Teaching Python

Way back on Episode 13, we interviewed Josh Lowe, then 15 years old and the creator of EduBlocks. When Josh was 12, he started a Saturday afternoon project to make a block-based coding IDE that generated Python code. Flash forward seven years and Josh still maintains EduBlocks as a software engineer on behalf of Anaconda. This week, Kelly and Sean caught up with Josh to learn about his educational journey since we last spoke with him, the latest developments on EduBlocks, as well as the new direction enabled by Anaconda's purchase of EduBlocks in May 2023.Special Guest: Josh Lowe.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Edublocks — EduBlocks is a free tool by Anaconda that helps anyone learn how to code with text-based languages like Python or HTML using a familiar drag-and-drop blocks systemAnacondaAnaconda Press Release Announcing Purchase of EduBlocks — Anaconda Inc., provider of the world’s most popular data science platform, today announced the acquisition of EduBlocks, a free, web-based, drag-and-drop coding platform built to help K-12 students learn fundamental skills. With EduBlocks, Anaconda expands its reach and offerings for K-12 schools as well as for beginner-level professionals.

This week we are joined by Philip Guo and Sam Lau, researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Philip and Sam have recently published research on how computer science instructors use artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot in their classrooms. Join us to learn more about the data behind how generative AI is changing the way we teach computer science and coding.Special Guests: Philip Guo and Sam Lau.Support Teaching PythonLinks:sam lauAI Code Generation Tools Study — From "Ban It Till We Understand It" to "Resistance is Futile": How University Programming Instructors Plan to Adapt as More Students Use AI Code Generation and Explanation Tools such as ChatGPT and GitHub CopilotPandas Tutor: Using Pyodide to Teach Data Science at Scale | Pyodide blog — Hi, we’re Sam Lau and Philip Guo, and we teach data science classes at UC San Diego. In this guest post we’ll tell you about our free educational tool, Pandas Tutor, that helps students learn data science using the popular pandas library. The above screenshot shows how you can use it to write Python and pandas code in a web-based editor and see visualizations of what your code does step-by-step.Pandas Tutor - visualize Python pandas code — Pandas Tutor lets you write Python pandas code in your browser and see how it transforms your data step-by-step. (If you use R, try Tidy Data Tutor. To visualize general Python, Java, C, C++, and JavaScript code, try Python Tutor.)Teaching Programming in the Age of ChatGPT — How computing instructors plan to adapt to ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and other AI coding assistants (ICER 2023 paper)Real-Real-World Programming with ChatGPT — Taking AI Far Beyond Small Self-Contained Coding Tasks

In this episode, Kelly and Sean meet with Adam Schroeder, community manager at Plotly and author of The Book of Dash. We'll talk about how teachers can use data visualization in the classroom with Dash to bring data to life for their students. If you're not familiar with the Dash and Plotly Python libraries, you can get started here with us! Dash is a library for building web-based dashboards to visualize your Python data. It uses Plotly, a library for making beautiful visualizations of data that are highly interactive. Both libraries are open-source and maintained by the Plotly company, which provides enterprise-grade implementations of Dash and Plotly for business customers.Special Guest: Adam Schroeder.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Dash in 20 Minutes Tutorial | Dash for Python Documentation | Plotly — By the end of this tutorial, you will understand the basic building blocks of Dash and you will know how to build this app.Plotly Blog - What Scientists, Engineers, Teachers, &... — Making graphs and analyzing data are essential skills for science, engineering, journalism, and data analysis of all types. Collaborating online with our team means we can work better and faster. The status quo tools–pencil and paper, desktop software, and graphing calculators–present problems.Plotly: Low-Code Data App Development — Dash Enterprise is the premier platform for building, scaling, and deploying data apps in Python.The Book of Dash | No Starch Press — A swift and practical introduction to building interactive data visualization apps in Python, known as dashboards. You’ve seen dashboards before; think election result visualizations you can update in real time, or population maps you can filter by demographic. With the Python Dash library you’ll create analytic dashboards that present data in effective, usable, elegant ways in just a few lines of code.Charming Data - YouTubeMinecraft EDU Digital Citizenship — Minecraft is an open-world game full of possibilities, where players can create and build, solve problems together, and explore amazing worlds. Learn how Minecraft is transforming education. Minecraft is working on a series of digital literacy/cyber safety worlds and lessons.

