Monday, September 20, 2010

CS Methods Sept 21 2010

Curriculum


CS curriculum - from Man Ed
    - new ideas about GLOs 1 - 3
  - GLO 4 - technology
      - what's typical, what's unusual
     - does the sequence make sense? What alternate sequence could you use?
     - is it just another math course?

Take one of the books and work out how much of it you would use and what order you would do it in. Imagine that you have a class of complete novices.

So - how should we get them started with CS?
What are different ways of getting them used to code?
  • Give code with blanks to fill in
  • Give code with simple errors
  • Use templates that they can adapt - see below

Remember
This is not just another math course!
x we need other examples and graphics and movement and ..........
x CS language skills / social skills / problem solving skills
x different aspects of CS - what should they know?

Jane McGonigal on TED and why we need to game more!
George Dyson on TED on The development of computers

Lab

Shared Google calendar - add your due dates if you haven't already.
Netvibes, google reader or another RRS reader.
Class wiki - request access
Gliffy - try it out

Teaching code

Reading first?

Actionscript Sample

_root.blue1._x = 300;
_root.green1._y = 200;
lose1._visible = false;
blue1.onPress = function() {
    blue1._alpha = 0;
    green1._y = 0;
};
blue1.onRollOver = function() {
    blue1._alpha += 10;
    green1._y += 30;
    if(green1._y >= 320)
    {
        lose1._visible = true;
        green1._visible = 0;
        blue1._visible = false;
    }
   
};




Actionscript Sample 2

_root.blue1._x = 300;
_root.green1._y = 50;
lose1._visible = false;
playAgain1._visible = false;
blue1.onPress = function() {
    blue1._alpha = 0;
    green1._y = 0;
};
blue1.onRollOver = function() {
    blue1._alpha += 10;
    green1._y += 30;
    if (green1._y>=320) {
        lose1._visible = true;
        green1._visible = 0;
        blue1._visible = false;
        playAgain1._visible = true;
    }
};
playAgain1.onRelease = function() {
    _root.blue1._alpha = 100;
    blue1._visible = true;
    _root.green1._y = 50;
    green1._visible = 1;
    lose1._visible = false;
    playAgain1._visible = false;
};

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Teacher and Tech Sept 16/17 2010

Class

Important Idea #1

Questions about the assignments
    x start a rubric for assignment 1 at Rubistar
       Other rubric sites - Eastern School District (Nfld), Kathy Schrock, Teach-noloy



(A 11 and A12) Manitoba Education - Curriculum Navigator
    x let’s plan some lessons together

Citation Sites - BibMe, EasyBib, RefWorks (via UofM library site)

Jane McGonigal on TED and why we need to game more!

Lab (for A17 and A15 only)

Donna Masson - Education librarian on doing research



For next week (Sept 21/22) read/watch/listen:


The influence of technology - Marshall McLuhan - McLuhan's Wake - disinfodave on YouTube and form Guitar Solo (go figure)
    x what is the McLuhan tetrad (the four aspects of a technology)?
    x what are hot and cold technologies?
    x how are his predication skills?



Nicolas Carr – Is Google Making Us Stupid?

We can still read! - Why Digital Doesn't Mean Dumb!

What is a good teacher?
Gladwell - How to Identify a Good Teacher Prospect

CS Methods Sept 16 2010


Class

Course Outline and assignments

How many of your students will go on to take CS in university or college?
  • - what are the implications of that for teaching your class?
  • - what do you want them to learn?
  • - does that effect what language you will use?
  • - does that mean you should lower your standards/expectations?
Rules about cheating - what is ‘cheating’ in CS? We all borrow code or code ideas. What are the limits?

School visits - choose 3 Mondays

Using Scratch to teach CS - John Maloney
    - is this just 'watering down' the CS course or is it the way to interest students in CS?
    - why would you NOT use this?

CS curriculum - from Man Ed
    - new ideas about GLOs 1 - 3
   - GLO 4 - technology
       - what's typical, what's unusual
      - does the sequence make sense? What alternate sequence could you use?
      - is it just another math course?

