Nifty Alice Teaching Ideas
Joyce TangThomas Russell Middle School
Milpitas, California
Classroom Setting
• Hands-off!• Watch where the mouse is going,
and what it is doing!• All minds engaged!• Don’t take note, just watch!
Techniques Teaching Sequence (10min each day!)
Day 1 1. add/remove/resize objects
2. Coding animation on “yellow screen”• Do together, loop
Day 2 1. opacity, set-vehicle
2. “right click” 3. importing sound
Day 3 1. Dummy cameras,
2. events 3. (the need to) write new methods
Analogy to a Book
http://frtim.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/open_book.jpghttp://blumamasart.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/mousebookmark1.jpghttp://www.bennettprops.com/_imgprod/buchtest.png
Idea 1: “Bookmarks”
1 bookmark only. . . BEFORE. . .
AFTER. . .4 “bookmarks”!
Idea 2: Methods = Chapters
Only 1 original method!
New
methods
created! MESSY AND
BULKY!
Idea 3: “Table of Content”
MESSY AND
BULKY!
2 lines of code!4 new methods created!
Calling new methods!
California 8th Grade Science
•Physics–Newton’s Laws–Forces and Motion
•Chemistry•Astronomy
http://uacoe.arizona.edu/wren/images/ca_state.jpg
Rube Goldberg Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWk9N92-wvg
Virtual Rube Goldberg Machines: Strengths
1. Every conceivable idea is doable and possible
2. Zero cost, zero waste!3. Overcoming space constraints4. Trial and error and debugging—
a great problem solving skill
Virtual Rube Goldberg Machines: Limitations1. Ideas revolved around Alice
objects only2. Demonstrate lack of real
physical understanding of matter and motion.
3. Hands-on vs. virtual experience, which one is more “real”?
Sample Student World
Sample Student World
Thoughts From Students
"I don't find ALICE that educational for students,
but it is entertaining“At the end of the 1st hour
"I made an airport runway into a
model runway!“At the end of the 1st hour
"I am really beginning to understand how
to use this program now. I am able to make things work
at the click of a mouse. It is incredibly rewarding!”
At the end of the 5th hour
"Today I was very successful! I finally got the
camera to move! My project is turning
out pretty good!” at the end of the 6th hour
" [Alice] is hard though to get it exactly how
you want it to be. It's very stressing.”
at the end of the 6th hour
"I got to design my program how I wanted. I got all
the codes broken down. Everything seems easier.“
at the end of the 3rd hour