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coding

Free Computer Science Tools For The Classroom

by Catherine Tabor September 13, 2019

written by Catherine Tabor

So, summer has ended. The kiddos are all just beginning to settle in, and you are starting to drown in grading and assignments. Stress not — TA/CS-SIG, the Technology Applications/Computer Science Special Interest Group, is here for you.

As the Computer Science Vice President of TCEA’s TA/CS-SIG, I wanted to compile a list of some of my favorite tech apps and computer science resources that make my life manageable and will hopefully help all of you complete tasks more efficiently as well.

Making Life Easier

Every programming and computer science teacher knows that grading coding assignments can cause even the most dedicated soul to become disillusioned with the whole system. In order to simplify my life, I have used a variety of practice sites throughout my career, many of which you may already be familiar with but some you may not. Oh, and the best part? They are all free.

Repl.it — Repl.it is a simple and powerful online compiler that allows students and teachers to work in over 50 different languages. Teachers can set up classrooms and create assignments for their students or you can find an already created classroom that you like and borrow from it. You can even set up autograding, which will save you time in the long run!
CodingBat – CodingBat has a series of code practice exercises that you can assign to your students for either Python or Java. These are a series of small problems that are designed to help build skills and syntax proficiency.
Khan Academy – You can create a Khan Academy classroom just for computer science or programming. The courses offered range from computer programming to computer animation, and all of it is graded for you by Khan Academy.
Runestone Academy – This is a website that contains a number of open source, free books and activities. Like the other sites listed here, Runestone will allow you to make a classroom and give students assignments. Included on the site is an AP CSA review that I use every year and that my students have found to be very helpful. The site also contains books on Python and data science, along with exercises and projects that you can use in your classroom.
GitHub Classroom – This is one that a lot of us tried a few years ago and found to be a bit unwieldy and difficult to manage. However, it may be time for you to revisit GitHub classroom. They have a new classroom assistant that makes grading so much easier and that can be integrated to work with an LMS and third-party testing.
NICERC – If you are teaching any of the courses in the new cyber security pathway, I am sure you have heard of NICERC. But, if you have not, they have a bunch of great resources for you to use. They offer curricula for a number of STEM/STEAM disciplines and much of it is hands on and project based.
WeTeach_CS – This year, WeTeach_CS from the University of Texas at Austin has rolled out their new computer science A curriculum. It is free for this year, so sign up and give it a try.
Last but not least, TCEA’s TA/CS-SIG officers are always available to help answer your questions and provide great resources via the TA/CS-SIG group in TCEA’s online Community, which all active TCEA TA/CS-SIG members have access to.

I know there are many resources out there that people are using, but hopefully there is at least one on this list that you haven’t tried yet that will help you stay calm, cool, collected, and organized throughout this school year. If you have additional resources you love, please share by leaving a comment below.

Here’s to a happy, less stressful school year for all!

September 13, 2019 1 comment

AR with Rox’s Secret Code

by Lori Gracey August 28, 2019

written by Lori Gracey

Anytime you can combine augmented reality, cute robots, and coding fun, you are guaranteed student engagement. And that’s exactly what the Rox’s Secret Code app does. Available free for both Android and iOS, the app was designed to work with the book by the same name and teach coding to both girls and boys ages 4 to 8.

The book is the story of a code whiz who originally creates a “Chorebot” to help her clean her room, but is forced to readjust the code when the robot begins to act out on its own. Although the launch page of the app asks if the students already own the book, purchasing it isn’t necessary to enjoy the app.

How Rox’s Secret Code Works

Rox's Secret Code

Students first must design their own robot, building it from a variety of pieces that are available. The robot appears in AR immediately and is fun to see. My first robot is to the left. You can see it appearing over my laptop in my living room. The next step is to give the robot a name. Then you can take a photo of the robot itself or a selfie with you and your robot.

Introducing Coding

Your bot is now ready to begin learning to code. Students play with coding blocks and learn coding principles by making it pick up toys. The coding skills in the learn mode are put into action in the play mode, where they drag the “move action” blocks, which include move, rotate, and grab, to the code line. Once kids complete the code line, they activate their robot and watch it follow their directions. Rox informs players when there’s code missing or when the move action block does not match the robot’s path towards the finish line. The game becomes a bit more challenging, prompting for more move action blocks, when kids consistently code correctly.

Rox's Secret Code

While playing, students develop organization, planning, and sequencing skills, which transcend the world of coding. The graphics are colorful and appealing and Rox is available to talk the students through the activities. It’s especially wonderful that the app is available free. If you teach young students, I encourage you to take a look at it.

