Show Notes

Wins of the Week

• Julian: Staying focused on "the one thing" at PyBites, plus 3D printing a custom cappuccino stencil for his local café
• Kelly: Surviving a muddy, clay-covered hill in North Carolina while on vacation
• Sean: Designing and 3D printing a custom bracket for his screen door using Fusion 360

Holiday Gift Ideas

Julian's Picks

1. Hoverboard with Go-Kart Attachment (~$299 AUD) - Two-wheeled self-balancing boards that can convert to a go-kart with a third wheel attachment. Available at Hoveroo in Australia.

2. Secret Coders Book Series (~$10-20 USD each) - A six-book graphic novel series that wraps coding puzzles and concepts into mystery stories. Recommended by Faye Shaw from the Boston PyLadies community. Great for ages 8-15.

3. 3D Printer (~$200-300 USD) - Entry-level printers like the Bambu Lab A1 Mini or Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro have dropped significantly in price. Look for auto bed leveling as a key feature.

4. Duolingo Chess (~$13/month with subscription) - A new addition to Duolingo that teaches chess tactics, strategy, and formal terminology through structured lessons. Great for building problem-solving skills.

5. Classic Video Games (Zelda, Pokémon) - Story-driven games that build resilience and problem-solving skills, as an alternative to dopamine-heavy platforms like Roblox.

Kelly's Picks

1. Soccer Bot (~$59.99) - An indoor soccer training robot that challenges footwork skills. Works best on hard floors.

2. "The Worlds I See" by Dr. Fei-Fei Li - Memoir of the computer scientist behind ImageNet and modern image recognition, covering her immigrant journey and rise in AI. A must-read for anyone interested in AI.

3. LEGO Retro Radio Building Set (~$99) - A 1970s-style radio that you build, then insert your phone to play music. Features working dials that create authentic radio crackle sounds.

4. Spydroid Loco Hex Robot (classroom investment) - A large spider-shaped robot that codes in Python and block programming. Features LIDAR and AI-based mapping. Seen at ISTE.

5. Richtie Mini from Hugging Face ($299-$449) - An adorable AI desktop companion robot with onboard models. Two versions: one that connects to your computer and one that's self-contained.

Sean's Picks

1. LED Pucks (LED 001 Kit) (~$6-13) - Small USB-powered LED discs perfect for 3D printed projects like planet lamps. Available from Bambu Labs or Amazon. RGB versions include remote controls.

2. Daily Desk Calendar (~$15-20) - A throwback gift that provides daily doses of humor, trivia, or inspiration. Suggestions include The Far Side, "They Can Talk," or "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

3. PyBites Coding Platform (subscription) - Bite-sized Python challenges for sharpening coding skills. Great for teachers, students, and professionals looking for practical coding practice.

4. Digital Calipers (~$40-50) - USB-rechargeable precision measuring tools essential for 3D printing and maker projects. Great for teaching geometry and measurement concepts.

5. Deburring Tool (~$10) - A small tool with a curved swiveling blade for cleaning up 3D prints. A quality-of-life improvement for any maker's toolkit.

Links Mentioned

• PyBites - Python coaching and coding challenges
• Hoveroo - Hoverboards (Australia)
• Bambu Lab - 3D printers and LED pucks
• Printables - 3D printing models
• MakerWorld - 3D printing models
• Hugging Face Richtie Mini - AI companion robot
• Duolingo - Language learning app with chess
• Secret Coders book series - Available on Amazon
• "The Worlds I See" by Dr. Fei-Fei Li - Available at bookstores

Upcoming Events

• PyCon US 2026 - Long Beach, California
• Education Summit - Proposals open after the holidays, deadline around March/April
• Submit proposals when the website opens!

Special Guest: Julian Sequeira.

Support Teaching Python

Topics Covered

• Engaging Middle School Students: Strategies for capturing and maintaining student interest.
• Creativity and Collaboration: How to foster a collaborative environment that inspires creativity.
• Core Computational Concepts: Real-world applications that make these concepts accessible and interesting.
• Data Science Projects: Practical advice on integrating data science into your curriculum.
• Generative AI Ethics: Discussing the ethical use of AI in education.
• Python as a Teaching Tool: Exploring the versatility of Python for various projects.

Key Takeaways

• Integrating Computational Thinking Skills: Tips on how to weave these skills into everyday classroom routines.
• Teamwork and Communication: The importance of teamwork and effective communication in coding projects.
• Engaging Lessons with Python: How Python can be used to create engaging and meaningful projects for students.

About Kelly Powers

Kelly Powers transitioned from the business world to education, bringing a fresh perspective on teaching computational thinking. She offers invaluable insights into making rigorous and joyful learning experiences for middle school students.

Whether you are an experienced teacher or new to the field, this episode is packed with actionable ideas and inspirational moments that will help you create a more engaging and effective learning environment.

Tune in for a lively conversation that celebrates the magic of middle school teaching and the endless possibilities of computer science education.

Listen to the episode: Teaching Python Podcast

Follow us on Social Media:

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Special Guest: Kelly Powers.

Support Teaching Python

Links:

• CodeHS - Teach Coding and Computer Science at Your School | CodeHS — Everything You Need, All In One Spot CodeHS is trusted by thousands of teachers and schools all over the world.
• Overview ‹ Scratch — MIT Media Lab — Scratch is the world's most popular coding community for kids. Millions of kids around the world are using Scratch to program their own interactive stories, games, and animations—and share their creations in an active online community.
• Welcome To Colab - Colab — Colab is an online Jupyter notebook from Google
• Computer Science Teachers Association Connect, Grow, & Share With CS Teachers- — CSTA understands that teaching computer science is hard. That’s why we’re focused on creating a supportive environment for K–12 educators.

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 Python

Links:

• 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 system
• Anaconda
• Anaconda 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.