Lee, if you are looking for a classroom teacher to try out pyguin in the classroom, sign me up! I'll have it installed in my lab on Thursday, when I return, in any case. It rocks!
Now a question: how difficult would it be to get pyguin to output svg images? Jeff Elkner On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 1:07 AM, <edu-sig-requ...@python.org> wrote: > Send Edu-sig mailing list submissions to > edu-sig@python.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > edu-sig-requ...@python.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > edu-sig-ow...@python.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Edu-sig digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. [ANNC] pynguin-0.13 python turtle graphics application now > uses python 3 (Lee Harr) > 2. Python Epistemology (michel paul) > 3. Re: Python Epistemology (Kirby Urner) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:42:59 +0430 > From: Lee Harr <miss...@hotmail.com> > To: "python-l...@python.org" <python-l...@python.org>, > "edu-sig@python.org" <edu-sig@python.org> > Subject: [Edu-sig] [ANNC] pynguin-0.13 python turtle graphics > application now uses python 3 > Message-ID: <blu168-w96f128efcaa20324b9e710b1...@phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1256" > > > Pynguin is a python-based turtle graphics application. > ??? It combines an editor, interactive interpreter, and > ??? graphics display area. > > It is meant to be an easy environment for introducing > ??? some programming concepts to beginning programmers. > > > http://pynguin.googlecode.com/ > > > This release ports Pynguin to Python 3. > > > Pynguin is tested with Python 3.2.3 and PyQt 4.9.3 and > ??? will use Pygments syntax highlighting if available. > > Pynguin is released under GPLv3. > > > Changes in pynguin-0.13: > ??? Now uses (requires) Python 3 > ??????? - Tested with Python 3.2.3 > > ??? Important fixes > ??????? - New approach for threading of user code > ??????????? - should provide safer, more reliable, termination of user code > ??????????? - can now reliably stop code like ... while 1: pass > ??????? - Preserves fill state and color when changing avatar > > ??? Other fixes > ??????? - Preserves name label when changing avatar > ??????? - Tries harder to go as fast as possible for "instant" setting > ??????????? - throttles back on CPU when not running user code > > ??? Pynguin API > ??????? - Logo-mode coordinates and angles now available > ??????????? - Switch mode using Pynguin -> Mode -> Logo > ??????????? - or create new instance with mlogo=ModeLogo() > ??????? - Python turtle-mode coordinates and angles now available > ??????????? - Switch mode using Pynguin -> Mode -> Turtle > ??????????? - or create new instance with mturtle=ModeTurtle() > ??????? - xy(x, y) re-uses goto(x, y) code > ??????? - xyh() uses xy() and h() to retrieve values > ??????? - color() takes an optional alpha channel value for transparency > ??????????? - color('ralpha') chooses a random color with random alpha > ??????? - Each pynguin's speed can now be set individually > > ??? Canvas > ??????? - Added a dialog for pen, background, and fill default colors > ??????????? - sets these colors on program startup > ??????????? - uses these colors for reset() > ??????????? - also used when adding new pynguins > ??????? - Can now track any pynguin > ??????? - Can zoom to fit entire drawing > > ??? UI > ??????? - Added new Pynguin menu for avatar and mode selection > ??????? - Added alpha value selector to pen and fill color dialogs > > ??? Integrated Editor > > ??? Integrated Console > > ??? Examples > ??????? - All ported to Python 3 > ??????? - Added examples using colors with alpha channel values > ??????? - Added finish line to horserace > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:14:33 -0700 > From: michel paul <pythonic.m...@gmail.com> > To: edu-sig@python.org > Subject: [Edu-sig] Python Epistemology > Message-ID: > <CANuze1+1-34XASccBaiDis_Kpty=r7nhzvqwka6unfzpc1x...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > This was the title of a 5-minute 'lightening talk' by Allen Downey, author > of Think Python > <http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/html/index.html>, during > the educational summit here at PyCon. Main points: > > * > > - Nat > ural L > ang > uage > : expressive and readable, but verbose and imprecise. > - Math > ematical notation > : concise and precise, but not readable or executable. > - M > ost > programming languages: precise and executable, but verbose and not > readable. > > > Hmmm ... can anyone think of an expressive, readable, concise, precise, and > executable symbolic language? : ) > > He went on to show a traditional mathematical formula representing Bayesian > inference and compared it to the corresponding Python code. The Python code > was similar to natural language and represented a flow of ideas. It was > comprehensible. His point was that we often think we need to first express > our ideas in traditional mathematical notation and then translate the math > into executable code. But his point was no, we can code our ideas directly. > It is a new kind of mathematical expression. > > I was so delighted to hear this, as these are the conclusions I have come > to as well. It's absolutely true that coding reflectively helps clarify > one's ideas, and this is why it belongs in education. I've repeatedly had > the experience that coding something I had long taken for granted in math > got me to see it in a new light. I've come to view traditional math syntax > as a kind of clever shorthand we developed before we had computers. I think > the traditional syntax creates a kind of cognitive illusion in students and > teachers that that's 'really' the math. > And then throwing calculators into the mix just solidifies the illusion. > Everyone in K-12, students and teachers, thinks that the math is 'really' > on a piece of paper, in traditional notation, and that the technology is > something on the side we turn to in order to help us get the math onto the > paper when the calculations get too tough. I think that picture is flawed > and antiquated. The technology itself is the new paper. Computational > languages are the new algebra. > * > > PyCon was amazing. It was my first one. Very inspiring. Time definitely > well spent. > > -- > Michel > > =================================== > "What I cannot create, I do not understand." > > - Richard Feynman > =================================== > "Computer science is the new mathematics." > > - Dr. Christos Papadimitriou > =================================== > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20130316/3c58f9bb/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:07:23 -0700 > From: Kirby Urner <kur...