Teaching Python

Sean Tibor and Kelly Paredes
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Aug 6, 2021 • 54min

Episode 74: Bringing CS Standards to Life

With the new school year upon us, we're talking about CSTA standards and how they can be applied to the classroom environment. Join Kelly and Sean as they talk through ways to plan, deliver, and assess CS student standards. The Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) provides student standards for learning as well as professional development standards for instructions. For example, there are 23 standards for grades 6-8 that cover everything from algorithms & programming to inclusionary culture to networks and internet. How do you go from a published standard to an engaging lesson that raises student learning?Support Teaching PythonLinks:Crunchy Engineering of Pringles' Hyperbolic Paraboloid Shape | IE — "Once you pop, the fun don't stop", is the slogan of the popular American chip brand Pringles. But if you're an engineer, you might be interested in Pringles for more than just their addictive crunch and taste. In fact, Pringles have been designed in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid.Standards | Computer Science Teachers Association — K-12 teaching standards for Computer Science(19) Alex (Mengyao) Wang | LinkedIn — Talks about #python, #technology, #datascience, #machinelearning, and #artificialintelligenceTeaching Python - Blog - Hacking the Classroom Hand Sanitizer Dispenser Part 2 — In Part 1 of this series, we hacked the hand sanitizer dispenser and got it talking to Home Assistant as a binary sensor. For this part, we'll work on a couple of useful automations in HA that will collect data and make it fun for students to sanitize. By the end of this part, you should have a sensor that shows today's dispenses, an automation that makes Alexa speak and some lights flash, and even an interface to a local MQTT broker to send and receive data with other devices.
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Jul 23, 2021 • 56min

Episode 73: Designing Curriculum with Quinten Sheriff

The Teaching Python podcast speaks with Quinten Sheriff from Concordia University , an Instructional Designer, e-learning implementation specialist, and curriculum developer with global experience on four continents. A systems thinker who uses instructional models such as ADDIE, AGILE, SAM, ARCS. In this episode, we will explore topics such as designing curriculum for the next year, and what it means to design for instruction versus designing for content. In this we can also look at designing for inclusivity, diversity and equity.Special Guest: Quinten Sheriff.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Amazon.com: The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. eBook: Coyle, Daniel: Kindle Store — Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism.Teaching Python Newsletter — Sign up for our newsletter!
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Jul 6, 2021 • 1h 6min