Episode 111: Exploring Generative AI in Education In Episode 111 of the Teaching Python podcast, join special guest Eric Matthes and your hosts Kelly and Sean as they dive into the intriguing world of generative AI in education. Coming fresh from the Education Summit at PyCon 2023, they provide a comprehensive recap of the event, highlighting the successful speaker topics, the ideal room size, and the engaging breakout sessions that made the summit a resounding success. As an extra resource, Eric Matthes, author of the widely acclaimed "Python Crash Course," joins the discussion, providing valuable insights into the intersection of generative AI and education. For those interested, Eric's book can be found on Amazon. The conversation then delves into the complexities surrounding generative AI, emphasizing that while it holds tremendous potential, it is still in its early stages, leaving us with more questions than answers. To lay the groundwork, the hosts define generative AI and demystify how large language models work, drawing an analogy to refrigerator poetry magnets to aid comprehension. As the discussion unfolds, Kelly, Eric, and Sean raise crucial questions about the role of generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, in education. They explore the optimal level of usage, the necessary policies and governance to support its implementation, and draw parallels to the concept of the "Goldilocks zone" in astronomy, seeking the right balance for effective integration. The episode moves to thought-provoking dialogue regarding the future proficiency levels required for learners in problem-solving scenarios. They examine whether coding proficiency alone will suffice or if learners will need to develop AI literacy, enabling them to harness the power of AI to generate code and solutions. Tune in to Episode 111 of the Teaching Python podcast to gain a deeper understanding of the implications and potential of generative AI in education. As the hosts explore the evolving landscape, they shed light on the importance of finding the right balance and preparing learners for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.Special Guest: Eric Matthes.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming: Matthes, Eric: 9781718502703: Amazon.com: Books — Python Crash Course is the world’s best-selling guide to the Python programming language. This fast-paced, thorough introduction will have you writing programs, solving problems, and developing functioning applications in no time.Python Flash Cards: Syntax, Concepts, and Examples: Matthes, Eric: 9781593278960: Amazon.com: Books — Keep your coding skills sharp on the go! Python Flash Cards take a tried-and-tested method and give it a programming makeover. Eric Matthes, author of the best-selling Python Crash Course, distills essential Python programming knowledge into this 101-card deck you can use anywhere.- Education Summit - PyCon US 2023 — The Summit is a gathering of teachers and educators focused on bringing coding literacy, through Python, to as many learners as possible. We invite educators from all venues to join the discussion, share insights, learn new techniques and tools, and share their passion for education. We are inviting educators from many venues: authors; PK-12 schools; colleges and universities; community-based workshops; online programs; and government. In addition to a wide array of engaging speakers, we will also create collaboration opportunities and hands-on learning sessions.

Show Notes Introduction Welcome to this week's episode, entirely devoted to CircuitPython. We're excited to have Kattni Rembor from Adafruit as our special guest, who has contributed extensively to the CircuitPython platform, from beginner guides to advanced projects. Kattni's Win of the Week Kattni shares her current project, a guide for creating a keyboard key switch with NeoPixels underneath. Each key press generates a random LED color. Our Wins of the Week Kelly Schuster-Paredes, currently on vacation, shares her achievement of resting for two consecutive minutes. Sean shares his experience using the Marp tool for presentations but admits to time management struggles. CircuitPython Introduction We delve into CircuitPython, a version of Python designed for microcontrollers. Created for beginners and educational purposes, it provides a unique approach to learning Python. CircuitPython Applications Kattni enlightens us on the vast applications of CircuitPython, ranging from environmental sensing to assistive technologies for people with disabilities. CircuitPython Capabilities We discuss how CircuitPython simplifies complex tasks, fostering creativity and making tasks like LED blinking quite straightforward. CircuitPython Boards At the time of recording, there are 413 boards compatible with CircuitPython available at circuitpython.org. We also discuss Adafruit's educational pricing and discounts. Top CircuitPython Boards We list our top five favorite boards for education, ease of use, and fun projects, including Blue fruit and Circuit Playground Express. Getting Started with CircuitPython Starting with CircuitPython can be challenging for beginners. We discuss some common issues and solutions, like copying required libraries immediately after importing. CircuitPython in the Classroom We highlight the immense possibilities of CircuitPython in educational settings and encourage educators to explore its potential. Connect with Kattni Rembor You can follow Kattni Rembor's projects on the Adafruit Learning System and on social media platforms like Mastodon. Live Streaming Announcement Kelly announces the "Summer of Streaming," aiming to live stream every Wednesday at three. Closing Remarks We wrap up the episode with Kattni expressing her enjoyment in discussing CircuitPython and her excitement for future projects. Sean and Kelly sign off, looking forward to the next episode. Special Guest: Kattni Rembor.Support Teaching Python

