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