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Purple Zeus

Why promote computational thinking?

18/10/2015

1 Comment

 
What is it?

It is solving problems. That's pretty much it. More specifically, it means breaking down the problem into a list of required steps solve it accurately and efficiently. Just because it has the word computer in the title doesn't mean we can't be talking about solving a maths problem, or constructing a cooking recipe. 
So why the need to promote it?

Well, because the world has problems. And we haven't solved them all. Not even some of them. Most of them are still pretty bad too. World hunger and pollution are two issues that spring to mind. 

And who can fix them? Me? Yes. Ok, no probably not but one of my students perhaps? In five years, or fifty years? And the solution will come about because they have been trained to accurately understand problems and develop accurate and executeable solutions to it. 

It sounds like a stretch, but its really not. To bring an age ld argument older than me, JFK challenged his country to reach the moon when it sounded ridiculous, and that was solved. 
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How am I promoting it?

On a computer. Sorry, but I'm a computing teacher so that's what I work with. But please don't let that discourage you. Currently, I'm encouraging my students with my own real passion for coding and building. I do this with a variety of products including LittleBits, Minecraft, MakeyMakey, Arduinos, Scratch, Visual Basic, Python and Robotics. All will involve some aspect of getting students to solve a range of problems to within specific criteria of expectation levels.

My next endeavours will involve the implementation of open source coding onto Raspberry Pi devices into the year eleven course starting next year. This, coupled with some additional work in Python, will hopefully lead students to want to experiment with their physical hardware devices on a more advanced level.
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​I'd also like to thank Joachim and Katherine at Intel Australia for generously promoting computational thinking at Yass High School by offering an Intel Galileo as an annual prize. The prize will be awarded to a senior student who promotes computational thinking in the classroom and supports others. The first such award will be given in December 2015. 
​Additional thank you goes to Owen, the University of Sydney, and all the staff at MadMaker for generously promoting computational thinking at Yass High School by offering us a set of Arduino Esplora boards to be enable my students to enter the MadMaker Challenge.
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Students in tech club straight back into the term with the @MadMakerSTEM challenge! #stem #coding pic.twitter.com/K3UN7K9bRf

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) October 6, 2015
I want to incorporate more computational thinking. What should I do?
Strictly speaking remember that computational thinking is breaking down a problem into a series of explicit statements designed to solve a problem. So you may already be doing it, just without identifying it. Think along the lines of giving instructions to bake a cake, or build a go-cart. Now you might just need some support to investigate the construction of flowcharts, but they're generally quite clear once you've been shown. Thousands of examples are present throughput the web, just try searching for your own learning area and you're bound to find something meaningful. There's an example on the right for changing a light bulb.

Also, consider joining a group or social network with a passion for the concept. ICTENSW is a great organisation that readily promotes plenty of computational thinking, often in conjunction with Google.

Be willing to experiment. There is always hesitancy when trying new things, but when we're talking about puzzles, my experience suggests most kids find it fare more engaging to complete a task or activity when they are given the freedom and trust to create errors. 
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A busy tech club today with @MadMakerSTEM challenge captivating students with #computationalthinking skills #ICTENSW pic.twitter.com/WKrDZ4RD0S

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) October 20, 2015
1 Comment

Riding with technology

1/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Over the last term, I've been doing a lot of cycling. This is nothing new. I've cycled before, and always enjoyed it. The difference this time is my decision to integrate technology into the sport. 

Upon recommendations from friends and family, I signed up to Strava - a cloud based data tracking system for cyclists. Sounds nerdy right? Well it probably is, but it's also become one of the most motivating reasons to get out there each and every day and enjoy an active lifestyle. The app which I click on and off at the beginning and end of each ride tracks distance, time, route and even the elevation profile of the course I rode. It allows me to monitor progress, set goals and analyse future paths, as well as follow other cyclists. The interest and energy with which I now enjoy cycling, even when I'm not actually on the bike, is enormous. Some screenshots and an example of a heat map provided by a cyclist blogger is shown below to demonstrate some of the cool tools available.

It got me thinking about the application of technology in the classroom. So long as its done right, a simple (and boring sounding) task like data analysis can become amazingly engaging. Rather than analyse data we've taken from the net, why not get the kids outside, go for a long walk, run or ride and then get them to analyse the data each time? This would have the added advantage of getting students outside but also provided a meaningful method of integrating both technology and numeracy into the classroom. 

I'm healthier than I was at the start of the term now, largely thanks to Strava. There are obviously thousands of Apps in existence where similar processes can be applied - EasyDietDiary (a food/nutrition intake analyser), and MotionX (a sleep monitor) are some that comes to mind, but the point is we should never stop trying to integrate technology into the classroom, and we must move away from the obvious tools like Google and Wikipedia. I'm sure there is already an App available that would be better suited to many lessons you will one day need to teach. 

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0 Comments

Promoting my subject

28/8/2015

1 Comment

 
In order to garner interest for my learning area, I often try different things to promote the type of learning that would be experienced. It's a struggle I constantly face, what can I do to get more kids interested in computing? Below is a video I've created for this year as I try to develop the course Information and Software Technology for 2016. 
1 Comment

Enjoying the new building

20/7/2015

0 Comments

 
A few weeks ago, the new building at Yass High opened. It has been a wonderful experience teaching in such as lavish and beautiful environment.  A link to a Storify I created that documented the construction is available here. I've included a couple of pictures below, but it was a remarkable journey to get here.