Episode 72: Catching Up

It's been a few weeks since we recorded, so this week's episode is all about catching up on listener questions and mail. Highlights include: the new AWS machine learning course we're taking, whether we'd rather be teachers or coders the new Adafruit hardware we're trying the Deep Composer keyboard equity and equitable opportunity in and out of the classroom You can also check out the recording of the livestream on our YouTube ChannelSupport Teaching PythonLinks:Doll-E 1.0 - Kindle edition by McCloskey, Shanda. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. — A STEM-friendly tale of a girl and the doll she upgrades to be her new friend, for fans of The Most Magnificent Thing and Rosie Revere, Engineer.T-Bone the Drone - Kindle edition by McCloskey, Shanda. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. — A new tech toy brings epic trials and triumphs in this playtime adventure for fans of The Most Magnificent Thing and Iggy Peck, Architect.Data.WA | State of Washington Open Data Platform | Data.WA | State of Washington — Welcome to Data.WA.gov - the general purpose open data portal for the State of Washington.Learn computer programming | Online courses from JetBrains Academy — Try a holistic approach to learning in which you study the theory and immediately put it into practice by building working applications. Dive into Java, Python, and other programming languages in a project-based learning environment that is integrated with JetBrains IDEs.AWS Machine Learning Foundations Course | Udacity Free Courses — Study machine learning techniques and algorithms, programming best practices, python coding, and Amazon AI Services and Amazon AI Devices, including Amazon SageMaker and Amazon DeepComposer. The foundations course is intended to help developers of all skill levels get started with machine learning.Amazon.com: AWS DeepComposer – a machine learning-enabled musical keyboard for developers: Amazon Devices — AWS DeepComposer gives developers a creative way to get started with machine learning. Get hands-on, literally, with a musical keyboard and the latest machine learning techniques, designed to expand your ML skills.Computer Chronicles Revisited, Part 16 — The Apple Logo Programming Language - S.M. Oliva — Today, Python is probably the most popular computer programming language taught in elementary and secondary schools. (There’s even a terrific podcast, Teaching Python, on this subject.) But back in the 1980s, BASIC was the language of choice for many introductory computer classrooms. Specifically, versions of Microsoft BASIC came with many popular 8-bit microcomputers, including the Apple II and Commodore 64, which were also commonly used in schools at the time.Amazon.com: A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence eBook: Hawkins, Jeff, Dawkins, Richard: Kindle Store — For all of neuroscience's advances, we've made little progress on its biggest question: How do simple cells in the brain create intelligence? Jeff Hawkins and his team discovered that the brain uses maplike structures to build a model of the world-not just one model, but hundreds of thousands of models of everything we know. This discovery allows Hawkins to answer important questions about how we perceive the world, why we have a sense of self, and the origin of high-level thought. A Thousand Brains heralds a revolution in the understanding of intelligence. It is a big-think book, in every sense of the word. GitHub Copilot · Your AI pair programmer — Trained on billions of lines of public code, GitHub Copilot puts the knowledge you need at your fingertips, saving you time and helping you stay focused.PyBites Platform | Real World Python Exercises — Solve Real World Problems Using Python Overwhelmed by tutorials? Stop consuming books and courses! The only way to really learn to code is to write a lot of relevant code. Our platform makes you a confident programmer fast.Real-World Python: A Hacker's Guide to Solving Problems with Code: Vaughan, Lee: 9781718500624: Amazon.com: Books — Through a series of hands-on projects, you'll investigate and solve real-world problems using sophisticated computer vision, machine learning, data analysis, and language processing tools. You'll be introduced to important modules like OpenCV, NumPy, Pandas, NLTK, Bokeh, Beautiful Soup, Requests, HoloViews, Tkinter, turtle, matplotlib, and more. You'll create complete, working programs and think through intriguing projects that show you how to:Adafruit IO Wippersnapper DevLog #1: What IS Wippersnapper? #AdafruitIO​​ #Adafruit​ #IoT @adafruit @adafruitio « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — Adafruit IO Wippersnapper is a new way to create robust Internet of Things Projects without writing code. Wippersnapper is in early development and it’s not out yet. Adafruit FunHouse - WiFi Home Automation Development Board : ID 4985 : $34.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits — Home is where the heart is...it's also where we keep all our electronic bits. So why not wire it up with sensors and actuators to turn our house into an electronic wonderland. Whether it's tracking the environmental temperature and humidity in your laundry room, or notifying you when someone is detected in the kitchen, to sensing when a window was left open, or logging when your cat leaves through the pet door, this board is designed to make it way easy to make WiFi-connected home automation projects.Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Sense : ID 4516 : $32.50 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits — The Adafruit Feather Bluefruit Sense takes our popular Feather nRF52840 Express and adds a smorgasbord of sensors to make a great wireless sensor platform. This Feather microcontroller comes with Bluetooth Low Energy and native USB support featuring the nRF52840!  This Feather is an 'all-in-one' Arduino-compatible + Bluetooth Low Energy with built in USB plus battery charging. With native USB it works great with CircuitPython, too.EngiNerds (MAX) - Kindle edition by Lerner, Jarrett. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. — Ken is an EngiNerd: one of a super-smart group of friends—all nerds—who have been close since kindergarten.Amazon.com: POWER A Nano Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch - Grey-Neon, Works with Nintendo Switch Lite, Bluetooth Controller, Gamepad, Compact, Smaller, Rechargeable, Portable - Nintendo Switch: Video Games — Wireless Controller with Bluetooth 5.0 Technology + compact ergonomic shell with standard sized Buttons & controls Features motion controls and mappable advanced gaming Buttons + LEDs for player number, button mapping, and low battery warning
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Jun 21, 2021 • 1h 16min

