Playing with Guido
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Deg
Jan 19, 2009, 2:57:04 PM1/19/09
to Leeds ASchool
Finally got around to having a quick play with Guido rather than just
looking at the notes.
I got bored very quickly.
I also was not sure that I was learning much that would help me with
Python later. Was I?
Had more fun playing with Pete to be honest. How easy would it be to
give Pete a world to play in and some additional functionality to be
able to play there?
What do others think?
Deg.
looking at the notes.
I got bored very quickly.
I also was not sure that I was learning much that would help me with
Python later. Was I?
Had more fun playing with Pete to be honest. How easy would it be to
give Pete a world to play in and some additional functionality to be
able to play there?
What do others think?
Deg.
royce
Jan 20, 2009, 10:42:07 AM1/20/09
to Leeds ASchool
Does this mean Guido was too high level for you (and therefore, too
high level for the pupils) to develop the skills required for KS3 (and
understanding programming)?
Excuse my ignorance. Pete ?!?
Royce
high level for the pupils) to develop the skills required for KS3 (and
understanding programming)?
Excuse my ignorance. Pete ?!?
Royce
Deg
Jan 20, 2009, 11:29:45 AM1/20/09
to Leeds ASchool
Sorry I didn't explain that well did I? To be honest I am not sure
what I meant.
I think there were two things. Firstly with the exception of the 'do'
loop it did not seem to be possible to use any parameters and
consequently moving Guido was rather repetitve. I didn't spot a way
of defining a function to include a parameter, and although I could
see that you could do things with the 'while' loop that wasn't really
what I wanted.
I had the idea initially of designing some worlds where student had to
write code to navigate eg. navigate out of a maze. To start with I
wanted them to be doing this without the use of any AI type stuff, and
I was going to see if I could gently lead them from typing list of
individual commands to defining functions to move in a predetermined
fashion, to using while loops. It might be possible to make the leap
to a program to explore any maze but I think think that although it is
easy to tell them how to do this it is hard for them to 'discover' how
to do this.
Secondly I didn't really feel like I was using Python, but I guess
that this is because in the early stages I was just using the Guido
environment.
Pete is the penguin thing that is in 'interact' program in the
'pygsear' layer from Nick's links. Working with pete felt much more
like I imagine working in Python might be, but it lacked the 'worlds'
and the interaction between Pete and the world he was in (I think).
At this stage I am really not bothered about the KS3 requirements. If
we find something good to do then I am sure we can make it fit in the
with KS3 mumbo-jumbo. I think I feel the same way about programming.
Given that we are talking about year 7 students initially what I am
looking for is something that will turn on the magic switch in their
brain that makes the difference between someone who will learn to
program (albeit badly) and someone who just doesn't get it. Sadly I
don't know what that magic switch is!
Deg.
> > Deg.- Hide quoted text -
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> - Show quoted text -
what I meant.
I think there were two things. Firstly with the exception of the 'do'
loop it did not seem to be possible to use any parameters and
consequently moving Guido was rather repetitve. I didn't spot a way
of defining a function to include a parameter, and although I could
see that you could do things with the 'while' loop that wasn't really
what I wanted.
I had the idea initially of designing some worlds where student had to
write code to navigate eg. navigate out of a maze. To start with I
wanted them to be doing this without the use of any AI type stuff, and
I was going to see if I could gently lead them from typing list of
individual commands to defining functions to move in a predetermined
fashion, to using while loops. It might be possible to make the leap
to a program to explore any maze but I think think that although it is
easy to tell them how to do this it is hard for them to 'discover' how
to do this.
Secondly I didn't really feel like I was using Python, but I guess
that this is because in the early stages I was just using the Guido
environment.
Pete is the penguin thing that is in 'interact' program in the
'pygsear' layer from Nick's links. Working with pete felt much more
like I imagine working in Python might be, but it lacked the 'worlds'
and the interaction between Pete and the world he was in (I think).
At this stage I am really not bothered about the KS3 requirements. If
we find something good to do then I am sure we can make it fit in the
with KS3 mumbo-jumbo. I think I feel the same way about programming.
Given that we are talking about year 7 students initially what I am
looking for is something that will turn on the magic switch in their
brain that makes the difference between someone who will learn to
program (albeit badly) and someone who just doesn't get it. Sadly I
don't know what that magic switch is!
Deg.
>
> - Show quoted text -
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