Teachers and students at PyconUK
A look at a UK programming conference with an "education track" aiming to inspire young students to learn about computing
PyconUK happened this year over the weekend of 20-23 September. It's a conference for UK-based users of Python, the easy-to-learn and ubiquitous programming language used by the likes of Google, NASA, Disney and the Guardian. John Pinner, chair of the organising committee, channelled Abraham Lincoln by describing it as "a conference of the community, by the community and for the community".
Put simply, it's a volunteer-led affair.
However, just because it's organised by volunteers, doesn't mean it's amateurish – it's a slick "just in time" organised conference, or, as one delegate described it, a "do"-ocracy. There were technical talks and tutorials as well as a well-attended conference dinner and several "code sprints" – all activities you'd expect at any technical conference.
Yet PyconUK has a track record for innovating in the realm of computing education: for the second year in a row, there was an "education track" generously sponsored by Bank of America.
Several of the talks delivered this year were inspired by the collaborations between developers and teachers cemented at last year's PyconUK. Delegates were entertained with updates to Python's Logo-liketurtle module. One update improved turtle collision detection and pathfinding, and yet another offloaded rendering to the GPU, allowing the screen to be filled with tens of thousands of swarming turtles.
This year, developers and teachers collaborated again in the education track. Vikki Dodd, a teacher of ICT in Preston, eloquently described the challenges faced by teachers. In the ensuing discussion she and her colleagues outlined ways in which Python developers could help. Martin O'Hanlon revealed how the popular game Minecraft could be used as digital Lego on a Raspberry Pi and programmed with a Python-based API. The practical session that followed allowed teachers and developers to play with this medium – they produced some fantastic results (more of which below) and went away buzzing with ideas to use in the classroom.
On Sunday we were joined by thirty children for a Raspberry Jamorganised by PyconUK regular and ICT teacher, Alan O'Donohoe with equipment generously loaned from CPC. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Jam was the equal gender split of the attendees. This bodes well for tackling the sometimes misogynist world of software development and is evidence that the Python community's outreach and diversity efforts are bearing fruit. To say the kids had a good time is an understatement. It was a pleasure to see new young programmers discover the fun that can be had writing software. I especially enjoyed eleven year old Mot Stothart's animated rocket built in Minecraft with Python. Little did Mot realise that his mentor was Larry Hastings – a core Python developer who, like all the other developers in the room, didn't go anywhere near the keyboard but patiently and clearly answered all manner of questions fired in his direction.
The final word should go to Ben Smith, an ICT teacher from Lancashire. He was so enthused by the education track that he created a short video on Sunday evening (after his four hour drive home) about his experiences collaborating with developers. Over the Saturday lunchtime he had created software to control a quadcopter drone – a great example of how interacting with the physical world generates fun and inspiring educational opportunities. The video beautifully encapsulates the education track and shows how Ben's collaborations over the weekend directly and positively affect his own practice as an ICT teacher at the "chalkface".
Here's to the education track at PyconUK 2014. I'm definitely going!