December 2013 – test comp sci

Python for Kids | No Starch Press

Python is a powerful, expressive programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! But books about learning to program in Python can be kind of dull, gray, and boring, and that’s no fun for anyone.

Python for Kids brings Python to life and brings you (and your parents) into the world of programming. The ever-patient Jason R. Briggs will guide you through the basics as you experiment with unique (and often hilarious) example programs that feature ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens, and more. New terms are defined; code is colored, dissected, and explained; and quirky, full-color illustrations keep things on the lighter side.

via Python for Kids | No Starch Press.

RFO BASIC! for Android

RFO BASIC! is a dialect of Dartmouth Basic that allows you to write and run programs directly on your Android device. In addition to the traditional Basic features, your have access to:

Graphics (with Multi-touch),
HTML and JavaScript available for user interfaces,
SQL,
GPS,
Device Sensors,
Music Play,
Sound Pools,
Audio Recording,
Tone Generation,
Camera,
Data Structures such as:Array/List/Stack/Bundle
Internet Browsing,
Text and Byte file I/O,
Encryption,
User defined functions,
FTP Client,
TCP/IP Client and Server Sockets,
Bluetooth,
Send SMS Messages,
Send Emails,
Make a phone call,
Superuser access

BASIC! programs may be complied into applications.There are two processes provided for this. One process generates a home screen shortcut but requires BASIC! installed to run. The other process generates a stand alone application that does not need BASIC! installed. The resulting application can be offered on the Android Market.

All of the features of BASIC! are documented in the manual, De Re BASIC!, which is currently over 200 pages in size.

The install package include almost three dozen BASIC! source code files that explain and demonstrate the implementation details of this dialect.

BASIC! is being continuously improved. New releases have come at an average of one per week. Many of the improvements have come from user requests. Join the BASIC! forum and become part of the development team.

This project is a labor of love by the curator of The Dr. Richard Feynman Observatory and author of Atari Basic and Apple DOS 3.1. It is free to all, now, and forever. The underlying source code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

GameMaker: Studio | YoYo Games

GameMaker: Studio caters to entry-level novices and seasoned game development professionals equally, allowing them to create cross-platform games in record time and at a fraction of the cost!In addition to making games development 80 percent faster than coding for native languages, developers can create fully functional prototypes in just a few hours, and a full game in just a matter of weeks.

via GameMaker: Studio | YoYo Games.

Who are we? | Grok Learning

We believe that a solid computer science understanding is vital whether you want to fight climate change, make the next blockbuster movie or unlock the secrets of the universe.

We’ve taught thousands of students across Australia to program in classrooms, lecture halls and online, and are now bringing top-notch STEM education into classrooms and homes around the world.

via Who are we? | Grok Learning.

10 Excellent Platforms for Building Mobile Apps

By Grace Smith

If you’ve ever wanted to build an app for your business, blog, product or service, but the heavy investment of both time and money put you off, you’re not alone.

The good news is that entering the mobile market no longer necessarily requires thousands of dollars and months of work. There are many mobile platforms available to help you build an app on a budget — quickly, and with no coding knowledge required.

via 10 Excellent Platforms for Building Mobile Apps.

ScratchJr – Imagine, Program, Learn

ScratchJr is a developmentally appropriate programming language for children 5 to 7 years old. Children can create their own animated stories, interactive collages and games. ScratchJr is the product of a collaboration between the DevTech Research Group at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, directed by Prof. Marina Bers, and the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab directed by Prof. Mitch Resnick. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664), the ScratchJr iPad app is planned for release in early 2014.

via ScratchJr – Imagine, Program, Learn.

New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Online Masters Degree in Computer Science | STEM Infographic | Computer Science Online NJIT

The United States has fallen from producing a quarter of the world’s global output to less than one fifth, while nations like China and India have rapidly caught up. While there are many reasons for this trend, one major factor is the lack of innovation in computer science, due to lesser numbers of computer science students.

The Future Of Computing

In the next ten years, a million and a half jobs will need to be filled in the computer science industry. These may come from within the United States, but more likely will be filled by foreign workers. Between programmers, engineers, and administrators, the job growth in the computing industry is anywhere from twelve to thirty percent.

Financial Factors

Computer science is currently the highest-paid college degree. At the same time, employers say that they cannot find employees who have the computer skills needed to succeed in their workplace. This trend is expected to only get worse, with three times as many job openings as there are qualified persons to fit them. The end result is half a billion dollars on the table per year in salary.

Only one in four students in high school can take a computing class. 6 At the university level, only one in ten schools have computer-programming courses. Less than one in forty students graduate with a degree in computer science at the same time that there is a crucial labor shortage.5

To learn more about the “Why the US STEM Initiative Shouldn’t Overlook Computer Science”, created by New Jersey Institute of Technology, take a look at the infographic below.

NJIT Online Master of Science in Computer Science
via New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Online Masters Degree in Computer Science | STEM Infographic | Computer Science Online NJIT.

The Transition from Cursive to Coding – Getting Smart by Adam Renfro – coding, cursive, Estonia | Getting Smart

My son missed a day of school last week, and when he returned, his teacher gave him directions for his makeup work that were written in cursive. He returned to that teacher later in the day, and this exchange took place:

Son: Mrs. Soandso, excuse me, I‘m sorry, but I can’t read your writing.

He gave the note back to her. She smirked at him with a disapproving look. (His words.) Another student who didn’t learn to read or write cursive. She then looked at the note and was a bit puzzled. Something was wrong. Finally . . . .

via The Transition from Cursive to Coding – Getting Smart by Adam Renfro – coding, cursive, Estonia | Getting Smart.

Mission – CodeNOW

Coding is the new literacy. It gives individuals the power to innovate and create. We need to empower our youth, especially those from underrepresented communities, to be tinkerers and to look under the hood of technology.

Because of a deficiency in early exposure to computer science, underrepresented youth are increasingly being marginalized from high-quality careers in the tech sector. For example, of all tech industry workers in the United States in 2012, only 22% were women, and African-Americans and Latinos each made up less than 5%. CodeNow believes this disparity is growing not from lack of interest but from a lack of access to computer programming.

CodeNow is a nonprofit that teaches foundational skills in computer programming to underserved high school students. We partner with community organizations to hold free, extra curricular, off campus trainings for high school students. Our program is essential because it lowers the barriers normally associated with technology by giving students exposure to programming at an early age when they are beginning to explore their options and opportunities. We are currently operating in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.

via Mission – CodeNOW.

iPad Coding – STEM Curriculum Resources by Dr. Wesley Fryer

I have a cart of iPads in my classroom for student use, so I’m very interested in STEM-related iPad apps!

According to Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager in “Invent to Learn,” “Three categories of [school computer] usage were outlined in Robert Taylor’s seminal book on the subject, The Computer in School: Tutor, Tool, Tutee (Taylor, 1980).” The first two computer uses predominate in schools. To use a computer as a “tutee,” however, students must PROGRAM or CODE the computer. While Scratch software (free) is my favorite programming environment to use with students, Scratch still relies on Adobe Flash so it doesn’t function completely on iOS devices like iPads. The following apps are designed specifically for coding on iPads.

via iPad Coding – STEM Curriculum Resources by Dr. Wesley Fryer.