[edutex] TeX teaching

[J C]

Hi Boris,


Right off the bat, I suspect that sponsorships would be the way to go. It seems that many TeX users are affiliated with companies or universities who benefit from a tax write off or being able to mention their role in community/education outreach. Ultimately, it would be very nice to be able to provide a sponsored trip for a first place winner, and for them to receive some kind of framed copy of their submission.


For the content of the competition, I like to think of TeX as being used to produce beautiful, or at least precise, documents. Perhaps inaugural years of the proposed competition, you could have an open ended call for competition: Produce a document that conveys <x,y, z characteristics of a beautiful document>, such that (a) the final product, if printed, does not exceed letter paper size; (b)


In contest wording, it would be important to allow the flexibility for a contestant to typeset a written composition, such as a one-page essay about the history of typesetting, or for a contestant to create a more abstract piece...


Regarding judging, I would suggest that contestants provide source first to ensure that the product was produced in TeX and second to assess innovative or otherwise favorable uses.


Let's discuss this further to see where it can go.


// J.C. Claudio :: UCSD Class of 2003


________________________________
From: edutex <edutex-bounces at tug.org> on behalf of Boris Veytsman <borisv at lk.net>
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2017 6:25 PM
To: Educational TeX-based projects.
Cc: edutex at tug.org
Subject: Re: [edutex] TeX teaching

JC> From: J C <tau2128 at hotmail.com>
JC> Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:03:27 +0000


JC> After thinking about the conversation, perhaps rather than (or as
JC> an alternative to?) a certification, I suggest a new-user and/or
JC> student competition. From my end of the public school (Oak Grove
JC> High School, San Jose, California) spectrum, I feel like my
JC> colleagues would not find value in being TeX certified and this
JC> would not improve our membership numbers or quality. A student
JC> competition, however, would involve teachers or mentors seeking
JC> out students who would already be willing to learn and produce
JC> some document to specifications using TeX, hence actually
JC> fostering a fondness for it rather than a sense of obligation.

Jennifer, I think this is not an alternative, but an addition to
certification - or, rather, a completely different, but promising
topic.

I was thinking for quite some time about student competitions.  I
could try to fundraise for some prizes, like discounts for TUG
conferences - or, if we find a good sponsor, paid trip for the winners
to TUG.  What baffles me is, what kind of a competition we can make?
What are the tasks?  If there are ideas about this, let us discuss
them.

--
Good luck

-Boris

Federal grants are offered for... research into the recreation
potential of interplanetary space travel for the culturally disadvantaged.
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