Month: May 2013

Wiring

Wiring is an open-source programming framework for microcontrollers.

Wiring allows writing cross-platform software to control devices attached to a wide range of microcontroller boards to create all kinds of creative coding, interactive objects, spaces or physical experiences. The framework is thoughtfully created with designers and artists in mind to encourage a community where beginners through experts from around the world share ideas, knowledge and their collective experience. There are thousands of students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists who use Wiring for learning, prototyping, and finished professional work production.

via Wiring.

Arduino

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP).

via Arduino – HomePage.

Why Programming Teaches So Much More Than Technical Skills | MindShift

If your local school system offers computer science courses, chances are those courses are electives that won’t count toward core science or mathematics credit. The implicit message is that, while those skills may prove important for some students’ futures, they aren’t as transferable to a wide range of occupations as, say, Algebra 2 or Biology.

But students like Sam Blazes and Wilfried Hounyo, two winners in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge, say they see their passion for computer programming is potentially leading them into a wide range of future professions.

continue reading- Why Programming Teaches So Much More Than Technical Skills | MindShift.

iPads in Primary Education: Apps for Computer Science

turtleAs part of the proposed new draft primary curriculum for ICT, there is a significant emphasis on computer science. Below I’ve included a selection of apps which can be used in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The apps included range from basic skills in coding a Beebot to more advanced skills in coding games and simulations in apps such as Hopscotch and Codea

 

continue reading- iPads in Primary Education: Apps for Computer Science.

How to Be a ‘Woman Programmer’ – NYTimes.com

I WAS an ordinary computer programmer. I wrote code that ran at the levels between flashy human interfaces and the deep cores of operating systems, like the role of altos in a chorus, who provide the structure without your taking much notice of their melodic lines. I made realistic schedules and met my deadlines. Those were decent accomplishments.

continue reading- How to Be a ‘Woman Programmer’ – NYTimes.com.

EarSketch

EarSketch engages students in computing principles through collaborative computational music composition and remixing. It consists of an integrated curriculum, software toolset, and social media website. The EarSketch curriculum targets introductory high school and college computing education. The software toolset enables students to create music by manipulating loops, composing beats, and applying effects with Python code. The social media website invites students to upload their music and source code, view other students’ work, and create derivative musical remixes from other students’ code. EarSketch is built on top of Reaper, an intuitive digital audio workstation (DAW) program comparable to those used in professional recording studios.

via EarSketch.

CodeLesson – Instructor-led online technology learning

CodeLesson courses are comprised of readings, online quizzes, online discussions and hands-on coding exercises.

Your course is available from any Web browser on Earth, 24 hours a day.

Each course is led by an expert instructor who can answer your questions and evaluate your coding exercises. You’re never stuck on your own.

Most of our courses are set up to last about four to six weeks. But you can take longer if you need to.

Have a look at our complete course catalog.

via CodeLesson – Instructor-led online technology learning.

Ruben R. Puenteduras Weblog: Sketching In Code – Part 1: A Rationale

April 30, 2013

There’s been quite a bit of discussion lately about whether programming should form part of the standard K12 curriculum. My own personal view is that yes, it should – but not necessarily for the reasons that are being proposed. As with math, writing, the arts, history – pretty much everything that we teach, come to think of it – there are at least three good reasons to teach programming:

  • It gives kids a powerful tool to make things. What kind of things? You name it – one child might choose to make a game; another, a funky musical instrument. A third might choose to create an applet to understand math, while a fourth might gather and analyze data to better understand their world. Not to mention modeling proposed economic solutions for their community’s needs, and scrutinizing patterns in the speeches of politicians to see whether they respond to the virtues of these solutions, or the winds of public opinion…
  • It also provides a valuable tool for thinking. The skills and methods embodied in the design of algorithms and their translation into code – generally known under the rubric of computational thinking – are powerful conceptual tools that can inform and shape thinking in other arenas. At the same time, they can provide a salutary check on overblown expectations. For instance, there is much to be said for the potential of what has sometimes been called the uses of “big data” – but without a decent background in algorithmic thinking, it is also far too easy to be taken in by snake oil vendors that have hitched a ride on a legitimate development.
  • It introduces children to the beauty and pleasure of research and creation in computer science. This is an important – and far too frequently neglected – reason to teach programming. This is no different than what happens when we teach math or English: if we just teach the mechanics of algebra or essay-writing, say, without giving students at least a taste of the beauty of pattern or the power of communication of the medium, we are shortchanging our students, and potentially doing harm by creating a quasi-bureaucratic impression of these topics.

continue reading- Ruben R. Puenteduras Weblog: Sketching In Code – Part 1: A Rationale.