Python for Kids

So I wanted to expose the world of programming to my son, who is pretty adept as a computer user, but has little knowledge of their internal working or how software is actually created.

I was looking at python since its cost of ownership is free, there are lots of online resources, and we can do a lot with it. I also wanted to brush up on my Python knowledge so this seems to be a good match.

I found the O'Reilly book, Python for Kids, as a guide. But I am sure we are going to go off course. The nice "hook" with this book is that we are, by the end, going to create a game. Once I said that, it was like I entered a Shangri-La of enthusiasm.

We had a couple of sessions getting use the environment, understanding what a variable is. What we can do with it. Some math operations running the interpreter. And then we moved into storing our commands in files so that we did not have to continually retype our program.

But then we created an assignment for ourselves: The times table. This is what we decided to do:

1. Take two numbers from the user, the times table to output, and its range, how much of the table we wanted to product.

2. For each value in the range calculate the times table entry.

3. Output it for the user.

4. Profit. (Why do people say this?)

This little assignment taught us:

• About user input. 
• How user input is a string, even if they type in a number, since a number can be a string. 
• Converting that input string to a number.
• How a for loop helps us count through the table.
• Performing the calculation.
• Printing output.

He was quite amazed at the speed at which the computer can calculate since he is trying to learn his times tables and fun things like long division.

Killing Motivation #11 - Ignoring your own Advice to Client on Retaining Staff.

Lets say you have a subset of your workforce that is highly specialized. Also,  this is in an area of business that you want to show to your clientel that you have expertise in. How would you demoralize your specialized workforce?

Follow these quick and easy steps.

1. Ignore training. Your highly specialized workforce needs training to be effective and keep up in that ever changing area. They want/need training. Decline all requests for training, no matter how cheap.

2.  Enforce use of Chimp Tools. Force your highly specialized workforce to use stupid and embarrassing tools that you create. Make sure these tools are the laughing stock of the industry. Ensure that your specialized workforce MUST use these tools and that they have to continually apologize and make excuses for these tools. This way, your specialized workforce will be made to feel like chimpanzees operating a vending machine.

 3. Ignore advice. Your specialized staff has good ideas on how to make your products better based on their expertise. Ignore it, no matter how stupid and embarrasing you will look.

4. Webinar to customers on retaining staff yet be clueless in your own implementation. Once you have done all of the above, then have your Specialized Workforce Pimps group webinar your clients on how to retain your specialized staff. Ensure you tell your clients that training your staff is important.