August 28, 2019 0 comments

Advocacy Coding/Computer Science CTO/CIO Cybersecurity Digital Literacy Professional Learning STEM/STEAM Technology Applications

86th Texas Legislature Wrap-Up

by Jennifer Bergland June 5, 2019

written by Jennifer Bergland

All good things must come to an end, but only someone who loves politics would consider the legislative process a good thing. I’m one of those people. I love every minute of it, even the ones that go past midnight! Looking back over the past four months, I am happy to report that TCEA was able to move our vision of education forward through legislation and have some promising opportunities to help shape the future of Texas schools. I have created a 2019 Bill Analysis document that include the specifics about the bills that will impact digital education, but below is a quick summary of the more important bills.

Computer Science and Coding

Legislature We had some huge wins in the area of computer science and computational thinking this session. Our six-year goal of providing weighted funding for the 9-12 Technology Application courses has finally been achieved. In HB 3, the school finance legislation, the weighted funding for CTE was changed from grades nine through twelve to grades seven through twelve. In addition, the bill specified that CTE courses and programs include Technology Application courses. This means that Technology Application courses from grades seven through twelve will receive the same weighted funding as CTE courses, which is 1.35 (instead of the normal 1). HB 963 requires the SBOE to consolidate the 9-12 Technology Application courses with similar courses found in the CTE curriculum. The goal is to eliminate duplicates and identify the purpose of each of the courses. Finally, HB 2984 requires the SBOE to update the K-8 Technology Application standards to ensure that they include coding, computer programming, computational thinking, and cybersecurity. It also establishes a committee to create a strategic plan for K-12 CS education to increase computer science instruction and participation in public schools.

Broadband

Legislature There are two pieces of legislation that are going to impact educational broadband. The first is HB 1960 which creates a Governor’s Broadband Council that will advise the governor on issues related to broadband access to unserved areas. This is progress, but not as much as we hoped for. There are few, if any, areas of Texas that are unserved. The original bill included underserved areas, but heavy lobbying by the large telecommunication companies eliminated that language from the bill. However, we consider this progress because we finally have some entity at the state level that will look at the state’s needs for broadband from a strategic perspective. For too long, all state entities have tried to provide affordable, scalable broadband for their own purposes when it would be much more cost efficient to survey the needs across agencies and entities and design a plan to meet all the needs. HB 1960 at least establishes a council that could do this in the future, if given the authority.

The second bill that may help with broadband is HB 3906. This is an assessment bill that requires online testing by 2022-2023. The bill requires TEA to evaluate the availability of Internet access for each school district and identify changes to state law or policy that are necessary to improve the availability of Internet access. This may open a door for more aggressive action in parts of the state that are “served” but are underserved.

Digital Learning

HB 3 established a Blended Learning Grant program and then funded it at $6 million a year. TEA’s Math Innovation Zones are how the agency is fulfilling this requirement. It is good to know that the agency has funding to continue these types of grants.

Legislature

I have already mentioned that HB 3906 requires TEA and the SBOE to implement online testing by 2022-2023. Before this can happen TEA and the SBOE must devise an implementation plan that is approved by the legislature. The planning for this type of implementation will require heavy district input, which will largely come from their technology departments. This has the potential to finally focus some much needed light on what the state must do in order ensure that all students have access to technology, not just for assessment, but for learning throughout the year. In order for students to be successful on an online assessment, they must first be technically proficient and familiar with the type of device they will be using when taking the assessment. This translates to more access to digital tools for all students.

Funding

HB 1 is the budget bill for the 2020-2021 biennium. Listed below are some of the appropriations that were made that will impact digital education:

Technology and Instructional Materials Allotment – $1,101,430,204
OER curation – $20,000,000
Blended learning teacher training – $2,000,000
Blended learning grants – $12,000,000
TxVSN administration – $800,000

HB 396 allows districts to use their TIMA on software that will help manage instructional resources, including the usage and effectiveness of digital materials. HB 4611 stipulates that 50% of the funds that the Texas General Land Office sends to the legislature for education must be appropriated to the TIMA. If this had been in place this biennium, there would have been $3 million more placed in the TIMA. In addition, the budget stipulates that the SBOE should restrict instructional material proclamations to 75% of the TIMA and should consider school district’s technology needs when determining the size of the percentage of the Permanent School Fund sent to the legislature. 50% of this distribution goes into the TIMA. In translation, this means the SBOE should be sending the legislature enough money from the PSF to fund both the instructional material needs of school districts and also their technology needs.

