Episode 156: When Code Leaves the Screen

In this episode of Teaching Python, Kelly Schuster-Paredes and Julian Sequeira talk with engineer and maker Todd Kurt about physical computing and what happens when code moves from the screen to hardware. The conversation focuses on CircuitPython and MicroPython, including how they differ in design, teaching focus, and tradeoffs. Todd describes his background in engineering, web development, and open source hardware, and the group discusses practical classroom challenges such as bootloaders, UF2 files, board compatibility, libraries, and wiring mistakes. Kelly and Julian also share examples from their classrooms, where students use boards, sensors, NeoPixels, and other devices to build tangible projects and develop troubleshooting skills.