Show Notes: Personal Updates Sean Tibor shares his excitement about meeting his overseas team members for the first time. He also expresses pride at watching his first batch of students graduate and choose to study in computer science and related fields. Future Learning Journeys Kelly Schuster-Paredes reflects on the exciting learning opportunities the students will undertake. She expresses hope that these students will return to share their experiences and insights (Teaching Python website). Inviting Past Students on the Podcast Both hosts discuss the possibility of inviting former students to the podcast as guests. Current Students Excelling Kelly shares an anecdote about a 6th grader surpassing her knowledge in Python's Turtle module. Plans for the Podcast Return in June with the first guest speaker of the year. Considering a summer sabbatical to prepare for the upcoming school year. Plans to enhance their Patreon community with exclusive benefits. Reach Out! Sean invites listeners to reach out via social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. He also encourages feedback on potential topics or guests for future podcast episodes through their website contact form. Signing Off The hosts sign off, promising more Python learning insights and experiences in the next episodes. For more details, visit the Teaching Python Podcast website.Support Teaching Python

Kelly and Sean interview Ryan Dehmoubed, co-founder of JuiceMind, a startup focused on hardware and software for the K-12 computer science education market. Their initial products focus on the AP Computer Science curriculum with a goal of making coding more engaging while showing students the practical applications of coding. In this interview, we'll cover everything from the shortage of computer science teachers to smart doorbells to going beyond Kahoot! to tools that help teachers assess student learning progress.Special Guest: Ryan Dehmoubed.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Python Smart Doorbell - JuiceMind — Learn the fundamentals of Python by building a REAL product – a Smart Doorbell that sends text messages and emails!Ping Pong Launcher - JuiceMind — Strengthen your Python skills and learn the fundamentals of robotics by building a Ping Pong Launcher that can fire a ping pong ball 20 feet!JuiceMind Quizzes

Have you ever wondered how Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant can understand and respond to our commands? Or how Netflix or YouTube recommend the next video for us to watch? The answer lies in Artificial Intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science that allows machines to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence, such as speech recognition, image processing, and decision-making. In this episode of The Teaching Python podcast, Dr. Nisha Talagala, the founder and CEO of AIClub, a nonprofit organization that teaches AI to students and educators, joins hosts Sean Tibor and Kelly Schuster-Paredes to demystify AI and Machine Learning (ML) for middle school students. Dr. Talagala starts by explaining how she started teaching her then 9-year old daughter about AI and quickly realized that there were a lot of gaps in the available AI materials for teaching. She started assembling resources and organizing the content in a way that worked well for kids while providing them with room to grow their knowledge and skills. This quickly turned into a book project, The Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, Volume 1 with her co-author Dr. Sindhu Ghanta. Next, the conversation shifts to teaching the ethics of AI and the potential risks and benefits of AI for society. Dr. Talagala explains how students need projects that they can relate to and easily adapt to answer the questions they generate. She suggests that middle school students can play a role in shaping the future of AI by learning about these issues, questioning the status quo, and advocating for responsible AI practices. The episode ends with resources and recommendations for teachers who want to learn more about AI and ML.Special Guest: Nisha Talagala.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Amazon.com: Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence: Volume 1 (Introduction to Artificial Intelligence) eBook : Talagala, Nisha, Ghanta, Sindhu: Kindle Store — This book is for K12 students who want to learn AI, for teachers who want to teach AI and bring AI into the classroom, and for any individual who wants to understand AI in a simple and effective way.AIClub - AI for Kids, Coding, IOT, Apps for Kids | AIClub — Artificial Intelligence is the Future. Are Your Kids Ready?The Three E’s Of Problem Solving: Core Skills In The Age Of ChatGPT — I have written articles (like this one) on how technologies like ChatGPT, while massively disruptive, are not necessarily the first ones that upended our understanding of what core workplace skills need to look like. In the presence of ever-increasing automation - I would argue the core skills that remain are problem-solving skills - which can be measured by three Es - Effective, Efficient, and Ethical

