On 7/17/07, Paul D. Fernhout <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Essentially, what seems to me to be proposed here is making edusig a > discussion group for "How or why to use Python (as is) for use in the > standard K-12 classroom to meet narrowly defined instructional > objectives?".
I'd expand that to: "how or why to use Python in standard k-12 and college classrooms" > The short answer to that implicit question is, as Kirby > implies, that there is essentially no role for Python in the standard > mainstream K-12 classroom (I'd frame it as it's simply too dangerous a > concept :-). Or, as someone else suggests, the other answer to that > implicit question is, learn "Java" if you want a strategic plan because > you can use it to get A.P. credit and save money in college. But those > are not good answers for people who want kids to be empowered, since the > mainstream classroom is mostly not about empowering kids, just like Java > (unlike Python or other dynamic languages like Smalltalk or Lisp or > Ruby) is mostly not about empowering programmers. Kirby has one answer to whether it's possible. Other people have other answers. This isn't the place to get long discussions about it over and over and over and over again. Some of us are tired of hearing about it in nearly every thread. (It's one of the reasons I've not bothered reading edu-sig in months - I don't have time for the extraneous stuph.) I loved the recent threads on scaffolding and on what are appropriate questions and expectations for students who've had a certain amount of python. I would have hated to see them hijacked into political threads. > Still, I could essentially see Guido's point, because some conventional > school staff who otherwise like Python may face issues posting to a list > talking about the future of education (which may appear to threaten > their job), so perhaps ultimately a solution would be to have one list > for "python in mainstream education" and another list for "python for > alternative or future education". Or how about one list on "educational politics" and one on python in education. Oh wait - there ARE already lists on educational politics... how about those who want to discuss that, go to those lists and discuss it there?! And use this list to specifically discuss python in education? At least could we agree to properly lable/relable any threads or tangents as [POLITICS] so those who want to discuss the nittygritty how-to can filter out the political stuph? And those interested in the political stuff can agree to NOT interpose it into threads that aren't about that? -- cordially, Anna -- It is fate, but call it Italy if it pleases you, Vicar! _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