So - how should we get them started with CS?
What are different ways of getting them used to code?
  • Give code with blanks to fill in
  • Give code with simple errors
  • Use templates that they can adapt

Remember
This is not just another math course!
x we need other examples and graphics and movement and ..........
x CS language skills / social skills / problem solving skills
x different aspects of CS - what should they know?

Jane McGonigal on TED and why we need to game more!
George Dyson on TED on The development of computers

Lab

Shared Google calendar - add your due dates.
Netvibes, google reader or another RRS reader.
Class wiki - request access
Gliffy - try it out




For next class - look at
- ten Golden Rules for Teaching Computer Science   
www.cs.vu.nl/~ast/talks/cse-97/cse-97.pdf
       (great ideas, but what are the problems?)

Linked on my netvibes.com/rredekopp page are:


- the CS Teacher blog - http://blogs.msdn.com/alfredth/default.aspx
- and check the CSTA blog - http://blog.acm.org/csta/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Teacher and Technology Sept 14/15 2010

Sept 14/15 2010

Teacher and Technology - Dr. R. Redekopp


Shift Happens - are you ready?

MetaTeachnition - a new word for you to know. It means to think about your (or anyone else's) teaching and what is going on in terms of the you, the students, the classroom environment, your lesson, etc.

Introductions - one interesting thing about you!
- pictures (put your name - large and dark - on a piece of paper) and Mimio

Course outline
      Assignments! Read and weep - then boldly go where you have not gone before!! You can do this!!!

What is education?

  • What are schools for? What is education? Why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish with your students?
  • Write down a one or two sentence response
  • Share with one other person and modify/revise if you wish
  • Share with another pair of people
  • What do some 'experts' say? Audio excerpt from TVO - The Agenda

Do the 'experts' change your mind? Which of their definitions do you like best?

For next week (Sept 21/22) read/watch/listen:
McLuhan -
McLuhan Overview - roddy99 on YouTube (watch and take notes on the four things that change for next class)

Nicolas Carr
– Is Google Making Us Stupid?

We can still read! - Why Digital Doesn't Mean Dumb!
What is a good teacher?
Gladwell - How to Identify a Good Teacher Prospect

CS Methods Sept 2010

Welcome here! It should be an awesome term.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

ManACE/MindSet/Microsoft Summer workshops

 Announcing the ManACE/MindSet/Microsoft Summer Sessions

Once again most of the sessions are two-day sessions, but there are a few that are only one day long. The registration fee for all sessions is $35.00 (plus $1.86 registration fee) which is mainly to cover food costs. This is our first increase in more than 5 years! The main costs are covered by MindSet and Microsoft and we appreciate their support very much.

Note that we have:

  • some specialized Smartboard sessions and
  • one for resource teachers or anyone working with special needs students.
We still have to finalize a couple of sessions so check back if you don’t find what you need.

Dates: July 5/6, July 7/8, Aug 30/31

We have some sessions in Winnipeg (at various locations) and some in Elm Creek (it’s worth the trip) and Sunrise SD (also worth a trip).

Elementary Teachers

PLN – Building a Personal/Professional Learning Network July 5-6

Dabbling in Technological Design - Elm Creek School Jul 5-6

Smartboard (Early Years Focus) - Elm Creek School Jul 5

Ya Mean It’s A Phone TOO!?! Jul 6

Blogs, Blabs & Inquiry - Elm Creek School Jul 7-8

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words - Elm Creek Jul 7-8

iTouch for Special Needs: There's an App for That! Jul 7

Fun and memorable multimedia projects for Kindergarten-Grade 8 Classroom Teachers Jul 7-8