Episode 71: Summer Professional Development with John Mikton

With summer finally here in the northern hemisphere, Kelly and Sean meet with John Mikton from the Principals Training Center to talk about professional development resources for teachers during these long summer days. From technical resources to pedagogical research to classroom layout ideas, we'll talk about some of the things we're excited to learn this summer.Special Guest: John Mikton.Support Teaching PythonLinks:The Big Google Doc of John's Links — We asked John to compile a list of resources for teachers and this was the result. Click through to get an amazing wealth of teacher training and learning materials.The Learning Ideas Conference — New technologies provide us with new opportunities to create new learning experiences, leveraging research from a variety of disciplines along with imagination and creativity. The Learning Ideas Conference has been created to bring researchers, practitioners, and others together to discuss, innovate, and create.Learn Computer Science – JetBrains Academy — This track will guide you on your path of mastering Python, one of the much-in-demand languages in today's environment. Known for its straightforward syntax, Python is easy to learn and use, which gained this language popularity and makes its community grow every day. Most commonly, Python is used in data science, web development, and task automation.Page from Using Technology in Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning - Chartered College of Teaching — Explore effective research-informed ways of using technology to support teaching and learning in the classroom.Amazon.com: A Day in Code- Python: Learn to Code in Python through an Illustrated Story (for Kids and Beginners) eBook: Eskenas, Shari, Quintero Villafraz, Ana: Kindle Store — For kids and beginners of all ages, learning to code in the Python programming language has never been this fun...or fast! This story of an epic day describes real-life situations with Python computer programs presented next to beautiful full-page illustrations. You'll see how activities like adding toppings to a waffle breakfast and playing a game of balloon darts are described with Python programs.Summer Workshops - EdTechTeacher — Summer 2021 marks our 19th year of EdTechTeacher Summer Workshops. Just like you have had to adjust, so have we! This year we are offering virtual summer workshops to help you create learning environments that lead to your students’ success.Webinars | Resources | Jamf — Webinars from Jamf designed for teachers and IT professionals using Apple devices in the education space.5 Reasons Students Today Need Innovative Learning Spaces | Emerging Education Technologies — That the future of learning and development requires around technology and innovation is a simple reality. Today, students need creative learning spaces to help them build knowledge and think like creators. With the right use of technology, learners can witness an increase in information-retaining and concentration abilities. Innovation is also likely to boost learner-centered education programs. Online projects with interesting education questions and answers will provide students the chance to build their capacity to collaborate and enhance their skills.The Science of Well-Being by Yale University | Coursera — In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life. Luxembourg Tech School — As mentioned in the episode, the Luxembourg Tech School is running a hackathon on July 3. Follow them to learn more.Talk Python Training - Python courses and tutorials for developers - [Talk Python Training] — Learn on-demand through high quality training videos. Our videos and additional resources are available 24/7 so you can learn what you need exactly when you need it.AWS Scholarship - AWS Machine Learning Engineer — AWS and Udacity are collaborating to educate developers of all skill levels on machine learning concepts. We invite students 18 years of age or older who are interested in expanding their machine learning skills and expertise to enroll in the AWS Machine Learning Scholarship Program. The goal for this program is to up-level machine learning skills to all, and to cultivate the next generation of ML leaders across the world, with a focus on underrepresented groups. Through its We Power Tech Program, AWS collaborates with professional organizations that are leading initiatives to increase the diversity and talent in technical roles, including organizations like Girls In Tech and the National Society of Black Engineers.The International Schools Podcast — Every two weeks we discuss all aspects of technology and life in International Schools. Brought to you by AppsEvents and Acer Education.
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Jun 8, 2021 • 42min

