Thursday, April 16, 2009

Python textbooks wanted

Python textbooks wanted(1). Actually, what I'm mostly interested in are links to textbooks and other resources that would be useful to educators either teaching Python as a programming language or other courses where Python feature prominently. The reason behind this request is that I volunteered to be responsible to take care of the edu-sig page on the Python site. Through no one's fault in particular, the old page (2) had gone stale and only one textbook was listed. We're now up to six and I am sure I have not included them all. By ensuring that up to date and complete information is available on that page, we can facilitate the adoption of Python as a language taught in High Schools, Colleges and Universities.

So, if you know of any useful information that should be added to the edu-sig page, please let me know.

(1) Actually, this is not exactly correct ... but if you want to send me some for reviews, I won't say no. ;-)

(2) The page linked here will eventually disappear...

Friday, April 10, 2009

Learning paths at ShowMeDo

ShowMeDo is a great site to learn about Python (and a few other subjects) by watching screncasts. One of my favourite videos is Learn Django: Create a Wiki in 20 minutes, which taught me the basic concepts so that I was later able to adapt and play around with Google App Engine. Many authors on ShowMeDo have multiple screencasts (I made a few on RUR-PLE and Crunchy a while ago), some of which (not mine) are very professional looking. Such series of videos give the viewpoint of a given author, introducing some concepts in a logical sequence.

The newest addition to the ShowMeDo site is called Learning Paths. The idea of Learning Paths is to improve upon the existing series by including videos from multiple authors into a coherent sequence. While this concept is very much in its infancy, it promises to become a great addition to what is already a fantastic site.

In case anyone were wondering: I have no financial interest whatsover in ShowMeDo; I am just a satisfied user who considers this site a very good resource, well worth exploring. If only I had more time...