Building Your Professional Learning Network the Web 2.0 Way Jul 8

Get SMARTer (taking the next step with a SMART Board) Aug 30-31 – Sunrise SD

Cheap and Easy Multimedia in the Classroom - Portage Collegiate Aug 30-31


Middle Years Teachers

PLN – Building a Personal/Professional Learning Network July 5-6

Dabbling in Technological Design - Elm Creek School Jul 5-6

Flash Animation and Games made Simple Jul 5-6

Smartboard (Middle Years Focus) - Elm Creek School Jul 6

Ya Mean It’s A Phone TOO!?! Jul 6

Blogs, Blabs & Inquiry - Elm Creek School Jul 7-8

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words - Elm Creek Jul 7-8

iTouch for Special Needs: There's an App for That! Jul 7

Fun and memorable multimedia projects for Kindergarten-Grade 8 Classroom Teachers Jul 7-8

Building Your Professional Learning Network the Web 2.0 Way Jul 8

Get SMARTer (taking the next step with a SMART Board) Aug 30-31 – Sunrise SD

Cheap and Easy Multimedia in the Classroom - Portage Collegiate Aug 30-31


Senior Years Teachers

PLN – Building a Personal/Professional Learning Network July 5-6

Dabbling in Technological Design - Elm Creek School Jul 5-6

Making games: Channel the energy used playing games into creative activity Jul 5-6

Get SMART with Senior Years Math Jul 5–6

Flash Animation and Games made Simple

Ya Mean It’s A Phone TOO!?! Jul 6

Blogs, Blabs & Inquiry - Elm Creek School Jul 7-8

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words - Elm Creek Jul 7-8

iTouch for Special Needs: There's an App for That! Jul 7

Literacy with ICT for Senior Years teachers. Jul 7

Building Your Professional Learning Network the Web 2.0 Way Jul 8

Get SMARTer (taking the next step with a SMART Board) Aug 30-31 – Sunrise SD

Cheap and Easy Multimedia in the Classroom - Portage Collegiate Aug 30-31


Register early to avoid disappointment. Registration will close on June 25 so we can let instructors know how many people will be in their sessions.

You must use a credit card and register online. We use Paypal to collect the fees, but you DO NOT need a Paypal account to register, just a credit card. If you are reluctant to use your credit card online, ask your principal or superintendent to register for you.

You can register at:
http://mmmsummer2010.eventbrite.com/


Friday, April 30, 2010

Glenn Wiebe - Guest Post as part of Blog Swap

As part of the I Love EdTech blog swap, Reyn has allowed me to write a guest post. I work as a curriculum / technology consultant for an educational service center based in Hutchinson, Kansas and spend a lot of my time with social studies teachers around the Midwest.

Part of what I do is to find ways of integrating video games into classroom instruction.

I happened to glance out the window the other day and noticed my son swinging in the hammock with his iPod Touch. He seemed completely focused and so I asked him later what he had been playing.


Jake, knowing that I’m a big believer in the power of games in education, was smart enough to say

I was doing world history.

Of course, now I needed to know specifics. So Jake shared his latest iPod app called Civilization Revolution. And as a social studies guy, the title got my attention. I’ve played Sid Meier’s Civilization series for years and have even used those games as part of history instruction. Some of what I borrowed was created by Kurt Squire, from University of Wisconsin-Madison, who put together a wonderful unit design using Civilization III as the centerpiece.

And if there is a mobile app that can do the same thing, I had to play. While it’s not exactly like the full version of the Civilization series, it’s pretty close.

Like the original, you get 16 different civilizations to play, famous historical leaders with special abilities, the option to explore randomly generated planets, multiple difficulty settings to vary game length and an integrated tutorial to ease you in. The mobile version does have its own distinct visuals and the gesture-based interface unique to the iPod Touch.

The research on video games is becoming clearer – used appropriately, games encourage high levels of learning.

The big question now is not whether games are good for kids. The question becomes one about delivery and about which tool works best in the classroom. And the more I see my own kids using iPods and web-based cell phones, the more convinced I become about the power of handhelds in the classroom.

Why spend anywhere from $400 for a netbook to $1500 for a high-end laptop if as a teacher I can have students access the same material using a $200 (soon to be less) iPod Touch? And while there is no Civilization app for other sorts of phones, more and more games are being ported to those types of platforms.

As educators, we need to be willing to look at all of the ways that content can be delivered, not just those we’re used to. And like it or not, handhelds such as iPod Touchs and cell phones aren’t going away.