Cybersecurity

SB 820 requires each school district to establish a cybersecurity policy that determines the cybersecurity risks to the district and a plan to mitigate those risks. The district will also be required to designate a cybersecurity officer who will oversee the policy. In addition, the district will be required to report to TEA any cyber attack that breaches the system security and notify the parents of the students whose information has been compromised.

Professional Development

There are several opportunities in the bills mentioned above that will provide professional development in digital learning. The Blended Learning Grants are largely designed to provide professional development for educators in blended learning, not to mention the funding provided to UTeach to continue to provide this type of training to Texas teachers. Also, this is a good chance to remind districts that the TIMA may be used to provide professional development on the use of technology. In addition to these bills, the legislature passed HB 2424 that requires the SBEC to establish rules to create microcredentials in fields of study related to an educator certification class. This was one of TCEA’s legislative priorities, so we are excited to see this bill pass.

What’s Next

The legislative session has come to an end, but the hardest work is ahead of us. Enacting legislation is the first step in changing things. Now we begin the process of working with the different agencies and entities to ensure they are enacted well. Stay tuned for more blogs about many of these legislative initiatives and how you can provide input.

Credits

Photo of the computer code taken by Sai Kiran Anagani on Unsplash. Photo of cables taken by Jordan Harrison on Unsplash. Photo of teacher interacting with students taken by Mimi Thian on Unsplash Photo of teachers taken by Kylie Haulk on Unsplash.

June 5, 2019 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science

Coding for Creativity? The Latest Report Says “Yes”

by Lori Gracey May 31, 2019

written by Lori Gracey

To be honest, when I think about coding activities for grades K-8, I don’t normally think about using the skill of creativity to complete them. And yet, that’s what the latest report from Project Tomorrow/Speak Up says. Here are some of the key findings from this report released in May 2019.

Finding #1: Creativity Is an Important Skill

Three-quarters of parents of school-aged children (74%) identified creativity as an important skill for their child to develop in school to be successful in the future. And I think that all educators would agree with this as well. In looking at a future filled with artificial intelligence and robots, creativity is one of the main things that will help humans to distinguish themselves from “the machines.”

“Students from all types of communities and family backgrounds want to learn coding as the means to developing their creativity skills and improving their preparation for future success.”

Finding #2: Coding Helps Develop Creativity

Parents and school district leaders see coding as a good way for students to develop creativity skills. Students agree as well; 58% of students in grades 6-8 say the most important reason to incorporate coding within the school day is to help them develop creativity skills.

Finding #3: All Students Want to Learn to Code

Student interest in learning coding transcends gender, grade level, community type, and home poverty, and that interest is growing. Middle school student interest in learning coding increased by 23% in just three years. So let’s not kid ourselves that coding is only for gifted students or mathematically talented students or boys or girls or wealthy students. Coding is for everyone and should be taught to all students K-8.

Finding #4: Teachers Need Help Teaching Coding

Teachers need easy-to-use tools and classroom support resources to effectively integrate coding as a new form of creative expression across their curriculum. While there are many resources for teaching coding, teaching it from a creativity mindset is not as prevalent. The best way to promote creativity while students are learning coding is to allow them choice, both in what tools they use and in what products they create. Of course, this is managed choice with the teacher helping to ensure that good decisions are being made.

Steve Isaacs, a teacher at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ endorses student choice to not only help his students develop their creativity muscles in an organic way, but also as a way to teach them about how to learn. Mr. Isaacs uses coding around game development as a medium for his students to develop these skills. Most importantly however, he provides ample opportunities within these coding experiences for his students to self-direct their learning.

“When they start creating, I want my students to have choices as to what tools they use and to take learning into their own hands. Even when I guide them through something, they need to take ownership to make the game their own. This is really about teaching kids about how to learn, not just about how to make something based upon my instructions.”

Critical Questions to Ask

How are your students strengthening their creativity skills? How are they being exposed to coding and allowed to choose their own projects to be created? How are you ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn to code?

May 31, 2019 1 comment

Coding/Computer Science Digital Literacy

Plan Now for Hour of Code

by Jennifer Bergland November 5, 2018

written by Jennifer Bergland

According to Code.org, 93% of Texas parents want their child’s school to offer computer science, but only 40% of Texas schools teach it. Maybe the reason for their interest is because there are 44,972 computing jobs open in the state of Texas in which the average salary is $93,518. The Hour of Code is a perfect event to help drum up support for computer science in your school, district, and community to help meet the demand of your parents and the job market.

The Basics

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science to demonstrate that anyone can learn the basics of coding. The effort was designed to demystify computer coding and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. The official Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. The 2018 Computer Science Education Week will be December 3-9, but for all practical purposes, you can host an Hour of Code all year round.

Organizing an Hour of Code event at your school or in your community is easy. Their website provides step-by-step instructions on how to pull off the event, complete with activities your participants can use to learn to code in an hour. They also provide ideas to get your community involved and a FAQ page that will answer almost every question you have about hosting an Hour of Code.

Five Easy Steps to Host a Hour of Code

Code.org has made is easy for you to host an hour of code. Here are the things they suggest you need to consider to make your event a success.

1. Logistics

The first thing you need to decide is where are you going to host the event. They have coding activities that you can use for any device, but you need to decide which devices you’ll use and what you’ll need to make sure they have the necessary bandwidth and power. Code.org even has activities to teach computational thinking skills without using a computer so your event can take place anywhere, even a public park! Just make sure you have reviewed what materials you’ll need for these types of “unplugged” activities.

2. Pick a Tutorial

You may be thinking, “This sounds great, but I don’t know how to code, so how could I help teach someone else?” All the code activities are self-guided so you don’t have to know how. You can learn to code at the same time as your participants! All you have to do is select a tutorial to use in your Hour of Code. All teachers can participate because Code.org has tutorials that are related to math, science, social studies, language arts, fine arts, and computer science. You can sort by subject area, grade level, and by the coding abilities of your participants.

3. Promote the Event

Now that you are all jazzed about hosting an Hour of Code, you want to make sure others know about it. Hour of Code has all types of promotional materials for you to use. They have handouts, videos, posters, social media, and different tools you can use to reach certain people in your community, including your elected officials.

4. Host an Hour of Code

Once you have taken care of all the pre-event details, it is now time to host the event. Have your participants go to code.org/learn and choose the tutorial you picked out. If any of your participants finish early, have them either help someone else or find another tutorial to complete.

5. Celebrate Your Success

When your participants complete the hour, be sure and celebrate. You might want to create a photo booth where they could take selfies and post their photos on their favorite social media site using #HourOfCode as your hashtag. You could also create a certificate to be given out at the end of the hour.

Hour of Code events are full of energy and excitement. It is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that everyone can code. Who knows, you may spark an interest in coding for the next Steve Jobs! What are you waiting for? Get busy planning your event!

November 5, 2018 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science

Four Apps for Teaching Students Coding Skills

by Guest Blogger July 26, 2018

written by Guest Blogger

Why should we learn coding? All technology that is used in the world has code as the driving force. Students are more engrossed in technology than ever. They’re active on social media or glued to the latest video game. The issue is that our students are simply acting as consumers. How can we transition them to become creators of their own applications? How can we empower students to engage in self-directed learning?

By learning essential programming skills, students will gain significant computational thinking capabilities. They will learn how to analyze problems, break them down into smaller chunks, and create multiple solutions. They will learn to collaborate with peers, communicate their creativity, and gain a broader understanding of the impact coding has on the world.

Recommended Programming Applications

This article shares four coding applications I’ve found to be effective at providing self-guided learning experiences in my classroom. There are a vast number of coding applications out there. One can become easily lost in the forest of options if I were to list them all. I am hopeful that this blog will provide educators enough knowledge to effectively choose which applications they want to implement in their own curriculum.

1. Lightbot: Introduction to Programming Concepts

When I was ready to introduce coding to my students, even those that were not in my programming class, the first activity I had them engage in was Lightbot. Lightbot is an application that is featured as a part of the Hour of Code activities and is designed to serve as a one or two-hour lesson. Lightbot engages students in a game that tests their logic and problem-solving capabilities. It introduces the most basic concepts of coding: iteration, procedures, and loops. At first, my students thought the game was too childish, but they soon realized their own struggle to solve some of the more complex problems. This game is easily accessible on the computer and all major mobile platforms. I have used this program as a recruiting tool to expand my rapidly growing Computer Science program.

2. Scratch: The Block-Based Coding App

After Lightbot, the next logical step is to introduce block-based programming to the students. Scratch is a great program for introducing coding concepts to students. First, Scratch is free. Second, it is known as a block-based program because students literally drag and drop blocks of instructions in the code editor. There is very little typing involved. Scratch is simple, but it can become complex if a student really gets in-depth. During my first year of teaching Computer Science, I had my class complete a project with Scratch to create a visual story or a game. Half of my class chose to create a game while the other half chose a story. The students truly valued the openness of the project, and they enthusiastically created their own applications.

I believe Scratch is one of the easiest applications to implement across the curriculum. Also, Scratch contains a host of freely-accessible, community-built programs that can be used in lessons. As an educator, you can even create your own content or quiz using Scratch. Below are a few examples of projects utilizing the program across the curriculum:

ELA – Creating a visual poem; book report
Math – Probability (dice rolling); fractions game
Science – Formula balancing; report on the brain
Fine Arts – Creating music; animated drawings
Social Studies – Historical biography; quiz game

Eventually, the students grew weary of Scratch and are ready for the next challenge. This is the point when I introduced CodeCombat that gets students more engaged in typing code.

3. CodeCombat: The Coding Game

CodeCombat introduces students to typing code instead of dragging and dropping. They first choose from several characters and are then guided in the lesson content through gaming “quests.” CodeCombat offers a fully-planned curriculum and a grade book. Students can work through at their own pace. The programming languages taught are Python, JavaScript, and HTML. If a student struggles through a level, they are automatically assigned additional practice to complete. Meanwhile, those students who prefer to move at a quicker pace can jump ahead to more challenging levels.

The first set of levels is offered in a free version. I have used this free version to introduce coding to my students in both my programming and non-programming classes. The paid version promises many game development activities, ranging from beginners to more experienced coders. CodeCombat was recently endorsed by the College Board for their Computer Science Principles course. I am hopeful to be able to explore their setup for this curriculum one day. Even though CodeCombat is a wonderful resource, I utilized another coding application known as CodeHS as the primary learning tool for my students.

4. CodeHS: The Individualized Learning Platform

CodeHS is the current driving force in my ever-growing Computer Science program. Like CodeCombat, there are free and paid versions of this self-contained platform. Students can learn a variety of coding languages, including JavaScript, Python, HTML, and Java. The CodeHS paid version provides educators with curriculum, professional development, and an abundance of tools and resources to create an engaging and student-empowered classroom. CodeHS is also College Board Certified for their AP Computer Science Principles course. There is also room for growth for both educators and students as the program offers the AP Computer Science Applications course and additional preceding courses. This is the next step in building my Computer Science program to engage my advanced students further.

My students have loved being able to work at their own pace. They have enjoyed building a website, creating pixel art, and learning the basics of cybersecurity. They love that the content is fully open and that they can perform many trial and error tests. My students were recently actively engaged in creating an application for their AP tasks, and I had the privilege of acting as a coach in the classroom where I actively monitored progress and provided aid where needed. I even had one student excel beyond the scope of the course. He gleefully pressed forward into his own personalized learning.

Examining the Results of These Coding Applications

Each of these programming applications has been a great asset as I took charge of the Computer Science content area on my campus. In the 2016-2017 school year, which was my first year of teaching Computer Science, my total number of students was eight. This number doubled during my second year. As for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, I am already expecting the number of students to nearly triple in size based on current enrollment data.

I warn my students that coding can be their worst nightmare, but also their greatest addiction. There is much to learn with coding, and I am hopeful that my Computer Science program continues to grow. I truly believe that the students who take a programming class will walk away with more than just a good coding skill set. They will walk away with the knowledge and understanding that they are empowered through coding and are capable of tackling their own learning experiences.

This is a guest blog by James D Turnage. James is a Computer Science and IT teacher formerly at Ball High School in Galveston ISD who will begin teaching Computer Science and Video Game Design at Clear Falls High School in Clear Creek ISD in August.

July 26, 2018 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)STEM/STEAM

Humanities Go Digital: Coding and Storytelling

by Miguel Guhlin July 18, 2018

written by Miguel Guhlin

At a recent mini-conference in Houston, Danica Botts (@TeachingNBotts) introduced me to the concept of “digital humanities.” She then modeled how a coding website could be used to craft an online story. In this blog entry, we’ll explore various ways that you can use coding tools to tell a story. Before we do that, let’s clarify what is meant when I say, “humanities go digital.”

Defining Digital Humanities

Danica shared the definition of digital humanities with audience members: “An academic field concerned with the application of computational tools and methods to traditional humanities disciplines such as literature, history, and philosophy.” To simplify this definition, “…brings digital tools and methods to the study of the humanities with the recognition that the printed word is no longer the main medium for knowledge production and distribution”

What are some ways that you can bring digital tools to the task of knowledge production and distribution? Danica suggested one solution I had never encountered before. Let’s take a look at it and how it could be used.

Introducing Twine

“Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories,” as reported on The Twinery website. A longer explanation explains the concept further:

You don’t need to write any code to create a simple story with Twine, but you can extend your stories with variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript when you’re ready.

Twine publishes directly to HTML, so you can post your work nearly anywhere. Anything you create with it is completely free to use any way you like, including for commercial purposes.

This amazing tool is available online at Twinery.org. It is available via your web browser (e.g. Chromebooks), as well as installable on your Windows, MacOS, and/or GNU/Linux. The install software is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. One of the neat aspects of Twine is that you can embed HTML at its simplest level or enhance it with embed code from YouTube, Vimeo, or Javascript. Students are able to explore the humanities, such as storytelling or narratives, while coding and then publish their work online.

Encouraging Computational Thinking

“Computational thinking is vital for raising the level of achievement, preparing students for global competitiveness and blending academics with real life, they have made the resources below free to all educators,” says Carolyn Sykora in this ISTE publication. Learning to program can be daunting. Introduce students who love crafting stories to beginning coding with Twine. It may open doors that computer science cannot open alone.

Did You Know?

ISTE has put together a Computational Thinking Toolkit replete with videos and print resources. You can watch a short video to introduce you to the concept of computational thinking.

Twine Online Tutorials

You can find a variety of online tutorials on Twine tool online. An online guide is available. The creator of these videos is Adam Hammond, who has many more resources available.

Creations at The Twinery.org

Looking for some examples of what you can make at the Twinery? Remember, with Twine, you can make interactive stories a la Zork or more. One key benefit of Twine is that you can use it to introduce students to computational thinking with a straightforward interface.

Here are a few examples:

Crypt Shyfter: This is one of several games that appear in the Crypt Shyfter series. While the link takes you to a gaming website, what’s amazing is that the underlying interface was created in Twine.
Before the End of the World: Adapted from the description: Before the End of the World is a Twine game. It was created to explore how minor differences in context can change one’s actions. It helps the reader see how these changes impact the reader’s perception of the story.

Creation

Ready to give it a try? You will definitely want to watch a few video tutorials first. Creating a simple story, even as a choose your own adventure, is quite simple. For example, here are some of my efforts:

Here’s the opening canvas of Twine. You can add an initial passage, then link to subsequent passages by placing words in double brackets

Here’s what the story looks like. I’ve embedded an image, too:

You can customize the look and feel of the text and images using cascading style sheets (CSS). Want to **read this three act story** in its entirety?

Humanities Go Digital

Blending digital tools that combine coding and the humanities makes representing ideas new and fresh. You can easily use Twine to create choose your own adventure stories, documentaries, and more, even a novel introduction to a new unit of study. The added value, as opposed to using a Google Sites or other graphical user interface (GUI), is that you have the flexibility to a wide variety of embed code.

July 18, 2018 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science STEM/STEAM

Make Thinking Physical: Coding Your Creations

by Miguel Guhlin June 28, 2018

written by Miguel Guhlin

Listen to Blog Entry

At the recent Elementary Technology Conference, one of my Code Building with Minecraft: Education Edition session participants asked, “Have you heard of CoSpaces?” I confessed that I had not. “It’s a way to introduce students to 3D printing design using block coding,” she responded. Intrigued, I made a mental note to explore this fascinating way to introduce students to coding and 3D printing design. In this blog entry, we’ll explore two tools, including one just released, that empower you and/or your students to use visual programming (a.k.a. “block code”) to create a 3D print design for printing.

Rapid Prototyping

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, Design Thinking Learning, presenting students with problems can introduce them to block coding. What’s more, it can serve as a way to make a real-life connection. Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D printing are two more exciting ways to create rapid prototypes of solutions to human-centered problems.

“Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design data.” Wikipedia

Check out this image (3D Innovations) which highlights rapid prototyping in the K-12 Classroom:

Image Source: 3D Innovations

Learn more about design thinking. Read this short overview.

Tool #1: Prototyping in AR/VR Space

Are you ready to code creations that manifest themselves in augmented reality or virtual reality space? Check out CoSpaces; get an overview in this PDF document. Browser-based CoSpaces works online, so no special software is required. You are able to create in 3D, using block coding to add animations. Enroll in their free online course to learn how to create in CoSpaces.

Watch this quick video:

UQkB92VQSliyTDaU7r3S_CoSpaced%20Sample.mp4

Want to learn more about what’s possible with CoSpaces in the classroom? Read this TCEA blog entry.

Tool #2: TinkerCAD CodeBlocks

You may already know about TinkerCAD as an amazing way to introduce students to 3D print design. Students are able to design in 3D using a beginner tool before they move on to something like Photoshop, SketchUp Pro, etc. This means students can design and fine0tune their designs in digital space before they hit the “PRINT” button. 3D printing has long been a rapid prototyping tool. But what about creating 3D print design using visual programming code?

Released in June, 2018, TinkerCAD CodeBlocks describes itself as “a cool new way to build things in Tinkercad, using blocks of code to bring your imagination to life.”

Image Source: TinkerCAD CodeBlocks

Once students have created their code, they can export their creation as a 3D-printable file.

Isn’t that incredible? The interface, when you first jump into the beta CodeBlocker, looks like this:

codeblocker

You can do more than just export your code-based 3D printing designs. You can also share them with others using the handy SHARE button.

Make Thinking Physical: Coding Your Creations

Whether students are coding to create in virtual/augmented reality or design in 3D, they are making important connections. One connection sure to engage them is that students see how code translates into physical creations. The coding process makes thinking visible. The visible creation (e.g. 3D printed design) strengthens student understanding that what’s digital can be made physical. Or, to put it another way, thinking made physical.

June 28, 2018 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science Robotics STEM/STEAM

Collaboration, Creativity, and Teamwork at State Robotics Contest

by Joe Vasquez April 10, 2018

written by Joe Vasquez

Students from across the state gathered this past weekend to participate in the annual TCEA State Robotics Contest. Teams had the opportunity to put their collaborative critical-thinking skills to the test as they showcased their inventions and went head-to-head with other state finalists in the Arena division. Two hundred teams of up to four students each gathered in Hutto to test their skills. Each team had already competed at the Area level against more than 1,400 teams.

Arena Contest

This year’s challenge, Mastering Mars, allowed students the opportunity to task their robots to prepare the Martian environment for human settlement and iron mining. Each team’s robot had to complete as many tasks as they could within the two-minute time frame. Teams were allowed to use one LEGO Mindstorms programmable processing unit, LEGO-branded motors and sensors, other LEGO-branded devices, and non-LEGO parts not to exceed the five dollar limit.

It was impressive to see both Intermediate (grades 4-8) and Advanced (grades 9-12) state teams put their problem-solving skills to the test as they attempted to complete each task on the game field. Anticipation mixed with excitement filled the room as teams watched in awe as their robots performed. One contestant in the Arena Pit mentioned being able to test the robot’s capabilities and see what it can and can’t do as part of the thrill of competing. Overall, a great sense of teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity radiated throughout the groups.

Inventions Contest

As Arena contestants battled it out for the top spot, Invention participants exercised their creative-thinking skills by designing a robot to solve a real-world problem of their own choosing. From iPotty toilet assistance for the elderly to oil pipe sealing robots, students of all ages let their imaginations run free to create exciting solutions to make the world a better place. Other solutions offered to save lives, assist entomologists to gather insect specimens, and collect dangerous metal objects, among others.

In addition to providing functional prototypes of their creations, Inventions teams had to keep a detailed logbook of their progress and come up with polished presentations and marketing plans for their ideas. When asked what was their favorite part of competing at the state level, an intermediate team agreed it was the ability to create new initiatives through their inventions while being able to assist others in the process.

I hope this insider’s look into this year’s competition encourages you to incorporate robotics into your classroom while allowing your students to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills further. If you’re interested in learning more about our program and how your students can join other robotics teams next year, click here. You might also want to check out the amazing EV3 robotics workshop TCEA is offering July 16-20. This five-day robotics workshop will show you how to use LEGO MINDSTORMS to help your students develop a love of STEM along with valuable critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. Whether you’re an educator, librarian, or administrator, this week-long learning opportunity will give you the knowledge, resources, and best practices to introduce a successful robotics program at your school this fall.

April 10, 2018 0 comments

Coding/Computer Science STEM/STEAM

3D Printing Projects for Micro:Bit

by Miguel Guhlin March 26, 2018

written by Miguel Guhlin

Ready to explore 3D printing projects for the incredible micro:bit mini-computer? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Learn about micro:bit 3D printed peripherals. Before we jump into 3D printing, let’s take a moment to revisit what a micro:bit is.

See main features

Meet Micro:bit

“The Micro Bit (under $24 to start) was designed to encourage children to get actively involved in writing software for computers and building new things, rather than being consumers of media,” says Sebastian Anthony. The process is simple. You could summarize it in this way:

Create code
Save code
Get (a.k.a. download) code
Copy code to the device

You can watch a getting started video series from SparkFun on the device. SparkFun has tons of activities, such as this weather:bit example. Since the micro:bit has been available since 2015, there are many exciting projects and video tutorials available already. The device features its own website, so if you get stuck, you can find assistance. Get the free Microsoft Micro:bit curriculum shared April, 2018.

Want to see a simple project idea? See this Rock-Paper-Scissors game via Matt Moore:

micro:bit

Ready to go bananas over micro:bit? Try this next. As you may have noticed, you will need to learn some coding. Wait, wait, don’t hyperventilate.

The web-based MakeCode editor open on a GNU/Linux computer. See? The editor is cross-platform.

Make Code, Create Magic

Micro:bit is a test kit for various types of coding. Although there are various code editors that work with micro:bit, an excellent choice is Microsoft’s MakeCode. Note that you can use MakeCode, a web-based code editor, on Chromebook and iPad (for iPads, you can use the Bluetooth connection to copy code to the device). MakeCode works in a variety of settings and relies on both block and text editors. As I mentioned in my Codeate with Minecraft Coding Projects blog entry, MakeCode can be used to build and execute actions in a virtual world. The implications are awesome.

Minecraft’s MakeCode window

What your students learn in one environment (e.g. micro:bit) are transferable to the other (e.g. Minecraft). For teachers getting started with Minecraft and MakeCode, there’s a course (get the HTML version or OneNote Notebook) written for teachers new to computer science or those who have never taught it. Students learn about events, coordinates, variables, iteration, conditionals, functions, arrays, and more.

Join a BBC:Microbit Community? Are you a teacher and interested in connecting with a vibrant community? Join the BBC micro:bit Facebook group (Hint: The micro:bit has 25 programmable LED lights).

Make Games

“Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a game programmer,” said my son. If micro:bit had been around, the journey might not have ended in failure. From games like FlappyBird to LEGO to Traffic Lights, there are many opportunities for students to succeed (and fail) while making games. Won’t you consider introducing students to coding and making with MakeCode and micro:bit? There are many benefits and the research is just starting to come in.

Photo of Deepah Gandhi’s micro:bit emoji character. This was made at the Microsoft E2 Conference.

Micro:bit and Coding Research

Wondering why even do this? Check out this research from the BBC, which deployed one million devices in the United Kingdom at the seventh grade level:

Get the full infographic here via Microsoft’s blog, What’s New in EDU?

70% more girls said they would choose Computing as a school subject after using the micro:bit.
90% of students said the micro:bit showed them that anyone can code.
86% of students said the micro:bit made Computer Science more interesting.
85% of teachers agree it has made ICT/Computer Science more enjoyable for their students.
Half of teachers who’ve used the micro:bit say they now feel more confident as a teacher, particularly those who say they’re not very confident in teaching Computing.

Creating with the micro:bit and coding editors is possible. You can combine it with other inexpensive technologies like 3D printing.

Micro:bit 3D Printed Peripherals

Now that you’ve had a chance to revisit all the awesomeness that is micro:bit, let’s take a quick look at 3D printed peripherals. Like a naked baby, in its raw form, the micro:bit can be a bit awkward to handle. Wouldn’t it be neat to 3D print a case for the micro:bit? Take a look at some examples below.

Curious about these MyMiniFactory creations? Get the STL file for 3D printing online

You can find these examples online at the MyMiniFactory. Per their website, “MyMiniFactory is a community platform for the sharing of 3D printable files and is the official 3D printing partner for the micro:bit.”

One of my favorite examples includes the egg timer for hard boiled eggs. Like the other examples, you get access to the STL file needed for 3D printing as well as the hex file needed for your micro:bit. Consider these instructions, abbreviated for space.

Step 1 : Print your egg timer

Simply download the STL file of the timer on this page.

Step 2: Flash your micro:bit !

You can download the code by clicking on the link below or on the zip file on this page. Click on the button “Compile” to download the code on your computer. Then, drag and drop the file into the micro:bit icon on your computer section.

microbit.co.uk/lwphmuidyq

Isn’t that amazing? Not to be left behind, Thingiverse also features a micro:bit collection.

micro:bit

You can save and open these designs in child-friendly tools like Tinkercad, LeoCAD, or, for older students, AutoDesk’s Fusion 360 or SketchUp Pro (available free via TCEA to public schools). Other tools are available that rely on block coding (just like Scratch and MakeCode), such as BlocksCAD.

Get Started Now

What are you waiting for? The convergence of cheap mini-computers like the micro:bit, web-based code editors like MakeCode with free tutorials, and 3D printed peripherals make classroom learning engaging, educational, and exciting. Perhaps your classroom or school might be interested in creating a smaller version of the micro:bit display shown below?

Featured Image Source

Curious about the 3D printed micro:bit watch case? Learn more here.

Updated: Note that this blog was updated with new resources on 04/05/2018.

March 26, 2018 0 comments

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