Episode 70: Teaching with Visual Studio Code

Continuing our Education IDE series, Kelly and Sean meet with Brigit Murtaugh and Sana Ajani from the VS Code team for education. We'll talk about everything from remote teaching to accelerating the setup of a learning environment with VS Code and development containers. You may have used Visual Studio Code for your own projects or tinkered around with the vast number of settings and extensions. But have you thought about how to use it as a teaching tool? Thankfully, Brigit and Sana are here to talk us through all of the resources and new features being added to VS code for education.Special Guests: Brigit Murtaugh and Sana Ajani.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Microsoft Learn | Microsoft Docs — Whether you're just starting or an experienced professional, our hands-on approach helps you arrive at your goals faster, with more confidence and at your own pace.Development Containers in Education with Visual Studio Code — Development containers with Visual Studio Code can serve as a fantastic tool in education to ensure students have a consistent coding environment. They take care of setup so that students and instructors can quickly move past configuration, and instead focus on what's truly important: learning and coding something great! Coding and learning with VS Code on Chromebooks — For the last few years, Chromebooks running Google Chrome OS have been providing an alternative to "traditional" laptops. Thanks to lots of choices, from very affordable models to high-end ones, Chromebooks are especially popular among students, who can use them for learning, completing assignments, and attending classes virtually. While Chromebooks and Chrome OS are typically centered around the web browser, you can also enable a Linux environment that allows installing native desktop applications, including Visual Studio Code!Using DevContainers to Standardize Student Development Environments: An Experience Report — In computer science classes it can be a challenge to ensure every student has a functioning development environment. Running preconfigured servers that provide students with remote access can help mitigate most of these setup issues, however they can also introduce new limitations of their own. We propose using DevContainers to overcome the local machine setup difficulties for the students. DevContainers allow the instructional staff to provision a development environment (a Docker image) with all the correct software versions pre-configured. This development environment can be used on any major OS through Docker. Moreover, through this DevContainer configuration, Microsoft Visual Studio Code can integrate seamlessly with the Docker container to provide an experience for the user that is practically the same as working on the native OS. This work examines the value of employing a DevContainer setup in an Advanced Data Structures course and provides details for those interested in using DevContainers in their courses.Learn to code with materials inspired by "Space Jam: A New Legacy" | Microsoft EDU — Space Jam: A New Legacy is inspiring unique learning opportunities for students of all ages! Basketball and coding have more in common than you might think; they both require practice, creativity, and coaching. That’s why we’ve teamed up to bring educators and students learning materials inspired by the film. Research shows learners are more likely to retain and explore based on culturally relevant areas of passion, and our lessons guide learners through authentically solving real problems.1Visual Studio Code - Code Editing. Redefined — Code editing. Redefined. Free. Built on open source. Runs everywhere.microsoft/vscode: Visual Studio Code — This repository ("Code - OSS") is where we (Microsoft) develop the Visual Studio Code product together with the community. Not only do we work on code and issues here, we also publish our roadmap, monthly iteration plans, and our endgame plans. This source code is available to everyone under the standard MIT license.
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May 26, 2021 • 59min

Episode 69: Teaching with PyCharm Edu

Continuing our Education IDE series, Kelly and Sean talk with Valentina Kiryushkina, a developer on the PyCharm Edu team to learn all about how JetBrains supports teaching and learning Python. With everything from online courses to creating classroom assignments, we're sure you'll find something to like about PyCharm Edu. Features Free for teachers and learners Online open courses available Create your own courses and assignments Marketplace coming soon Full features of PyCharm, but decluttered for learning Where to Download JetBrains Website EduTools Special Offer JetBrains has offered a free month of JetBrains Academy, a project-based learning platform integrated with JetBrains IDEs, if you register at the platform through the following link: Special Offer Special Guest: Valentina Kiryushkina.Support Teaching PythonLinks:For Learners | Educational Products — As a Learner you can join a public interactive programming course from the list, verify tasks, get instant feedback and quick results using an intelligent development tool.For Educators | Educational Products — You can share your knowledge in the form of coding tasks and custom verification tests.
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19 snips
May 18, 2021 • 1h 4min

