About the show
Welcome to "Teaching Python Podcast,” the go-to podcast for anyone interested in the intersection of education and coding. Hosted by Kelly Paredes and Sean Tibor, this podcast dives into the thrills and challenges of teaching middle school computer science through the engaging and versatile Python programming language.
About the Hosts:
- Kelly Paredes brings a wealth of global experience in curriculum design and currently inspires sixth and eighth graders at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Celebrating her seventh year of integrating Python into her teaching, Kelly has a knack for making complex concepts accessible and exciting.
- Sean Tibor, a Senior Cloud Engineer at Mondelez International, draws from a rich background that spans marketing, database design, and digital agency leadership. Having taught Python to seventh and eighth graders at Pine Crest School, Sean now extends his expertise by supporting interns and tutoring students in Python.
Explore with Us:
- Engaging Lessons: Discover how we make Python programming both fun and accessible for young learners, equipping them with the skills to tackle real-world problems.
- Classroom Insights: Experience our journey through both triumphs and trials in the classroom, and learn what it takes to foster a vibrant learning environment.
- Expert Interviews: Gain valuable perspectives from interviews with fellow educators and industry experts, who share their top strategies and success stories in coding education.
Teaching Python on social media
Episodes
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Episode 7: Teaching with the BBC micro:bit
January 14th, 2019 | 42 mins 57 secs
microbit, python, teaching
In this week's episode, Kelly and Sean discuss one of the tools that we like to use in class: the BBC micro:bit. Thanks to the instant feedback and physical/tactile nature of the device, this inexpensive little IoT device makes the process of learning Python more intuitive for students. It's also an easy starting point for those teachers who are new to coding.
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Episode 6: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Python With Coding Challenges
January 9th, 2019 | 37 mins 1 sec
coding, makecode, python
Kelly and Sean are back in this week's episode to talk about the role of coding challenges for student understanding. Coding challenges are teacher-defined coding problems that students tackle individually or in groups with more than one possible solution. The advantages of these challenges compared to passive learning include deeper retention of skills and knowledge, opportunities for social and emotional education, and increased student confidence through subject mastery.
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Episode 5: Building Resilience
December 31st, 2018 | 28 mins 55 secs
education, python, resilience
Co-hosts Kelly and Sean discuss their top eight methods for building resilience in students. Whether you call it grit, perseverance, persistence, determination, or something else, it's important to help students get through the hard and often frustrating moments of learning a new language so that they can become self-sufficient.
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Episode 4: Top Python Books For Teachers
December 24th, 2018 | 31 mins 13 secs
books, programming, python
In this episode, Sean and Kelly go through their top books for teachers to learn about Python and teach students. With everything from coding your own games in Python, to automating the boring stuff, there's something for every teacher here.
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Episode 3: Anticipating the Click and Flow
December 17th, 2018 | 34 mins 14 secs
education, flow, metacognition, python
Kelly and Sean discuss the importance of the 'click' when learning Python and identify strategies for encouraging a state of flow in classrooms. What is the click moment? How do you know when flow is achieved?
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Episode 2: The First Week of Python
December 10th, 2018 | 29 mins 54 secs
getting started, mu editor, newbies, python
What does the first week of Python look like for new coders? Where do you start? Is it better to jump right in or give them a softer start? We'll talk about everything from what exercises work best, how to get new Python coders started with an IDE like Mu Editor, and more.
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Episode 1: Hello World
December 5th, 2018 | 31 mins 30 secs
coding for everyone, coding zen, differentiated learning, education, embracing what is uncomfortable, figuring things out, freedom to make mistakes, getting started, goal setting, information learning, iterative processes, mindset, problem-solving, python, reading for understanding, robotics, setting up your classroom, tynker, vr
Our very first episode! Kelly and Sean talk about how to get started teaching Python, including how to set up a room for computer science, what books and podcasts were most useful, the joys of Tynker, and how to set your own expectations for how to teach Python for others.