After years of being atop our "must-have guests" list, Kelly and Sean finally get to interview Al Sweigart, author of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, as well as many other books and courses that help people learn Python more effectively Join us as we talk about everything from our favorite teaching examples, the process of book writing, fostering cats, and more.Special Guest: Al Sweigart.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Invent with Python — Learning to program makes you a smarter and more capable human being. Rocket science uses programming, but programming isn't rocket science. Whether you're a student preparing for a software career, an office worker buried under spreadsheet files, or a hobbyist who wants to make video games, the Python programming language is an excellent start in the world of programming. Get started for free with the online copies of Al's books!The Recursive Book of Recursion: Ace the Coding Interview with Python and JavaScript: Sweigart, Al: 9781718502024: Amazon.com: Books — An accessible yet rigorous crash course on recursive programming using Python and JavaScript examples. Recursion has an intimidating reputation: it’s considered to be an advanced computer science topic frequently brought up in coding interviews. But there’s nothing magical about recursion.Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition: Practical Programming for Total Beginners: Sweigart, Al: 9781593279929: Amazon.com: Books — Learn how to code while you write programs that effortlessly perform useful feats of automation! The second edition of this international fan favorite includes a brand-new chapter on input validation, Gmail and Google Sheets automations, tips for updating CSV files, and more.Python Programming Exercises, Gently Explained , Sweigart, Al, eBook - Amazon.com — Many books and websites have aggressive programming challenges for top coders. However, this book is for the rest of us. We want challenges that improve our coding skills, not leave us confused and discouraged. Other tutorials and books have taught you the basics of Python, but the 42 programming exercises in this book let you practice what you've learned. Selected for their simplicity, these programming problems include gentle explanations of the problem, the prerequisite coding concepts you’ll need to understand the solution, and helpful templates to put together the programs if you have trouble starting from scratch.Amazon.com: The Big Book of Small Python Projects: 81 Easy Practice Programs eBook : Sweigart, Al: Kindle Store — If you’ve mastered basic Python syntax and you’re ready to start writing programs, you’ll find The Big Book of Small Python Projects both enlightening and fun. This collection of 81 Python projects will have you making digital art, games, animations, counting pro- grams, and more right away. Once you see how the code works, you’ll practice re-creating the programs and experiment by adding your own custom touches.Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python: Best Practices for Writing Clean Code: Sweigart, Al: 9781593279660: Amazon.com: Books — BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN NOVICE AND PROFESSIONAL You've completed a basic Python programming tutorial or finished Al Sweigart's bestseller, Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. What's the next step toward becoming a capable, confident software developer?Cracking Codes with Python: An Introduction to Building and Breaking Ciphers: Sweigart, Al: 9781593278229: Amazon.com: Books — Learn how to program in Python while making and breaking ciphers—algorithms used to create and send secret messages! Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, 4th Edition: Sweigart, Al: 9781593277956: Amazon.com: Books — Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python will teach you how to make computer games using the popular Python programming language—even if you’ve never programmed before!

Kelly and Sean are organizing the PyCon US Education Summit for 2023. Join us to learn more about the summit, what we've learned from attending, and how you can get involved.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Welcome to PyCon US 2023 - PyCon US 2023 — Presenting PyCon US 2023 a 20th Year Anniversary Celebration! Salt Lake City, Utah - April 19, 2023 - April 27, 2023 Tutorials - April 19-20, 2023 Main Conference and Online - April 21-23, 2023 Job Fair - April 23, 2023 Sprints - April 24-27, 202