Episode 68: Learning How To Learn with Barbara Oakley

In this engaging discussion, Barbara Oakley, a professor and author known for her insights into how we learn, shares her journey from a Russian translator to a leading educational innovator. She outlines the two pathways of memory—declarative and procedural—and emphasizes the importance of thoughtful practice and pattern recognition in mastering skills like coding. Oakley also explores the thrill of the 'click moment' in learning, the balance of failure and iteration, and the role of curiosity in education. Plus, she highlights her upcoming books and courses.
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May 11, 2021 • 57min

Episode 67: Mu Editor: Part 1 of the Education IDE Series

Kelly and Sean kick off part 1 of their Education IDE series with Nick Tollervey and the Mu Editor, a Python editor for beginners with modes for "pure Python," MicroPython, CircuitPython, PyGame, Flask web apps, and more. About the Education IDE Series The Teaching Python podcast is launching a monthly episode series dedicated to the different IDEs and editors available to teachers. Our goal is to give educators a more detailed view of each editor and the specific features that they can leverage for teaching effectively. In contrast with a developer-focused series, our goal is to focus on how each editor can enhance student learning. Proof that we met Nick at PyCon US 2019 Special Guest: Nick Tollervey.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Code With Mu — Code with Mu: a simple Python editor for beginner programmers.Mu thanks — Mu would not be possible without the help and support of many volunteer developers who give up their time to improve Mu. However, it is important to acknowledge the help and work of others who may not be developers, those who make significant contributions or those whose work is essential for Mu. If you find Mu useful, why not thank the following people and organisations? It takes only a minute of your time to tweet your appreciation.CodeGrades — CodeGrades are eight cumulative steps for learning how to code. They're a programming version of time-proven techniques like music grades, belts in martial arts or lifeguard certification. Level up by applying the knowledge and skills needed for each grade to your own fun, interesting and challenging coding projects.EduBlocks — EduBlocks is the easiest way to make the transition from blocks to text.
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May 4, 2021 • 47min

Episode 66: Designing Projects with Python Libraries

In this episode, Sean and Kelly, share a brainstorming activity on designing projects with Python libraries. We have a special guest Mike Driscoll, author of several books and the blog "The Mouse vs The Python". In this episode we will use the Python Library Pillow to brainstorm some creative ways that Pillow can and has been used to teach students about Python Libraries. Coming up with project ideas that are creative, engaging, and allow students the flexibility to explore is one of the most important activities that Sean and Kelly do daily. We love introducing many different aspects of Python and push the boundaries with our students. We often discuss and brainstorm ideas on how we can incorporate libraries that are new to us in the curriculum. Although we have used Pillow very briefly, with the help of expert Mike Driscoll, Sean and I will explore project ideas for using Pillow from 6th grade to developer.Special Guest: Mike Driscoll.Support Teaching PythonLinks:Enter to win an eBook copy of Pillow Image Processing with Python — 3 winners will be selected on May 15 to receive an eBook copy of Mike's book, Pillow Image Processing with Python. Fill out this Google Form to enter.Kindle Version of Pillow: Image Processing with Python, Driscoll, Michael, eBook - Amazon.com — Pillow: Image Processing with Python is the only book that covers the Pillow package, the friendly fork of the Python Imaging Library (PIL). The first few chapters of the book will get you started down the path of knowledge and help you understand how to use Pillow effectively.Paperback Version of Pillow: Image Processing with Python: Driscoll, Michael: 9798585391583: Amazon.com: Books — Pillow: Image Processing with Python is the only book that covers the Pillow package, the friendly fork of the Python Imaging Library (PIL). The first few chapters of the book will get you started down the path of knowledge and help you understand how to use Pillow effectively. This book is printed in FULL COLOR.Leanpub Version - Pillow: Image Processing… by Michael Driscoll [PDF/iPad/Kindle] — The eBook on Leanpub or Gumroad supports Mike the most. Have you ever wondered how to use Python to process your images? Wonder no longer! The Pillow package is Python's Imaging Library. In this book, you will learn how to crop photos, apply filters and transforms, work with colors and much more!Gumroad Version - Pillow: Image Processing with Python — The eBook on Leanpub or Gumroad supports Mike the most. Have you ever wondered how to use Python to process your images? Wonder no longer! The Pillow package is Python's Imaging Library. In this book, you will learn how to crop photos, apply filters and transforms, work with colors and much more!
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Apr 14, 2021 • 30min