@oreillyschool.com> > To: michel paul <pythonic.m...@gmail.com> > Cc: edu-sig@python.org > Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python Epistemology > Message-ID: > <CAGe4BMHvbYap6Lp9O97Mht6H+TpQwP-3y+Q5134c8JhiuQ=e...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 8:14 PM, michel paul <pythonic.m...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> This was the title of a 5-minute 'lightening talk' by Allen Downey, author >> of Think Python <http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/html/index.html>, >> during >> the educational summit here at PyCon. Main points: >> >> * >> >> - Nat >> ural L >> ang >> uage >> : expressive and readable, but verbose and imprecise. >> - Math >> ematical notation >> : concise and precise, but not readable or executable. >> - M >> ost >> programming languages: precise and executable, but verbose and not >> readable. >> >> >> Hmmm ... can anyone think of an expressive, readable, concise, precise, >> and executable symbolic language? : ) >> >> * >> > > Yes. I introduced myself to Allen later during coffee break, saying I > recommend his book rather frequently to my students (an O'Reilly book after > all, though also free on the web). I was thinking of 'Thinking Python' > which inherits though 'How to Think...' and Jeff Elkner's edition. > > However, I should also be reading, then recommending his 'Thinking > Complexity' as I think that whole field, of fractals, butterfly effects, > cellular automata, is providing that wealth of material we need wherein > pre-computer mathematics stays relevant for sure, but needs our new tools > and notations in addition. > > I'm not saying that to be exclusive of other areas of mathematics. Those > of us old enough remember the big splash fractals made, because of their > merit as art objects, by which I mean nothing dismissive either. Suddenly, > our computer graphics capabilities were being exercised to their max. Plus > now there's the Mandelbulb. > > * >> He went on to show a traditional mathematical formula representing >> Bayesian inference and compared it to the corresponding Python code. The >> Python code was similar to natural language and represented a flow of >> ideas. It was comprehensible. His point was that we often think we need to >> first express our ideas in traditional mathematical notation and then >> translate the math into executable code. But his point was no, we can code >> our ideas directly. It is a new kind of mathematical expression. >> * >> > > Even just a single Sigma becomes more comprehensible as a for loop, or even > a generator where infinite sequences and series are concerned. > > http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/overcome.html > > > >> * >> >> I was so delighted to hear this, as these are the conclusions I have come >> to as well. It's absolutely true that coding reflectively helps clarify >> one's ideas, and this is why it belongs in education. I've repeatedly had >> the experience that coding something I had long taken for granted in math >> got me to see it in a new light. I've come to view traditional math syntax >> as a kind of clever shorthand we developed before we had computers. I think >> the traditional syntax creates a kind of cognitive illusion in students and >> teachers that that's 'really' the math. >> And then throwing calculators into the mix just solidifies the illusion. >> Everyone in K-12, students and teachers, thinks that the math is 'really' >> on a piece of paper, in traditional notation, and that the technology is >> something on the side we turn to in order to help us get the math onto the >> paper when the calculations get too tough. I think that picture is flawed >> and antiquated. The technology itself is the new paper. Computational >> languages are the new algebra. >> * >> >> > We're on the same page as the Mathematica people here, and I don't think we > should worry about any winner-take-all, king-of-the-hill story here. > IPython Notebook has a Mathematica flavor and that's fine, so does Sage. > We're in a synergy relationship. > > That's especially true in the space of my workplace, where a lot of the > brain cycles have been committed to Hilbert, software that brings in > Mathematica over the server to a browser-based client. Others of us teach > Python and other executable notations. Per your integrating vision, it's > all one domain. > > http://www.makingmath.com/ (same group as O'Reilly School) > > > >> PyCon was amazing. It was my first one. Very inspiring. Time definitely >> well spent. >> >> -- >> Michel >> > > Glad we got to meet. > > I know my little talk was kinda quirky, and that sometimes worries newbies > (my somewhat stream of consciousness style...), but they tend to be > reassured that I'm a known quantity, my quirkiness just part of my style. > > I gave my talk again with different emphasis in the Great Hall on Saturday > morning. My gave more focus to my "generator tractor" and the fact that it > takes data in through yield, doesn't just give data out. > > This proved to be a good segue to Raymond Hettinger's keynote I thought. > He was likewise extolling the virtues of the keyword 'yield' as among > Python's salient and cutting-edge features. > > Kirby > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/attachments/20130316/45db50c5/attachment.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig@python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Edu-sig Digest, Vol 116, Issue 4 > *************************************** _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
