stuff) as I think we're also a >> gateway for system administrator types who choose a non-CS degree path >> (similar to the math track people we're tagging with the aforesaid >> title mentioned below). >> >> http://controlroom.blogspot.com/2009/04/whats-scripting-language.html >> >> CP4E and/or P4E never meant turning everyone into CS majors right? We >> should make sure that the "education" in edu-sig is far broader than >> CS departments reaching out, advertising they teach in that language >> (among others), although they're welcome to do that of course (we >> welcome "converts" or whatever). >> >> Kirby >> >> >> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 9:15 AM, kirby urner <kirby.ur...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Both, per the back cover: >>> >>> """ >>> Some students may choose to study AP Computer Science in high school, >>> or major in CS in college. Others may decide to go into math, >>> science, law, art, social sciences, or humanities. Regardless of your >>> goals, Mathematics for the Digital Age and Programming in Python will >>> help you gain a better understanding of the computerized world around >>> you. >>> """ >>> >>> ... definitely looking at high school in Oregon, on a math track, not >>> a CS track per se, as the Silicon Forest lobby here is working with >>> our state legislature to have discrete math alternatives that segue to >>> college and private industry tracks, e.g. we could use this in place >>> of Algebra 2. >>> >>> Kirby >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 9:12 AM, Andre Roberge <andre.robe...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 1:07 PM, kirby urner <kirby.ur...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> http://www.skylit.com/mathandpython.html >>>>> >>>>> I have desk review copy, think many will appreciate the quasi-seamless >>>>> blend of old and gnu world typographies, i.e. sigma and set notation, >>>>> with concepts of iterator, types, functions etc. >>>>> >>>> Would this be appropriate for high school students, or as a first CS >>>> course >>>> for non Computer Science majors ? >>>> >>>> André >>>> >>>> Reminiscent of 'Concrete Mathematics' though less difficult and >>>>> explicitly Python based. >>>>> >>>>> For those training to read algebra, higher math, this is a friendly >>>>> introduction (no cartoons or comics though -- gets you prepared for >>>>> the somber dryness of the ambient literature). >>>>> >>>>> Kirby >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Edu-sig mailing list >>>>> Edu-sig@python.org >>>>> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig >>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >> Edu-sig mailing list >> Edu-sig@python.org >> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig >> > > >
_______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig