tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11826644352682118242024-03-13T15:49:51.537-04:00Super Computer ScienceI am a teacher on a mission. Every student should have access to computer science, it starts in my classroom.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-87693620014711296422015-03-30T08:16:00.002-04:002015-03-30T08:16:55.408-04:00String Immutability - APCS A Deep Dive<h3 style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
Content has moved to CodeVA's Teacher's Lounge - <i>latest post</i>: </h3>
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<a href="http://www.supercs.net/2015/03/29/immutable-strings/">http://www.supercs.net/2015/03/29/immutable-strings/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfmxS1AF7YL6OU10js_o5w7mFbdU-Tim7uv9woHkCqoU1wqlkriuyI2p3XMBcuMJyUdXp7NVSRxF7rrcHDaNfDsLnCr5FzPCkHo0TH2OChKpiXkXJ6P1zqj96CYfP2j4zqefQKr9wms/s1600/stringHeart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfmxS1AF7YL6OU10js_o5w7mFbdU-Tim7uv9woHkCqoU1wqlkriuyI2p3XMBcuMJyUdXp7NVSRxF7rrcHDaNfDsLnCr5FzPCkHo0TH2OChKpiXkXJ6P1zqj96CYfP2j4zqefQKr9wms/s1600/stringHeart.png" /></a></div>
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The String class can cause a lot of confusion for students as they first start working with code. We often introduce it early in the year, indeed it is hard to do many meaningful things without it. The problem is, as an example of a class data type, it can behave in some unusual ways...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-57894984752135651122015-02-20T13:37:00.001-05:002015-02-20T13:47:10.072-05:00Telling Stories with Data<h3>
Content has moved to CodeVA's Teacher's Lounge - <i>latest post</i>: </h3>
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<a href="http://www.supercs.net/2015/02/20/91/">Telling Stories with Data: The Most Common Job In Every State</a></h2>
One of the major themes in Computer Science Principles is Data. This interactive map shows how jobs have changed throughout the years. It is a great example of how visualizations ...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-72414298515943073982014-05-19T10:39:00.000-04:002014-05-19T10:39:30.200-04:00AP Computer Science Teacher TrainingThere are some major changes happening to the AP Computer Science A course next year (<a href="http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-computer-science-a-course-description-2014.pdf">new course description here</a>). First and foremost the GridWorld case study is no more. Replacing it are the new AP Computer Science Labs (<a href="http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/221994.html">more on those here</a>).<br />
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One of the best ways to keep up to date with changes are the <a href="http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/InstitutesAndWorkshops">AP Summer PD's</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-4416599002910300432014-05-08T13:51:00.002-04:002014-05-08T13:55:17.643-04:00My Latest Project - CodeVA<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19px;">
So anyone that has spent more than five minutes with me in the past three months has heard an earful about our new project. <a data-mce-href="http://www.codevirginia.org/" href="http://www.codevirginia.org/" style="font-weight: bold;">CodeVA</a> is a non-profit focused on bringing computer science education to students and teachers across Virginia.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.codevirginia.org/" href="http://www.codevirginia.org/"><img alt="CodeVA" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://vacsta.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/logotrans1.gif?w=650" src="http://vacsta.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/logotrans1.gif?w=650" height="72" id="i-155" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19px;">
Launching in summer 2014 CodeVA brings two initiatives:</div>
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19px;">
<li>Teacher Training<ul>
<li>In partnership with <a data-mce-href="http://code.org/" href="http://code.org/">Code.org</a> CodeVA is working with four Virginiaschool districts to train new computer science teachers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a data-mce-href="http://www.codevirginia.org/2014summer/" href="http://www.codevirginia.org/2014summer/">Summer Camps</a><ul>
<li>To bring computer science to kids across central Virginia CodeVA is running five summer camps.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-26682615051587404232014-05-01T17:07:00.002-04:002014-05-01T17:15:34.413-04:00AP Computer Science Exam Review Worksheet<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS6uZLlPzcanKzEtd5yxyC0vn3yoEhNN_2khw8pzz0eXEph1y0OnYAxT_ekblVEPQd66cmCtX4owd6q2yNSh7zaNOmFb-9JuOmNn293si3CzdZ-VGYT-8RHbCeAM_6o1hYTIhU9JOXVo/s1600/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS6uZLlPzcanKzEtd5yxyC0vn3yoEhNN_2khw8pzz0eXEph1y0OnYAxT_ekblVEPQd66cmCtX4owd6q2yNSh7zaNOmFb-9JuOmNn293si3CzdZ-VGYT-8RHbCeAM_6o1hYTIhU9JOXVo/s1600/chicken.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.savagechickens.com/">My favorite cartoon - Savage Chicken</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here are some things I use with my students for last minute AP exam review. My goal is not new learning at this point. I focus instead on reinforcing skills that will help them move up a point or two in their score.<br />
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<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BywDXpG7Qx_WZ3RqR0wtZmYzc1k/edit?usp=sharing">APCS Flashcards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BywDXpG7Qx_WN1lrRWpHR0RIQXM/edit?usp=sharing">Top Ten things you need to know</a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-56767192522379770412014-05-01T15:25:00.001-04:002014-05-01T15:25:30.689-04:00What it Takes to Make a Computer Science Teacher<br />
I've had this conversation 5 or 6 times over the last few months. Always with teachers, always centered around respect.<br />
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And mostly about computer science education.<br />
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So I'm going to go ahead and put this in writing. A good teacher can teach computer science. Not every computer scientist can teach.<br />
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I'm not just pulling this from thin air. For the last 5 years I've been deeply embedded in the process of training new computer science teachers. I ran a program of 30 new AP Computer Science programs across Virginia. Some teachers had programmed, some had not.<br />
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I also have a decade of experience running extracurricular programs in computer science. We've had some wonderful and knowledgeable volunteers.<br />
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I trained math and history teachers, business teachers, turfgrass teachers. And yes, turfgrasses a real subject.<br />
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So what does it take to make a good computer science teacher?<br />
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First and foremost is command of the classroom. Someone who can get kids engaged in great learning activities. Teaching is an art, one that has to be developed just like any other skill set.<br />
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But we can't stop there. Too many teachers have been thrown into computer science class rooms without the base knowledge they need in order to teach the subject.<br />
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This sets the teacher and students up for frustration and ultimately, failure. Its not that experienced teacher can't do computer science, it's that they don't know computer science.<br />
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Computer science is the only high school subject I know of where we take people who have never even taken a class in the subject and say to you gotta go teach this. Can you imagine a calculus or physics, or art teacher that had never taken the subject at college?<br />
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And in an era where are professional evaluations are very closely tied to student test scores, it's a wonder anybody would take that risk.<br />
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So what does it take to be a good computer science teacher?<br />
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The bottom line is content. With a good classroom teacher and solid curriculum you create a situation where a teacher can succeed, which is the base of all student success.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-10778714331646252152014-04-03T15:56:00.003-04:002014-04-03T15:56:54.515-04:00Human Computer Interaction Oops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today I was researching Human Computer Interaction as a part of a side project, and I came accross this gem:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrZ9XjdRdgldb_HRTVVFBLkJueDhHLO_GwGn6bls3-iEtU2TPA_P8fxzu2wzK5G8eowEZWr1HeLrrPjBxFCKnbcVsg94_JynSa7IOK5TZDF87J3-bhsORG3Fhhn0udMFIa7bq6RETfq8/s1600/HCI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrZ9XjdRdgldb_HRTVVFBLkJueDhHLO_GwGn6bls3-iEtU2TPA_P8fxzu2wzK5G8eowEZWr1HeLrrPjBxFCKnbcVsg94_JynSa7IOK5TZDF87J3-bhsORG3Fhhn0udMFIa7bq6RETfq8/s1600/HCI.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-interface-design.html">http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-interface-design.html </a></td></tr>
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The error message is cracking me up - do all the .gov pages use this? </div>
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And in case you are wondering THIS is not a professional website.</div>
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Which is why it has been so far in few between on posts lately. Several projects are winding down, and big deadlines leave little time for posting.</div>
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The biggest of these has been <a href="http://www.codevirginia.org/">CodeVA</a>, a non-profit to support computer science education in Virginia. </div>
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And of course the AP Computer Science <a href="https://users-mooc.amplify.com/">MOOC</a> is nearing the end of the first year. We are doing AP prep right now, with a diagnostic exam and live webinars, so if you students need AP review feel free to use what is posted there.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-16397081389369041692014-02-21T13:11:00.002-05:002014-02-21T13:11:30.666-05:00Free Books - OReilly MediaOur local CSTA chapter recently signed up for Oreilly's User Community. If you are a member of a local CSTA chapter (<a href="http://csta.acm.org/Membership/sub/IndividualMembership.html">and you should be - it's free people</a>) this is a service that might be helpful for your chapter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulvqGWpOQIRwDq5shnqMwjoX4XFuaqwRyGPx3Rbc8aUauwXbRCU_ljJG0-bHhEisyUVSi0Tr0AtqGIEhfQoHsvrIfPzboXWxpKmnzMue0KkxCt9FMBDHK8uycVM9ShtyR0yWI7UjkzmQ/s1600/ml-header-community.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulvqGWpOQIRwDq5shnqMwjoX4XFuaqwRyGPx3Rbc8aUauwXbRCU_ljJG0-bHhEisyUVSi0Tr0AtqGIEhfQoHsvrIfPzboXWxpKmnzMue0KkxCt9FMBDHK8uycVM9ShtyR0yWI7UjkzmQ/s1600/ml-header-community.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://oreilly.com/ug/?imm_mid=0b3e4b&cmp=em-npa-ug-welcome-nov25">From their website</a>:<i> If you run a user group, Meetup, professional association, or other technology group, O'Reilly Communities can provide you with:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<ul>
<li><i>Review copies of O'Reilly, Microsoft Press, Pragmatic, No Starch, and SitePoint products</i></li>
<li><i>Donations of books and other promo items</i></li>
</ul>
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Hope this helps!<br />
<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-28769977100184204002014-02-18T11:07:00.000-05:002014-02-18T11:11:37.348-05:00Recruiting for Computer Science - the AP Potential ReportFor many high schools it is recruiting season. If you school has an AP program there is a little kown report, called the AP Readiness Potential, that can help you in attracting kids to your classes. This is an especially helpful way of identifying girls and other groups that may not already be taking your Computer Science classes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJtE3kg5xkI96Jf3fAzbReT0pOwUzt0g2TUGpOBhzB8uvx5N6nCtqxXUZhsYiDfu32JnyUysUh2pHEeAOh5s3K5lz0lyHhiEMYYdc3xFByMXXvuvXdIGPt0Ved82Rk7a0sja0Wa_cJc4/s1600/bubble.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJtE3kg5xkI96Jf3fAzbReT0pOwUzt0g2TUGpOBhzB8uvx5N6nCtqxXUZhsYiDfu32JnyUysUh2pHEeAOh5s3K5lz0lyHhiEMYYdc3xFByMXXvuvXdIGPt0Ved82Rk7a0sja0Wa_cJc4/s1600/bubble.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Basically this report takes students' PSAT scores and predicts the AP tests they are statistically likely to score well on. It is based on a past correlation between past PSATs and AP exams.<br />
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While we do not yet have this for APCS Principles, since no AP tests have been given yet, we do have it for the current APCS class.<br />
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A new feature is teachers can now log in to see the reports. To access the report you will need an access code. You can get this code from the person in your building that coordinates the AP exams. I find that person often doesn't know about the report, or have any idea of how to find the code.<br />
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You can call to get your school's code. The number is 866-630-9305. You just have to identify yourself and your school.<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/1m5CBr8">The login for the site is here</a>. You'll need an account for AP Central. Once you pull the report the site even has sample letters to send home to parents. I have found letters directly to parents to be a powerful way to attract kids to computer science.<br />
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Long term I am very curious to see how this test correlates for the new APCS Principles class. Since much of the assessment for this course will be written it will be interesting to see if a correlation with the writing section of the PSAT.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-24837315414158774752014-02-12T20:08:00.000-05:002014-02-12T20:08:00.150-05:00The Data CakeInteresting read for the APCS Principles course on <a href="http://www.impactandlearning.org/2013/08/open-data-and-increasing-impact-of.html">open data and the impact on research</a>. The article is especially interesting in light of the Data Portfolio Task that asks students to find a publicly available data set as a part of their exploration.<br />
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And I know that it is now the<a href="http://www.csprinciples.org/home/about-the-project"> <i>Investigate </i>Performance Task</a>, not the Data PT, but to be honest my brain is full these days and cannot take all these name changes.<br />
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There is also this: "we must redress the dominance of knowledge generated in the global North". Very interesting to think of covering the Data and Global Impacts together in this way. This would make a great class discussion and journal topic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZkx4mrbmW5aTasooqCRP25Z3Nykg5PS0ZmAd5GqwhSoVsxJ71T14GuTswclLcnnmHiN2f6zTlf10xrei_8TGtLL0vzn4kqK8YJP4Eoaa4HP75PUN40QnPlK5nHULJHcjffgXGUzkmGw/s1600/dataCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZkx4mrbmW5aTasooqCRP25Z3Nykg5PS0ZmAd5GqwhSoVsxJ71T14GuTswclLcnnmHiN2f6zTlf10xrei_8TGtLL0vzn4kqK8YJP4Eoaa4HP75PUN40QnPlK5nHULJHcjffgXGUzkmGw/s1600/dataCake.jpg" /></a></div>
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I may also use the graphic as a writing prompt. One of the goals I have for the students is to articulate the difference between data and information.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-68211924911828497152014-02-08T19:53:00.001-05:002014-02-08T20:08:23.818-05:00Posters for Computer Science - Careers that use Computer Science These posters are from the <a href="http://www.otronicon.org/index.php">Otronicon Science Center in Orlando, FL. </a>Forget Harry Potter World, we are definitely putting that on the list for our next Florida trip. I am sure this kids won't mind.<br />
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Anyhoo, I am fascinated that a science museum has done such a thorough job of including computational thinking and computer science topics in their materials.<br />
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<a href="http://www.otronicon.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=7&Itemid=16"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGw-vy5TZcZg48ZyuiooHMYaNU779Zxvl3F6OEggk7a1_vMca1x3gtYKneVWcxjxwNp_krrZgXU-sDtu76LdJXcZY105YcQr6rzzIXAgv3IddnfCxIf6tv0OK5AVkaVPL_fPgfYjCA7A/s1600/Otron11_CareerBytesPosterEnglish.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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Anyway, the posters are free to print and use. They include writing, architecture, linguistics - some fields we don't traditionally associate with computer science.<br />
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Some of the other pages have some good resources too. The <a href="http://www.otronicon.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=32&Itemid=28">Medical Sim City</a> page (tagged: <i>See how simulation technology is being used to create better doctors, nurses and other medical professionals</i>)<i> </i>looks like it has some interesting things to help cover the modeling and simulation info in the APCS Principles course, for example.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-587040494837255632014-01-12T22:32:00.002-05:002014-01-12T22:32:49.931-05:00Crafting Computer Science Diversity.I have been thinking a lot lately about diversity in computer science.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY-DF1EB9EiN3auW3N-_jg4zEjZoSle2mquezMuaU-czfzjZobP2PRHI-SuBhFxUj33woxvflp8KdDYZBLA97Wm-ZJ91kbdm6zKE3Ttwmbjilv9LbQJDdrmT0iNhj04eZFcx3nOeWhFE/s1600/dollhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY-DF1EB9EiN3auW3N-_jg4zEjZoSle2mquezMuaU-czfzjZobP2PRHI-SuBhFxUj33woxvflp8KdDYZBLA97Wm-ZJ91kbdm6zKE3Ttwmbjilv9LbQJDdrmT0iNhj04eZFcx3nOeWhFE/s1600/dollhouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beacon Hill Dollhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My world of technology started on just about the smallest possible scale - in my dollhouse. Santa brought the dollhouse when I was 7. An Army brat, I already was well accustomed finding creative ways to entertain myself. In the miniature rooms and halls of that house, I learned more about tinkering and problem solving than from any classroom or textbook.<br />
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Being an Army Brat also meant moving every 18 months. I was allowed one one box of toys. Each new move meant brutal decisions about what made the cut. My constant choice through all the years was my dollhouse.<br />
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I built everything for the house from scratch, I was carpenter, furniture maker and electrician. By the time I was in the 5th grade, I had it fully electrified with a brass chandelier and a working ceiling fan.<br />
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Those early experiences -- of learning by exploring and by literally hard wiring my imagination -- now informs how I teach my students to program. I encourage them to connect the abstract code to the underlying electronics through hands on activities. My hope is to get them just as excited about making through code.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-89181058249036880252013-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:002013-12-13T13:33:39.943-05:00Untangling the CS Principles Learning Objectives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Struggling with the CS Principles Learning Objectives? Try them as Flashcards: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BywDXpG7Qx_WYjhQajNiRG5jV2M/edit?usp=sharing">CS Principles flashcards - Learning Objectives</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jGQJQCmUV6rhDUBvIPOs4TL9cLtCMZ1aTVGC06xU3FzH8xsPrf2m3ZuKqgXa6rFmE_I1BZEYiiMXKyMQPp5IBtzBxF2-9ABj92aAnPbMPQNxAtiGqbGy4k4AtqEwaTulKRNOA5Hm4l0/s1600/loCards1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jGQJQCmUV6rhDUBvIPOs4TL9cLtCMZ1aTVGC06xU3FzH8xsPrf2m3ZuKqgXa6rFmE_I1BZEYiiMXKyMQPp5IBtzBxF2-9ABj92aAnPbMPQNxAtiGqbGy4k4AtqEwaTulKRNOA5Hm4l0/s320/loCards1.bmp" width="294" /></a></div>
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One of the thing I have found most challenging in working with the APCS Principles Topic list over the last 3 years is the Learning Objectives themselves. None of them are all that hard in of themselves, but trying to make sure I am covering everything can sometimes be overwhelming. Unlike the existing APCS course, the topic list does not really suggest any particular sequence, so trying to make sure everything has been covered at AP depth can be a challenge.<br />
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Here are the LO's in Flashcard format if you would like to print them out. This has been really helpful for me as I lesson plan to make sure everything is in there. Sometimes it is fun to draw a few cards randomly and try to come up with an activity to cover them. this has helped with some out of the box combinations of topics.<br />
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**Note - these are the learning objectives as of Dec 2013. If you are reading this more than 6 months from now you should make sure they still align with the LO's. The course is still in pilot phase and the LO's are subject to adjustment as Collegeboard gets ready for the launch of the new course in 2016-17.<br />
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<a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/html/computerscience/">Collegeboard's AP CS Principles site</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-91297646192603464462013-12-10T11:00:00.000-05:002013-12-13T10:39:34.722-05:00So, What is code?Great video from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PBSoffbook?feature=watch">PBS Off Book</a>, a series that explores art in the digital world<br />
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Is Code the Most Important Language in the World?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Vxv0-sggnqA?list=PLC3D565688483CCB5" width="560"></iframe><br />
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It does a great job of quickly describing what code is and then delving into some of the current issues in computer science. I am using it this week as a part of CS Education Week as a journal prompt for my students.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It is hard to say what problems would be solved with a more diverse workforce." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
- Adda Birnir, Co-Founder SkillCrush</blockquote>
This is the driving force <a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-teach-computer-science-facebook.html">behind a lot of my own work lately</a>. This moves is beyond just looking at diversity of the workplace, but really at how we solve problems as a society.<br />
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Inevitably the problems we solve are going to reflect the views and experiences of those solving them. At a deeper level though, the people with the ability to solve these problems through coding have the power to ultimately decide what problems get solutions.<br />
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Computer Science is predominantly white and Asian males. In the 2010 census this group made up roughly 38% of the overall population in the United States. That means that 62% of the population is outside of this circle of influence. In essence their problems are outside the view of the people solving humanities problems.<br />
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I highly recommend the series in general. The videos are very engaging, short, and show a great diversity of people working with technology.<br />
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Some other topics they cover:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://video.pbs.org/video/2365039733/" target="_blank">Future of Wearable Technology</a></li>
<li><a href="http://video.pbs.org/video/2365039781/" target="_blank">Art of Data Visualization</a></li>
<li><a href="http://video.pbs.org/video/2322911761/" target="_blank">Art of Creative Coding</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
And in case you are using writing in your cs classes here's a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xwXk3hz_5h-g12X6_j8RnM5dLKiCwK8Kqt61rW7W59s/pub">full list of the Journal prompts</a> I use in CS Principles.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-33462328392124863732013-11-03T22:04:00.001-05:002013-11-03T22:04:03.597-05:00Top 10 Computer Science Tweets for APCS PrinciplesAPCS Principles has a lot of great places to include articles and news about computer science for student readings. Here is a summary of some of the more interesting ones I have posted on Twitter recently:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UJFpz5ygrwu1dShHdyT7IDXtDjp_i1Yd3PU5yerWNMOqPnWrv-K62hUIVKwsy9mA82cI6t5EuZHMREhLGD0OFJvyxauKCILHikznbRZqPFTcnd98lWNG_AUrHbutGdWmFOP7GYChQI4/s1600/tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UJFpz5ygrwu1dShHdyT7IDXtDjp_i1Yd3PU5yerWNMOqPnWrv-K62hUIVKwsy9mA82cI6t5EuZHMREhLGD0OFJvyxauKCILHikznbRZqPFTcnd98lWNG_AUrHbutGdWmFOP7GYChQI4/s1600/tweet.jpg" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24458534#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Computer chemists win Nobel Prize</a> - great read for #APCSP, and every guidance department in us high schools</li>
<li><a href="http://ow.ly/oEO2n">Breaking Brick Stereotypes: LEGO Unveils a Female Scientist</a></li>
<li>Data Unit - <a href="http://feedly.com/k/16Rd9C2">Ten Simple Rules for Reproducible Computational Research</a> </li>
<li>Data - <a href="http://feedly.com/k/1aTGF5R">Future of Statistics</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/rage-against-the-algorithms/280255/%20%E2%80%A6">Rage Against the Algorithms</a> </li>
<li>Potential for #apcsp? <a href="http://ow.ly/q7pPS">Open auto essay scoring engine </a>from CMU looking for pilot schools </li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1c2Ia8s">First 2 3D printers in Haiti - </a>printing umbilical cord clamps & other medical devices. </li>
<li><a href="http://ow.ly/qgAxg">Simple testing can boost CS education 29% overnight!</a></li>
<li>What's the coders' responsibility? <a href="http://feedly.com/k/GMHnKs">Facebook-alpha testing program 'not for the faint of heart'</a></li>
<li><a href="http://feedly.com/k/1gCdfzb">Advertisers could track your smartphone through accelerometer, </a>researchers find </li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Every%20Second%20on%20the%20Internet%20%20%20http://feedly.com/k/188eeBM">Every Second on the Internet </a></li>
<li><br /></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-56573723740315030372013-11-01T09:41:00.001-04:002013-11-01T10:22:52.609-04:00Journaling in the Computer Science ClassroomOne of the biggest changes for the new APCS Principles course is the use of <a href="http://www.csprinciples.org/home/about-the-project">Performance Tasks</a> (PT) as a part of the official CollegeBoard assessment. These PTs and a summative test at the end of the year will be used to score the kids, just like the 1-5 score they get on other AP tests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WxW-W_L0V0wJtAD9yqgpN9tyJH5R672CzJZziNo8ZGxLLcuTgIJ8mXj9N8TBfa_wXHjOtWoKtSh1K36OhTLU15JYCPUi_Y3BZc5Yom41d4LwRlUdzQ1pzYJ8VLPFbXsgG0ex7FOIMuE/s1600/journal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WxW-W_L0V0wJtAD9yqgpN9tyJH5R672CzJZziNo8ZGxLLcuTgIJ8mXj9N8TBfa_wXHjOtWoKtSh1K36OhTLU15JYCPUi_Y3BZc5Yom41d4LwRlUdzQ1pzYJ8VLPFbXsgG0ex7FOIMuE/s1600/journal.jpg" /></a></div>
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This means our students need lots of practice writing. In my CS Principles pilot we do a lot of journaling throughout the year. I give them specific prompts to respond to every few days. We also heavily use discussion boards (more on that here) to get them reading and responding to other students work. this is especially important since two of the PTs are collaborative.<br />
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This year I am trying to keep these topics n a more organized list - here are the topics for Unit 2: The Internet Unplugged: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xwXk3hz_5h-g12X6_j8RnM5dLKiCwK8Kqt61rW7W59s/edit?usp=sharing">Journal Topics for Unit 2</a><br />
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For their journals - I read them periodically throughout the term. I am not checking for grammar or spelling - the goal is to get ideas recorded and to start using writing as a part of their reflections on the topics we use in class.<br />
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Note - if you were using an old version of the PTs, they were updated earlier this fall. You <a href="http://www.csprinciples.org/home/about-the-project">can find the update here</a>.<br />
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The most significant change is the Internet Task has been replaced by Explore. The feel of the two tasks are the same, but the updated version allows them to pick any innovation, not just those centered around the Internet.<br />
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For my students I am doing journal topics that connect the Internet and innovation. we'll be doing a Model Performance Task in the next few weeks, and will finish the first PT on Innovation after we finish the Unit 2.<br />
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Other writing Posts:<br />
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<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-great-debate-writing-in-cs.html">Great Debate</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/03/discussion-board.html">Discussion Boards</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/12/technique-tuesday-debating-computer.html">Debating Computer Science</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2013/09/using-music-to-teach-programming.html">Music to teach Computer Science</a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-42720096255779779342013-10-23T21:24:00.000-04:002013-10-23T21:24:10.029-04:00CS Principles Pilot Curriculum - an UpdateWhew, busy!<br />
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This year has been crazy, but the good kind. Over the past two days I have updated my list of what we are doing in the CS Principles Pilot so far this year. If you are interested, the list is here: <a href="http://supercs.net/">http://supercs.net</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIqWt9-JvCrO8VqOrv6DqUdny13aTXBCN9xfJ0nChW3sP00YeYGlVb6v1_Yo0BvO6D6WLyKxOiySVi1-fHp9SddRIAO23sHKDHFe-I0DKRsEcBzJwiQ92E_bENFiGuc7UGMcqSfAPJb4/s1600/flashCards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIqWt9-JvCrO8VqOrv6DqUdny13aTXBCN9xfJ0nChW3sP00YeYGlVb6v1_Yo0BvO6D6WLyKxOiySVi1-fHp9SddRIAO23sHKDHFe-I0DKRsEcBzJwiQ92E_bENFiGuc7UGMcqSfAPJb4/s320/flashCards.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69753845/10-vintage-picture-flash-cards-word?ref=sr_gallery_21&ga_includes[0]=tags&ga_search_query=flash+cards&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=">Etsy shop that was selling the flashcards</a></td></tr>
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Let me tell you, we've been busy. Digging into what we have covered so far gives me hope we are really moving towards something.<br />
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A side note, the Performance Tasks (nee Portfolio Assessments) have just been updated. If you are in any way working on the CS Principles project <a href="http://www.csprinciples.org/home/about-the-project">you ought to take a look</a>. Of special interest is the new Impact PT that replaces the Internet one from the past two years.<br />
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A technique I am using this year goes back to my days as a debater. I have printed out all of the Learning Objectives on flash cards. Each time I lesson plan on a particular topic I pull the cards that relate. This approach has really let me see the connections in the topics as we go through the material, and has sparked some new ideas for journal topics.<br />
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If there is any interest let me know and I can try to post the flash cards as a pdf for folks to print out.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-59881559021836662122013-10-19T11:08:00.000-04:002013-10-19T11:08:00.569-04:00CSTA Chapter Toolkit<br />
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I have had a few CSTA folks ask, so here are some tools we've been using for the CSTA - Central VA Chapter.<br />
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The hardest part of running a chapter is communication - who is a member? How do we let folks know about meetings? I have found this collection of tools really helps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoQWhD2pICEkYFuitmSlViCr6s3feiiZX8_suEfc3m4v_2y62TGetGK4AmL2-O8lHqa7kbDhcHKeyuxQvmP7dLmteiNg-fPhNOe7F9BnkrToOZg3PwDutZjFMXazeGAwop3suwwnG8Pc/s1600/CSTA-ChapterLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoQWhD2pICEkYFuitmSlViCr6s3feiiZX8_suEfc3m4v_2y62TGetGK4AmL2-O8lHqa7kbDhcHKeyuxQvmP7dLmteiNg-fPhNOe7F9BnkrToOZg3PwDutZjFMXazeGAwop3suwwnG8Pc/s320/CSTA-ChapterLogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dominos.com/">Dominoes Pizza App</a> - because pizza makes things better. It also lets you save a standard order to speed things up. We have some gluten free folks, so we use Dominoes. Insert Foodstuff of choice.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.doodle.com/">Doodle Poll</a>- lets you easily poll several people to find a common meeting time. We use this when the leadrship team needs to meet.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.evite.com/">Evite </a>- We use these for chapter meetings. It really helps since it lets folks RSVP so you have an idea of how many folks to expect.</li>
<li>Facebook - I put all the links here and meeting info. A lot of folks start with Facebook searches.</li>
<li>Google Contacts- I keep our membership list here and have a canned response saved every time we get a new member.</li>
<li>Mail Chimp - We use this to create a membership form. In hindsight I could have used a Google form too. <a href="http://wordpress.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4110b10d2a0b68d0f67229d83&id=c588dfd837">Here is what the page looks like</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://wordpress.com/">Wordpress </a>- <a href="http://vacsta.wordpress.com/">This is our chapter's main landing page</a>. I have it set so I can post using emails, and this email is included in our distribution list, so any updates or Evites I send to the chapter are automatically posted on the blog. Warning - don't put personal phone numbers in these emails, not that I have done this or anything...</li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-75782126711749855172013-10-18T14:07:00.000-04:002013-10-21T16:56:31.685-04:00Weekly Roundup<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the Computer Science Principles classes last week I had them define Computer Science . The </span><a href="http://www.wordle.net/" style="font-family: inherit;">Wordle </a><span style="font-family: inherit;">below is from their definitions after Unit 1. I am planning on having them do this each unit and see how our collective definition shifts as we layer on more material. I think this might make a good </span>writing<span style="font-family: inherit;"> prompt later int he year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeKbSkTyZlxoDTRePNIFvzcg4U2GIzWdR1b2vJ7aksCJr_5HOwmTYd7qAFepEENAjaWQh7ZBnveEGvaCYXORdV5-BdmW0Nd9LfLpNbQqoAI9nt5lQ9rI15bnUrISP7HKRWQy2zTimDzk/s1600/cs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeKbSkTyZlxoDTRePNIFvzcg4U2GIzWdR1b2vJ7aksCJr_5HOwmTYd7qAFepEENAjaWQh7ZBnveEGvaCYXORdV5-BdmW0Nd9LfLpNbQqoAI9nt5lQ9rI15bnUrISP7HKRWQy2zTimDzk/s320/cs.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other things I've been looking at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Been using this site with my Algebra I kids: <a href="http://learnscratch.org/">http://learnscratch.org/</a> I am hoping to incorporate Scratch and Graphing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Curious to Try this: <a href="http://www.learnstreet.com/teacher_signup">http://www.learnstreet.com/teacher_signup</a> as the AP Computer Science Principles classes start on the Internet and HTML</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rereading <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/">As We May Think</a> by Vannevar Bush - this document, from 1945, first suggests hypertext. Beyond the reading level of most of my high school kids, but some good nuggets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the computer club keeps working on their 3-D printer I am looking forward to trying <a href="http://makezine.com/2013/10/10/blokify-3d-modeling-software/">Blockify</a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">Interesting Video recruiting for AP Studio Art: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwyeKseCShY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwyeKseCShY</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">And, we just found out our CSTA </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">chapter</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;"> will </span></span><a href="http://www.finchrobot.com/" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">get 100 Finches</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;"> to play with next fall! Cannot wait.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">And lastly made my hotel reservation for <a href="http://sigcse2014.sigcse.org/">SIGCSE 2014</a>. The one thing I learned coaching debate - make the hotel reservation early!</span></span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-67835136159309630992013-10-17T10:59:00.000-04:002013-10-17T11:38:35.145-04:00AP Computer Science Report - Virginia is for (some) Coders<br />
<a href="http://research.collegeboard.org/programs/ap/data/participation/2013">The AP data is out for 2013</a>. Some great increased nationwide. AP Computer Science went from 26,103 to 31,117 total exams given, a 19% increase. This was the highest increase out of all of the subject areas. But keep in mind AP Calculus had 282,814 exams last year, so we have a ways to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LaSFn0-cjI-mCCUHdJG_muZcoP6q3NCjhH6rC9UgmUiL9XCFsPoSGyNxsHvo3-a-dELIoh_y6yqGgzuRqMVyI7l-dVPb_jeMPxs2ltiqR3CJd5dc8FAL4UhGN4fvIZZAfkLsM4uPtDw/s1600/APCS+in+VA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LaSFn0-cjI-mCCUHdJG_muZcoP6q3NCjhH6rC9UgmUiL9XCFsPoSGyNxsHvo3-a-dELIoh_y6yqGgzuRqMVyI7l-dVPb_jeMPxs2ltiqR3CJd5dc8FAL4UhGN4fvIZZAfkLsM4uPtDw/s400/APCS+in+VA.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Virginia had 1655 AP Computer Science exams with a mean score of 3.12. Last year we had 1430 tests with an average of 2.98. Over the past 5 years there has been an 81% increase in the number of APCS exams given. This year was also the highest mean score for the past five years, so some great progress has been made.<br />
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According to the state report card 67,805 students took AP exams in 2013 (<a href="https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/report.do?division=All&schoolName=All">data here</a>). So teh APCS exam accounted for about 2.5% of the overall number of AP exams given.<br />
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Which all sounds great, until you start to look a little deeper.<br />
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When you look, in 2013 the number of black students taking the exam was 3. Our max in the past 5 years was 6. Six. That year my personal AP class was 1/3 of those African American students.<br />
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Demographically Virginia is about 20% black. With roughly 375,502 students enrolled in Virginia public high schools last year (<a href="https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/report.do?division=All&schoolName=All">2013 enrollment data</a>) that means we have roughly 75,000 African American students at the high school level, and 3 took the AP Computer Science exam.<br />
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If we randomly assigned students electives we would have fared better.<br />
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And you can look at any of the subgroups and see the same trend. For instance for the 2013 exam 25% of the 8 Hispanic students to take the exam sat in my classroom.<br />
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Now I'm a big believer at starting with data and getting to the stories underneath. The bottom line in Virginia is access.<br />
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For instance, Richmond city schools, a predominantly African American school district has no computer science classes. None, zippo, zilch.<br />
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This is not about diversity for diversity's sake. This means these kids do not have access to jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Virginia is 4th in the nation for jobs in this area, but 12th population wise. This means we have the highest concentration of jobs nationwide in computer science. Washington DC and Virginia rank #1 and 2 for salary nationwide - so these great jobs cannot be filled by huge numbers of our children. A child sitting in Kindergarten in Richmond City Schools today may never even know this field exists, literally blocks from the front door of their school<br />
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And at a deeper level, computer science is the tool we use to solve human problems. Being the person holding the tool means you get to decide what is a problem and what gets a solution. These numbers mean these communities do not get to participate.<br />
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So to change the data, we have to change the stories. Every high school in the state needs computer science classes that are rigorous and relevant for its students. That means trained teachers and a working curriculum. Kids and parents need to know that this is an option for them, that they can create using this tool. They need to be able to tell their stories as we build the future.<br />
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A few things to put Virginia in Context:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Virginia has not adopted common core</li>
<li>Our K-12 end of course tests are called the SOLs (Standards of Learning). Yes, really</li>
<li>AP Computer Science counts as a 4th math credit here, but only if you are going for an advanced diploma, and you have passed Alg II. we're working on it</li>
<li>We are a Commonwealth, which means our school systems are driven at the local level, not by top down policy and curriculum from the state.</li>
<li>Out legislature meets either 4 or 6 weeks a year, that's it. </li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-47833319235747458672013-10-16T11:07:00.002-04:002013-10-16T11:07:47.762-04:00How to Teach the Internet - Don'tToday my Computer Science Principles classes are starting <b>Unit 2: The Internet Unplugged</b>.<br />
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So rather than a terrible exciting lecture on the structure of the Internet - translation "Here's what I think you should care about" - we started with questions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFw01Xej-RE8r-5XFEWKRmTwiBSszqozH9yQDf1dHlkXVgdW-OQyoZSh3_p-sx5cWmjkSxOkT3NAJuSnDihsOHIKfp6rV0QTXbodw3xJhauXi84hak6W6opVDsqL3hu3srTGqA_rqNBo/s1600/Telegraf-cable-sous-marin-1901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFw01Xej-RE8r-5XFEWKRmTwiBSszqozH9yQDf1dHlkXVgdW-OQyoZSh3_p-sx5cWmjkSxOkT3NAJuSnDihsOHIKfp6rV0QTXbodw3xJhauXi84hak6W6opVDsqL3hu3srTGqA_rqNBo/s320/Telegraf-cable-sous-marin-1901.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Telegraph Lines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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They were asked to write their own definition of the Internet, and share at least three questions they have about it.<br />
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Really, we all use it daily, so we should all have our own working understanding of what it is. By starting with their understanding I can see where we need to add information and what the emphasis should be.<br />
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The questions help me plan our activities. By the end of the chapter I want them to understand that the Internet is a physical thing, and be able to describe how it works. I want them understanding how content is posted and to discuss the implications ethically of its content. I want them to know a little HTML and CSS and have the confidence to look up what they need.<br />
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But first, I want them thinking.<br />
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Questions they asked:<br />
<ul>
<li>How is it possible that the internet can be censored in some countries?</li>
<li>Who owns the internet?</li>
<li>Who made the internet?</li>
<li>How does it actually work?</li>
<li>Why was it originally created?</li>
<li>When did personal computers have access to it?</li>
<li>Who owns data on the internet?</li>
<li>Why is internet copyright so important?</li>
<li>How hard is it to break the internet?</li>
</ul>
Right now some of my favorites are <b>Who owns the internet? </b>and <b>How is it possible that the internet can be censored in some countries? </b><br />
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Frankly we could start by investigating those two things and cover everything we need to know.<br />
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Bookshelf:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tubes-A-Journey-Center-Internet/dp/0061994952">Tubes </a>by Andrew Blum</li>
<ul>
<li>Story of how theInternet is constructed - <a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/07/tubes-and-squirrels.html">I summarized it here</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/">As We May Think </a>by Dr. Vannevar Bush</li>
<ul>
<li>Originally published in 1945 this is the first description of linked text - "Thus he builds a trail of his interest through the maze of materials available to him." Really, read section 7 if you are short on time.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blown-Bits-Liberty-Happiness-Explosion/dp/0137135599/ref=pd_sim_b_5">Blown to Bits </a>by Hal Abelson (<a href="http://www.bitsbook.com/excerpts/">also available free here</a>)</li>
<ul>
<li>Good reading for students, especially the appendix</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Shallow-End-Education-Computing/dp/0262514044/ref=pd_sim_b_6">Stuck in the Shallow End</a> by Jane Margolis</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-margolis/the-ipadsinschools-challe_b_4032363.html">Also read this by Jane</a> - great food for thought in this era of "tech fixes everything"</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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Some Lessons We'll do:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2011/10/cs-principles-internet-unit.html">Cups and Strings</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/07/mapping-internet.html">Mapping the Internet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2013/05/underwater-spaghetti-internet-cables.html">Underwater Cables</a></li>
<li><a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2012/07/html-is-not-programming-so-why-teach-it.html">Why do HTML</a></li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-64090349209035572302013-10-11T13:43:00.000-04:002013-10-11T13:43:00.850-04:00Celebrate the International Day of teh Girl with...Some Great Computer Science Resources<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77svU1IfCkunmagQrY2v7gN8ZVYmwVCfA5xOeSnlwczzaK3n4KYsI1FXHe5UlDITb2Uz_8Y2Wzga8pDFALBdfM89B3w9Q6cedyEmfJUbQa2PsNggi9caRya0KFKTEgs9omJa5QDEFYjw/s1600/girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77svU1IfCkunmagQrY2v7gN8ZVYmwVCfA5xOeSnlwczzaK3n4KYsI1FXHe5UlDITb2Uz_8Y2Wzga8pDFALBdfM89B3w9Q6cedyEmfJUbQa2PsNggi9caRya0KFKTEgs9omJa5QDEFYjw/s640/girl.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I just stumbled across the Tech Girls Website, and as they point out Oct 11 is the International Day of the girl.<br />
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They have <a href="http://www.tech-girls.org/resources.html">a great list </a>of resources - very complete.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-12926920665906877522013-10-08T09:52:00.003-04:002013-10-08T09:52:58.723-04:00Big Ideas RoundupMy AP CS Principles classes are finishing up Unit 1: Computers in Society.<br />
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So far we have covered hardware, from the basics of the CPU to the machine instruction cycle. They have learned binary and hexadecimal and are finishing up<br />
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Along the way they have worked together, written, and yet not written a single line of code.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkBB8pZptCrvSHjudrmNPuwzzwGfjO4YY4wxPWSyrnlwXazlcHAI45_fzjbQ11zbw2sl6bzieShph-4ZMENyXOC4UOzldj0X2FrwUtczlqJD31TRTLUhe6alDdJl06mjrn4IMIYQjhLQ/s1600/ducks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkBB8pZptCrvSHjudrmNPuwzzwGfjO4YY4wxPWSyrnlwXazlcHAI45_fzjbQ11zbw2sl6bzieShph-4ZMENyXOC4UOzldj0X2FrwUtczlqJD31TRTLUhe6alDdJl06mjrn4IMIYQjhLQ/s320/ducks.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksQrJh7s7N0">IBM Wild Ducks</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Odd for a programming class?<br />
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Turns out, what I originally did to keep myself from creating "just another coding class" ended up being a good decision. I have students ranging from absolute beginners to kids that have taken APCS or IBCS.<br />
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And anyone that has taught computer science knows that can be a recipe for disaster. The more experienced kids show off, intimidating the newbies, especially those that do not self identify as "good at computers". Most of this material is new to all of the kids, so no one has an advantage, other than working hard.<br />
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This also establishes that in this room, everyone has an opinion that counts, we work together and respect where we are int eh learning process.<br />
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So today we are finishing up Unit 1. My goal is to summarize what we have done and to start to look at the big ideas (Creativity, Abstraction, Data, Algorithms, Programming, Internet, Impact).<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Fast Start: Based on everything we have talked about, what do you think computer science is? How would you explain it to someone else?</li>
<li>Finish working on their computer history projects</li>
<li>Watch this video from IBM: <a href="http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/">http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/</a></li>
<li>Whole Group Discussion - what is computer science</li>
<li>Poster - do a mind map with computer science in the middle and the seven big ideas around the outside.</li>
<li>Test Review (still gotta grade, you know)</li>
</ul>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-48159995757742116182013-10-07T12:31:00.002-04:002013-10-07T12:31:47.728-04:00What Holds Girls Back from Computer Science - an updateA few weeks<a href="http://tinyurl.com/oz8c5yk"> back I blogged about an infograpfic</a> that was making the rounds.<br />
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I am so happy to say that the infographic has been updated:<br />
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<a href="http://www.play-i.com/girlsintech"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4eaDGA9eTM7S7SGb0eg-xvJeRWqWjqzDOOjj69zhsVL2XTkweX7fzsfkXG8xJl2MCoqy-5Xmw0Jz8rK83masaBdlWiCMQFCmE8tffoW2Q8gago-mkWprf22fpKTJ6ByWGUokbZPboQw/s320/back.png" width="304" /></a><span id="goog_405727980"></span><span id="goog_405727981"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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Better, no?<br />
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I am so glad to see the update. Gone is the one of blame and the factual errors about the APCS exam. The whole tone reflects their stated purpose of "Teach Girls To Program Before People Tell Them They Can't Do It". Great approach.<br />
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I really love that they now include information on<a href="http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/definition.html"> stereotype threat</a>. Joanne Cohoon at UVA has done a lot of great work on this as it relates to females in computer science. It is her research at NCWIT the reference at the bottom. And while we are at it, have you been to a <a href="http://www.cs.virginia.edu/tapestry/">Tapestry Workshop</a>? If not put it on your list for next summer, absolutely will change your teaching. Resources from past workshops are posted on the site, so you can read ahead,<br />
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Well done!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182664435268211824.post-56723017441906155572013-09-23T21:49:00.001-04:002013-09-23T21:49:09.530-04:00Binary Flippy Do - How To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today in AP Computer Science Principles we made the Analog Binary Calculator. We have been working up towards binary. I do not start them with the big explanation of This Is Binary.</div>
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Instead I do a series of puzzles as warm ups and exit tickets for the week or so before the actual lesson. That way by the time we get to full scale binary they have had some positive experiences and built their own understanding of how binary works.</div>
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(Why do I even do Binary? <a href="http://supercomputerscience.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-binary.html">Here you go</a>)</div>
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So for example I show them a picture of two light switches and point out they can either be on or off. Working with a partner they have to figure out how many numbers they can store using the light switches. What if we add a third switch, how many then? Without listing all the combinations can you predict how many numbers you could represent with 4 switches? This makes a great warm up activity.</div>
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The great thing about the flippy do is it is super easy to translate numbers back and forth. My stronger math kids pick up the number theory behind it quickly, while my weaker math students are successful so they will stick with it rather than tuning out.</div>
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If you also cover the full two's comp representation it is also an incredibly easy way to teach the steps.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMteTxHRxncN2yPC6eMKOhkHIcJHdkn24gj4rA56n3oMG0zydZaCLU8NMXm8h4EKnfY00UO7CxxDJ79g851TMYcBENRWYqcZjt699aO3H9EALOMMjdAEHFw1vgo63PAIzW04wq7je9U/s1600/flippy_final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMteTxHRxncN2yPC6eMKOhkHIcJHdkn24gj4rA56n3oMG0zydZaCLU8NMXm8h4EKnfY00UO7CxxDJ79g851TMYcBENRWYqcZjt699aO3H9EALOMMjdAEHFw1vgo63PAIzW04wq7je9U/s320/flippy_final.png" width="274" /></a></div>
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<b>Materials:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Index cards - 4x6 or larger</li>
<li>Markers</li>
<li>Scissors </li>
<li>Rulers - helpful, but not necessary</li>
</ul>
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Steps:</div>
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First you fold up the bottom 1/4, draw 8 columns, and cut the bottom flippy things like this:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPtyF7joDn_cPWw0CAStNE4Uc5j8SGVncWJQn3yMUFg5gIgOQEK_FldEd1aT1mEKI_GVJLt4pc7wzNM_H5rOLEGC334Gv2eA6OVgUYSFEXgaeprWD65UJ1R6VttDZWm4xSPPWSspNOkM/s1600/flippystep2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPtyF7joDn_cPWw0CAStNE4Uc5j8SGVncWJQn3yMUFg5gIgOQEK_FldEd1aT1mEKI_GVJLt4pc7wzNM_H5rOLEGC334Gv2eA6OVgUYSFEXgaeprWD65UJ1R6VttDZWm4xSPPWSspNOkM/s320/flippystep2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell this is my white board?</td></tr>
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Second, you label the powers of two. Then put 1's on the back of the flaps and zeros underneath as shown:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0HzMOgH9TkSLMdE3UKN8UuAzqQEhOO5o45_MGviyM50JrQ1FVxA8ToCRRbzgcYre_F9vUVmwIBhuzPbi3HZvtY70-V8bYP-0mEASfxURD2t6_pAOAgJDyWR6zMkZkbvYxXYCBEkMnnk/s1600/flippystep1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0HzMOgH9TkSLMdE3UKN8UuAzqQEhOO5o45_MGviyM50JrQ1FVxA8ToCRRbzgcYre_F9vUVmwIBhuzPbi3HZvtY70-V8bYP-0mEASfxURD2t6_pAOAgJDyWR6zMkZkbvYxXYCBEkMnnk/s320/flippystep1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I have them do a few puzzles:</div>
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<ul>
<li>How may ways can you represent 13? 3? 15?</li>
<li>Count from 0 to 13. Any pattern with even/odd numbers?</li>
<li>What is the largest number this can store?</li>
<li>What is 01111111? 00111111? 00011111? - what is the pattern here?</li>
</ul>
<div>
The point here is, if I just tell them that there is only one way to make any base ten number in binary it goes in one ear and out the other. Snore.</div>
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If instead they are doing a puzzle, and after a few realize THEMSELVES that there is only one combo per number, they internalize that at a different level. They don't forget it.</div>
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After all this we do the algorithm to change from binary to base ten and back. The best part is when the kid in the back, the one that hates math, tells their neighbor "Hey, I actually get this".</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265930308263863141noreply@blogger.com4