Episode 65: Our Favorite Python Libraries

In this episode, Sean and Kelly discuss their top 5 favorite Python libraries, and how they use these libraries in the classroom to reinforce student learning. From the standard library to teaching how to use pip, learn more about our favorite libraries to share with our students. Our lists: Sean Datetime random Matplotlib bullet Kelly Pillow Math Turtle getpass Regex Support Teaching PythonLinks:Tutorial — Pillow (PIL Fork) 8.3.0.dev0 documentation — Tutorial Using the Image class The most important class in the Python Imaging Library is the Image class, defined in the module with the same name. You can create instances of this class in several ways; either by loading images from files, processing other images, or creating images from scratch.Episode #45: Processing Images in Python With Pillow – The Real Python Podcast — Are you interested in processing images in Python? Do you need to load and modify images for your Flask or Django website or CMS? Then you most likely will be working with Pillow, the friendly fork of PIL, the Python imaging library. This week on the show, we have Mike Driscoll, who is writing a new book about image processing in Python.Pillow: Image Processing… by Michael Driscoll [PDF/iPad/Kindle] — Have you ever wondered how to use Python to process your images? Wonder no longer! The Pillow package is Python's Imaging Library. In this book, you will learn how to crop photos, apply filters and transforms, work with colors and much more!math — Mathematical functions — Python 3.9.4 documentation — This module provides access to the mathematical functions defined by the C standard.Gallery — Matplotlib 3.4.1 documentation — This gallery contains examples of the many things you can do with Matplotlib. Click on any image to see the full image and source code.bchao1/bullet: 🚅 Interactive prompts made simple. Build a prompt like stacking blocks. — 🎨 Customize prompts in your Python CLI tool. Extensive support for formatting, colors, background colors, styling, and etc. Also supports emojis!datetime — Basic date and time types — Python 3.9.4 documentation — The datetime module supplies classes for manipulating dates and times.Amazon.com: Petoi Bittle Bionic Open Source Robot Dog which has Customized Arduino board, Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Arduino IDE and graphical programming, Easy to operate and Rich curriculum resources: Computers & Accessories — Petoi Bittle is a small but agile and powerful bionic robot dog which has the unique bionic system can perform dynamic movement and has excellent coordination.The bionic structure of the legs gives it more freedom in unstructured terrain.This dynamic mobility can only be seen in some of the best laboratories or some luxury robots of big companies, such as Boston Dynamics Spot or Sony Aibo.The Beginner's Guide to Python Turtle – Real Python — When I was a kid, I used to learn Logo, a programming language that involved a turtle that you could move around the screen with just a few commands. I remember feeling like a computer genius as I controlled this little object on my screen, and this was what got me interested in programming in the first place. The Python turtle library comes with a similar interactive feature that gives new programmers a taste of what it’s like to work with Python.turtle — Turtle graphics — Python 3.9.4 documentation — Turtle graphics is a popular way for introducing programming to kids. It was part of the original Logo programming language developed by Wally Feurzeig, Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon in 1967.re — Regular expression operations — Python 3.9.4 documentation — This module provides regular expression matching operations similar to those found in Perl.getpass — Portable password input — Python 3.9.4 documentation — getpass — Portable password input

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