2021-05-03 Python Study Group Retrospective

More Django topics (-Talia) +3 FP DK

• Most of us do more Django-focused work than pure Python

Database interactions/study (-Talia) +2 SC

• A lot of engineers I interact with aren’t super comfortable with database querying, Django migrations, etc.

Allow for lurkers (-Talia) +2

• Maybe some sort of display name or chat flag or something to indicate someone is just half-listening?

More edX specific stuff +4 JS, FP, NS, LK

• Introduction to various useful python scripts we use here at edX

• Navigating databases/shells

• Devstack

• XBlocks

• Comprehensive theming

• **opportunities especially for new folk to learn about the edX environment and how python is used in it

• **idea: when you finish on working on something weird, do a PSG presentation/add the topic to the doc

  • lower the threshold, just let people talk (no slides or REPL needed)

• **bring more visibility to the idea that we shouldn’t be tied to previous PSG topics and topic styles

• **edx dev study group vs core python study group?

  • devstack in depth

  • interactions between python and react

  • AWS

• **crowdsource topics ahead of time

• **team demos of new, useful things

Game Show style/jeopardy style study group JS, AD, CP

• Other formats would be cool

• Q&A sessions (“Bring your Django migrations questions” or the like) +2 NB CP

• **panels

• **expanding Ask Ned to Ask Other People Who Are Not Ned

• **python lightning talks

• **particularly clueless presenter: audience tells them what to do

Have the presenter share an outline/slides/etc. beforehand (maybe in the PSG wiki page) so people coming in late can follow along +1

Publish topics before the meeting +1 NS SC

Python inner workings. Dissecting the python runtime interpreter

Collect questions/topics from people asynchronously. People must have head-scratchers from time to time. +3 NB

• maybe take notes of the q&as to publish later?

Encourage/mandate audience participation (for example: “Simon, please come to the front of the class and type your solution into the terminal.”)

• **encourages cohesiveness

• **”do you have any thoughts”

• **list multiple people

• **make it the expectation for everyone to do it when they’re ready

• **easier to maybe do it in some methodical way (“around the room”)

Breakout groups?

Debugging a python bug in edx code walkthrough sessions? SC

Other python frameworks like Flask, Wagtail and etc.

Vacation incentive for presenters
But actually, find ways to bring in a larger group of presenters. AD

Switch back to having PSG every 2 weeks NB

Announce topics way ahead of time. FP, AD

Sessions on Decorators

• **many talks in the past. maybe try out of other topics before coming back to this again

• **related: how do we collect interesting topics as people think about them?

• **separate I Want To Learn vs I Want To Present more in the PSG doc

• **”approved list” of topics?

Overly long icebreakers +2

ICEBREAKERS +3

Welcoming vibe +1

Encourage new employees. Hack, be part of engineering onboarding requirement! +1

• **already implemented in some places

I like when there are talks that are mostly running from the REPL or examples over slides.

• **encourages interactive iteration

Presentations with code on them. +1

• **code on slides as well as REPL

Encouraging “dumb” questions (in another venue, I challenged people to come up with the “dumbest” question, which started a good discussion)

• **Becca loves this^^

• **have plants who are good at asking “dumb” questions

• **leave space for questions, make very clear that questions are welcomed and encouraged

  • count in your head to let the silence happen for long periods of time

A mix of practical and theoretical topics. +1

• **also a mix of beginner and more advanced (eg interpreter vs what is dunder?)