#NAFNext

Resources Pt 2

• Joe Kmoch, joe@jkmoch.com• Milwaukee, WI• For Wisconsin Math Council, May 2, 2013

#NAFNext

Language Environments

• Scratch and Snap – Scratch is a programming language that

makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web. <scratch.mit.edu>

– Snap is an enhanced version developed at UC Berkeley adding lists, procedures and recursion; it will be web-based soon. <snap.berkeley.edu>

– Panther from MIT is an outgrowth of Scratch focused on Scratch programmers

– All are free

#NAFNext

#NAFNext

Language Environments - Scratch

• Scratch has a nice “Getting Started” tutorial in the Help section

• Scratch is being used by students from grades 3-14

• Scratch is the primary programming tool for – Exploring CS Curriculum for gr 9-10– AP Principles of CS for gr 10-12

#NAFNext

Language Environments

• Alice–makes it easy to create an animation

for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web.

– is a teaching tool for introductory computing. It uses 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate a more engaging, less frustrating first programming experience.

– Free at <http://alice.org/>

#NAFNext

#NAFNext

Language Environments

Alice (v2.2)Used in grades 6-14 (and beyond)Storytelling Alice for middle schoolV3.0 with full Java codingSeveral textbooks availableOnline tutorials

#NAFNext

Language Environments

GameMakerCommercial product with a free “lite” versionCreate games for a desktop or a mobile deviceUsed in grades 6-8 and higherFocused on games and puzzles

#NAFNext

#NAFNext

Python

Python.orgThe Python Wiki is central source for tutorials, documentation etcMany texts availableCommercially used but also very teachable in a classroomUsed in NAF AOIT Intro to Programming

#NAFNext

Python – resources

Monty Python – aka Karel the Robot for Python•http://csis.pace.edu/~bergin/MontyKarel/index.html

Coding PracticeCodingbat for Python

<http://codingbat.com/python>

#NAFNext

Python – media approach

Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python 3/e by Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson at Georgia Tech (Pearson)Uses multimedia applications (sound, graphics, music, pictures and movies) to motivate intro CSBoth authors are very involved in the K-12 CS community

#NAFNext

Python – other resources

Pygame.org

Pygame is a set of Python modules designed for writing full featured games.Multimedia programs

#NAFNext

Python – other resources

Vpython.orgcreate objects such as spheres and cones in 3D space and displays these objects in a window. easier to create simple visualizations, allowing programmers to focus more on the computational aspect of their programs. Used to illustrate simple physics

#NAFNext

Guzdial and Ericson Media Computation

Media Computation (Java, Python, Alice, spreadsheets) http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-teach

Mark Guzdial’s AniAniweb http://home.cc.gatech.edu/guzdial

His Computing Education blog http://computinged.wordpress.com/

#NAFNext

New CS Courses - ECS

Exploring Computer ScienceDeveloped in LA School District with UCLA and U of OregonUses project-based inquiry-based approachCurriculum free and onlineTheir professional development is critical to successful use of this curriculumAny programming is done in Scratch <http://exploringcs.org>

#NAFNext

New CS Courses - ECS

• Exploring CS Curriculum– Six 6-week units

• Human Computer Interaction• Problem Solving• Web Design• Programming• Computing and Data Analysis• Robotics

– Integrated topics: Ethical and Social Issues in Computing & Careers in Computing

#NAFNext

New CS Courses - ECS

Exploring CS Professional Development•For a two year period•One week during summer before to see 1st semester content and learn how to teach with inquiry-based project-based paradigm•Focused networking among teachers during school year and several FTF sessions•Similar sequence for 2nd summer and 2nd year

#NAFNext

New CS Courses – AP CSP

AP Principles of Computer ScienceAP Course to precede the current AP CS-A Java courseIn 2nd year of pilots both at high schools and collegesSeveral models have been developed including use of Scratch for the less than 50% programming in the course, first test won’t be before 2017http://www.csprinciples.org/

#NAFNext

New CS Courses – AP CSP

• Curriculum based on CS Big Ideas– Creativity, – Abstraction, – Data, – Algorithms, – Programming, – Internet, – Impact

• Computational Thinking Practices are focus

#NAFNext

Java resources (csitresources.pbworks.com wiki)

• Greenfoot – graphics-based Java environment

• JavaWIDE – web-based Java compiler• Alice – V3.0 uses Java• Karel J Robot – Java-based Karel the Robot• FANG – Freely Accessable Networked

Game engine• Dr Java – interactive Java environment• All links

<http:/csitresources.pbworks.com>

#NAFNext

Yet other programming opportunities

• Processing (java library to do graphics programming) <http://processing.org/>

• Scheme, Dr. Scheme, now Racket– http://racket-lang.org/

• Logo variations:– NetLogo

<http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/>– StarLogo

<http://education.mit.edu/starlogo/>– StarLogo TNG

• <http://education.mit.edu/projects/starlogo-tng>

#NAFNext

Robotics

• Lego NXT Robots – <http://mindstorms.lego.com/>

• VEX Robots <http://www.vexrobotics.com/>

• Finch Robots <http://www.finchrobot.com/>

• Competitions:– FIRST Robotics FRC (the big robots)– FIRST Robotics FTC (smaller Lego-based

robots for high school level) <http://www.usfirst.org/>

– VEX Competition • <http://www.vexrobotics.com/competition/>

#NAFNext

Hardware/Software Playthings

• Arduino Microcontrollers– an open-source electronics prototyping

platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.

– intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

– based on wiring and processing• http://www.arduino.cc/

• Raspberry Pi (an ARM-Linux board for $25-$35) <http://www.raspberrypi.org/>

#NAFNext

CS Unplugged Activity

• A number guessing trick– Guess a number between 1 and 31– Tell me which cards your number is on– I’ll come up with the number

#NAFNext

CS Unplugged – binary

– Figure out how my trick works– Figure out why the numbers are

arranged as they are on my large cards

#NAFNext

CS Unplugged – report out

• What did you find out about binary numbers

• How does the trick work?• Why does the trick work (in

particular what is special about the arrangement of the numbers on the various cards)?

#NAFNext

CS Unplugged

• There are about 25 lessons which focus on a CS idea yet don’t require a computer <http://csunplugged.org>

• Other topics include image representation, sorting, searching, information theory, text compression

• Cited in many curricular publications• Used in both new CS curricula– Exploring CS– AP Principles of CS

#NAFNext

Let’s try another

• Card Flip Magic – Error Detection & Correction– Lay out a 5 x 5 set of cards some with

card showing an X and some cards not– I’ll lay out another row and column to

make this a little more difficult– Someone behind my back one card

changes one card– I work hard to guess which one was

changed

#NAFNext

CS Unplugged – Card Flip Magic

• Tasks (in small groups)– How does this work?– Try some of the Extension Activities (pg

33)– Why might this be interesting to kids?– Unlike the Binary unit, this doesn’t have

specific activities for kids to work on• What might you suggest?

• After about 10 minutes, report out ideas?

#NAFNext

Interesting CS Support items

CS Bits and Bytes – NSF-supported newsletter highlighting something new and interesting in CS – at least 12 issues are out <http://www.nsf.gov/cise/csbytes/>

30 Free Programming eBooks <http://bit.ly/PlXSQK>

#NAFNext

Web Development and other IT Courses

• CSS Basics – tutorial http://cssbasics.com

• CSS Layouts – 22 CSS Layouts that Always Work." 

http://www.primarycss.com/

• Free eBooks on Computing Technologies  http://www.downloadfreepdf.com/

#NAFNext

More Web topics

PHP Course Tutorials and Reference Guide.  < http://www.developphp.com/list_php.php > This site also has a bunch of other programming courses and video tutorials dealing with web programming (eg, HTML, CSS, MySQL, Javascript and more).

HTML5 in the browser: Canvas, video, audio, and graphics. This is a series of 4 articles on this upcoming web standard presented in Inforworld magazine. < http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/html5-in-the-browser-canvas-video-audio-and-graphics-808

#NAFNext

...and one more

• 40 Online Generators for Web Designers Should Bookmark. Online Generators for Web Designers can be a great way to save time in your web design projects. This appears to be a wonderful resource. < http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2011/03/40-online-generators-for-web-designers-should-bookmark.html >

#NAFNext

Mobile app development

Android Game Development. These video tutorials might be useful in developing Android apps. <http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2F07DBCDCC01493A&feature=plcp>

App inventor http://www.appinventor.mit.edu/ PhoneGap: Mobile programming framework

supporting seven platforms - it's an HTML5 / Javascript environment. <http://phonegap.com>

#NAFNext

Other IT areas

An Absolute Beginner's Introduction to Database Indexes. Lots of SQL is explored as this tutorial proceeds. < http://www.kylescousin.com/2010/09/an-absolute-beginners-introduction-to-database-indexes/

Free textbooks related to IT - this site has lots of texts for learning Office, various programming languages, and many other topics. I can't vouch for the quality but they might be useful for some of you or your students. Free can't be all bad! <http://bookboon.com/uk/textbooks/it-programming>

#NAFNext

Comments

• These are just some of the hundreds of sites with materials available for AOIT courses.

• I make no disclaimer about any of these sites – some I’ve used or know teachers who have used them, some I’m aware of but have no experience

• Questions or your comments?

#NAFNext

Thank you

• These and other sites like this listed on the wiki for this session

• <http://csitresources.pbworks.com>

Joe Kmochjoe@jkmoch.com