Resources Supporting Computer

Science and Information Technology

Joe Kmoch <joe@jkmoch.com>

Milwaukee Public Schools

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Session Description

In recent years, many useful resources have become available to both support schools developing computer science curricula and for teachers to teach these courses. We'll explore materials available from CSTA, NCWIT, ACM, ISTE and other groups. The resources address a range of activities including creating a program, recruiting students and supporting and enhancing quality curriculum for AOIT academies.

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Language Environments

Scratch and Snap o 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>

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

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

o All are free

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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 o Exploring CS Curriculum for gr 9-10o AP Principles of CS for gr 10-12

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Language Environments

Aliceo makes it easy to create an animation for telling

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

o 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.

o Free at <http://alice.org/>

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Language Environments

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

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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

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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

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Python – resources

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

Coding PracticeCodingbat for Python

<http://codingbat.com/python>

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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

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Python – other resources

Pygame.org

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

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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

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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/

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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 important to successful use of this curriculumAny programming is done in Scratch <http://exploringcs.org>

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New CS Courses - ECS

Exploring CS Curriculumo Six 6-week units

Human Computer Interaction

Problem Solving

Web Design

Programming

Computing and Data Analysis

Robotics

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

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New CS Courses - ECS

Exploring CS Professional DevelopmentFor a two year periodOne week during summer before to see 1st semester content and learn how to teach with inquiry-based project-based paradigmFocused networking among teachers during school year and several FTF sessionsSimilar sequence for 2nd summer and 2nd year

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New CS Courses – AP CSP

AP Principles of Computer Science

AP Course to precede the current AP CS-A Java course

In 2nd year of pilots both at high schools and colleges

Several models have been developed including use of Scratch for the less than 50% programming in the course, first test won’t be before 2016

http://www.csprinciples.org/

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New CS Courses – AP CSP

Curriculum based on CS Big Ideaso Creativity, o Abstraction, o Data, o Algorithms, o Programming, o Internet, o Impact

Computational Thinking Practices are focus

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Java resources (links on csitresources

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>

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Yet other programming opportunities

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

Scheme, Dr. Scheme, now Racketo http://racket-lang.org/

Logo variations:o NetLogo

<http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/>o StarLogo <http://education.mit.edu/starlogo/>o StarLogo TNG

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

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Robotics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hardware/Software Playthings

Arduino Microcontrollerso an open-source electronics prototyping

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

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

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

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

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CS Unplugged Activity

A number guessing tricko Guess a number between 1 and 31o Tell me which cards it’s ono I’ll come up with the number

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CS Unplugged – your turn to try

In pairs or 3-somes (about 10 minutes?)o Work on the CS Unplugged Binary Numbers unito Each of you have a packet of 5 small cards to useo Ans questions near bottom of pg 5, on pg 8o Aside from non-existence of modems these days,

can you explain why this activity is outmoded?o Try ex 1 on pg 11o Figure out how my trick workso Figure out why the numbers are arranged as they

are on my large cards

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CS Unplugged – report out (10 min)

What did you find out about binary numbers

What was the answer to pg 5, 8, 11? 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)?

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CS Unplugged

These are two of 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 curriculao Exploring CSo AP Principles of CS

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Let’s try another

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

showing an X and some cards noto I’ll lay out another row and column to make

this a little more difficulto Someone behind my back one card changes

one cardo I work hard to guess which one was changed

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CS Unplugged – Card Flip Magic

Tasks (in small groups)o How does this work?o Try some of the Extension Activities (pg 33)o Why might this be interesting to kids?o 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?

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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>

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NCWIT materials

NCWIT (National Center for Women and Information Technology)

Have created a number of very useful items Top 10 Ways to Retain Students in Computing Counselors for Computing with pathways

from computing in HS to 2yr or 4 yr college or the military <http://ncwit.org/c4c>

K-12 resources for recruiting <http://bit.ly/M2VYD9>

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Computer Science Teaching Association

CSTAJoin, it’s free <http://csta.acm.org>Bi-monthly 8 page themed newsletter Support the yearly CS&IT Symposium, this year at UC-IrvineCSTA Blog – always interesting ideas from CS teachersCSTA Web Repository – a repository of materials in all areas of computing

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K-12 CS Standards - 1

3rd Edition Provides a focus for all K-12 Computer

Science curriculum and CS activities at the K-12 level

Provides three sub-levels of standards for high school level (levels 3a, 3b and 3c)

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K-12 CS Standards – 2

Written as a group of standards based on five strands: o Computational thinking (6) o Collaboration (2)o Computing practice (6)o Computers and Communication Devices (4)o Community, Global and Ethical Impacts (5)

Each strand has 2 or more substrands Each substrand addressed by 1 or more

standards per level (or sublevel in L3)

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K-12 CS Standards – 3

Numbers of standards over five strands: o Computational thinking (6) o Collaboration (2)o Computing practice (6)o Computers and Communication Devices (4)o Community, Global and Ethical Impacts (5)

Each strand has 2 or more substrands

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Web Development and other IT Courses

CSS Basics – tutorial http://cssbasics.com CSS Layouts o 22 CSS Layouts that Always Work." 

http://www.primarycss.com/

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

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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

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...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 >

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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>

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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>

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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?

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Thank you

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

<http://csitresources.pbworks.com>

Joe Kmochjoe@jkmoch.com