I'm going to write 'Doodle Day' on the board and compare dinking around with VPython to daydreaming and doodling. We're not aiming for a specific result, just exercising skills.
The interesting part: unless boning up over the interim (which I encouraged, but hey, kids have busy social lives) none of them has VPython skills, nor much Python. But we did a lot of shell work last Saturday, so they know IDLE basics. I'm just gonna point them to the API and suggest they go from there (great practice). However, before getting to Doodle Day (a little later in the session), I'm going to decipher class syntax and explain __rib__ notation. Calling it __rib__ notation is my idiosyncratic innovation, memorable because a Snake (e.g. Python) has a lot of ribs, which are integral parts of the snake, just as __add__, __call__ and so on let us poke at low level syntax (part of what makes Python so LISPish). I usually do Dog and Pony classes, or something like that, with a Human thrown in for good measure (they're used to that from Sims, where the pets are the add-ons). I don't favor diving into abstract mathematics and class syntax in the same exposure, if both are somewhat alien to begin with. No, keep to the warm and fuzzy imagery. The starkly lexical nature of class syntax alone, is plenty scary enough, especially with that crazy 'self' running around. My average taker of this course is a 14-16 year old male, already fairly self confidant, familiar with algebra. That's not a demographic I insist on as a teacher, but I'm not complaining either. I used to be a high school math teacher for a living and have few problems relating to younger people, even from the standpoint of being a gray. Kirby --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "edupython" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/edupython -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
