I do not know if this is helpful but the web2py windows distribution
includes portable python and does not require installation. You just
type
web2py.exe -S admin
and you have a python shell or you can do
web2py.exe -S admin -R /path/to/yourfile.py
It includes Tk all standard python libraries.
There are have some bonus features that students may find convenient
like browser based editor with syntax highlighting, wysiwyg editor
for HTML files and easy to use database API.
Massimo
On Dec 13, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Igor Támara wrote:
Hi, maybe for the first weeks use crunchy, install a server
somewhere, so they can use it, when you go further on the semester
you can get them involved in the cli.
Is a shame that advanced tools on the cli are hidden for people from
GUI ones. Their minds will be "expanded" when they start to use
the cli.
Another way is to allow a machine with ssh for your students, so
they are able to use say ajaxterm or something like that to start
coding, they will be involved in having an account on a remote
machine that holds they work. It turns interesting for people that
are only used to "just" a PC(or MAC), without knowing the power of
remote connections and the concept to **share** resources(machines
and materials) and publish(public_html) their work. Well, if it's
possible to setup a revision control system, on more courses, they
will start to appreciate powerful tools, maybe the most advanced
would be able to get in touch with many interesting things.
My high school students started to use subversion and they got
really involved and motivated when they saw graphics that showed
their commits :)
http://www.gfc.edu.co/repositorio/2008/
They have just finished their work now, but you can see a show of
the work done of one of them on
http://www.gfc.edu.co/~danmar/
He used visual python, pygame, curses and had a lot of fun coding...
Finally, an option would be to have a linux(livecd) where the cli is
really friendly where they have all the necessary packages without
the hazzle of administering viruses and unpredictable results...
P.D:We use Debian Linux at our school, and administration is really
painless. Some of the students know how to install it, and have it
also at their homes. This is a ongoing work that will reach its
10th aniversary ;) They start to use linux from 6 years old...
csev> I teach a number of classes at the University of Michigan
that are
csev> about Python and that use Python. We have gone from no Python
csev> classes last year to five classes and four teachers that
teach Python
csev> at UM. We share intro documentation on how to install and
set up the
csev> environment.
csev>
csev> One thing that really bugs me is that the WIndows Python
installer
csev> does not add itself to the Path automatically.
csev>
csev> Since I insist that students can be allowed to use Mac's or
PCs - I
csev> try to create a similar environment for both and the command
line is
csev> the lowest common denominator.
csev>
csev> I end up publishing detailed documents and screen casts to
get python
csev> into your Windows path. It works but it is not where I want
students
csev> energy focused in the first week of class.
csev>
csev> I am wondering if there is another way.
csev>
csev> I generally do not like IDLE - it uses a socket which can get
messed
csev> up, bugs in the student's code seem to mess up the IDE, when
a program
csev> needs to open a data file - it is hard to force IDLE into a
known
csev> directory.
csev>
csev> Is there a way to use an icon and then start the icon an have
the
csev> current working directory (i.e. to open data files) be the same
csev> directory as the Python file? And then is there a way to get
the
csev> output to stop at the end and not disappear when the program
finishes?
csev>
csev> I do not like solutions which include adding code to the student
csev> programs to do things like pause before terminating or
setting the
csev> current working directory. The students have enough trouble
figuring
csev> out the 20 lines of code that matter let alone 5-6 lines of
obtuse
csev> code to set up the environment.
csev>
csev> I can continue to teach them how to set the PATH variable in
Windows -
csev> if anyone on this list has a suggestion - I would much
appreciate it.
csev>
csev> Thanks.
csev>
csev> Charles Severance
csev> University of Michigan
csev> _______________________________________________
csev> Edu-sig mailing list
csev> [email protected]
csev> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
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