English teachers introduce learning in the new building to year eleven. #YHSRebuild. pic.twitter.com/fvQCa0HclE

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) May 18, 2015

Year Seven students learn coding and computational thinking skills using @Scratch. pic.twitter.com/PUM82FYAX5

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) July 16, 2015
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I finished my Masters

2/4/2015

0 Comments

 
I just received my final marks for my Masters, and I have now finished! After three years and twelve gruelling subjects, I will graduate at the end of this year with a Masters in Applied Finance. 

Why did I bother? Because it was interesting. The subjects may have been tough, and the teaching strategies employed by uni lecturers often leave a lot to be desired, but I really found the whole investigation of finance fascinating. 

Where to go now? 
0 Comments

MakerSpace experience

24/3/2015

0 Comments

 
Why encourage making? Makers will help shape the future, so we need to encourage students to build and create! 

After attending the ICTENSW conference last week, I have been inspired to implement MakerSpace into the classroom at my school. Thanks to some generous individuals at the conference, I walked away with not only a plan on how to implement MakerSpace, but some physical devices to support the immediate implementation!

Some of the items, I intend on supporting were not all at the conference, but the point is MakerSpace right? I should adventure out and establish my own MakerSpace and the let the kids help me to evolve it. I already had a few things I personally owned or had gained prior approval for, before the MakerSpace concept had reached me, so I'll be able to fall back on my Mindstorms robots and Rasperry Pi, but to be greedy, I want more!

Not only do I want to implement MakerSpace to support the students at school, I want to play in MakerSpace. What better time to implement than right now, as we prepare to move into the most innovation-inspiring workplace environment at school. The #YHSRebuild is due for completion in the next few weeks, and we should be ready and teaching in the new building next term. 
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On my wish list thus far:

LittleBits
Occulus Rift
Leap Motion
3Doodler
BrickPi
Rasperry Pi
Makey Makey
Arduino Galileo
Arduino Shields
Arduino
3D printer
LED lights
Batteries
Copper tape 
Google Cardboard
Mindstorms robots

Can't seem to drag myself away from #makerspace at #ictensw. Definitely the hit of the conference. @GreatPD pic.twitter.com/bJpHjDuw02

— Nick Biddle (@nabiddle) March 15, 2015

Introducing #MakerSpace for @YassHighSchool. Thanks to @dan_bowen for supporting TECH club. pic.twitter.com/2M7KVNeI4v

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) March 17, 2015
.... I know there's more stuff, so if you have anything to suggest, please just let me know!
0 Comments

Encouraging reading at school

24/2/2015

0 Comments

 
At my school, a 20 minute reading session is mandatory every day for all students years 7-12, with one day off for sport. As a technology teacher, it doesn't often seem to fall on me to inspire students to read more, but I still love doing it anyway. 

I don't pretend to be some hugely avid reader that ploughs through three books a week, or even a diverse reader who will happily jump from one genre to the next. I have my cliques. I love action stories and comedy stories, as well as those books based on scientific advancement or understanding. Little else ever really interests me. When I was at school, the thought of a mandatory 20min reading block would have led to several eye rolls. it was quite common for me to get through the entire year without reading a single book. Cliff notes were my friends during these times. On occasion, I'd catch a break, and manage to see the movie version and simply ask a friend what they key differences from the book where. This was my experience with reading for much of my life under the age of 25. 

I discovered however, that it is quite easy to engage in reading when you find the specific type of book that appeals to you. At first, it was quite an achievement for me to say for the first time that I literally (and that word is used how it should be) reads a book from cover to cover. Eventually, I managed to read my second, then a third. I started keeping a tally of the books knocked  over each year. it might have been a measly 3 one year, then 4 the following year.  

Eventually, I managed to increase my tally to seven. Wow, you're thinking? Seven books in a year? However did he find the time? Well, firstly, I'm not counting all the text books I read for my Masters, and well I have kids under three. Last year was the first year we implemented the mandatory reading slot, and this supported my reading even further - pushing my to nine for the year. Towards the end, I thoroughly believed it was possible to crack double figures, so set myself the goal of one per month. Pretty high if you ask me, considering how much time I spend using technology. And oh right, all my books are hard copies, paperback, solid, not updatable, ...actual books. 

Throughout the reading sessions, I have developed an even higher appreciated for reading and encourage all students to take on the endeavour. It was rewarding for many students, and borrowing from the library exploded.

Afternoon #reading in the sunshine at #yasshigh #YassValley #lovebooks #AmReading pic.twitter.com/ccVTOA6NxP

— Yass High School (@YassHighSchool) March 24, 2015
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    A Computing teacher with a passion for collaboration and open source teaching.

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 © Purple Zeus website and logo 
created and designed by N. Biddle
Newcastle High School
  • Home
    • About
    • Open source
    • Privacy
  • Coding
    • Visual Studio
    • Python
    • Arduino
    • Java
    • Scratch
    • EV3 Mindstorms
  • SDD
    • HSC >
      • Social and ethical issues
      • Application of software development approaches
      • Defining and understanding the problem
      • Planning and design
      • Implementation and delivery
      • Testing, evaluating and maintaining
      • Programming paradigms
    • Prelim >
      • Social and ethical issues
      • Hardware and software
      • Software development approaches
      • Defining the problem and planning software
      • Construction and manipulation of software
  • IST
    • Project Management
    • Authoring and multimedia
    • Internet and website development
    • Software design and development
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Robotics
    • Networking systems
    • Three-dimensional modelling
  • ISTEM
    • STEM Fundamentals
    • Mechatronics
    • Aerodynamics
    • Motion
    • Design for Space
    • 3D CAD/CAM Manufacturing
    • STEM Project
  • Digital
    • Digital Technologies
    • Graphics Technologies
  • Contact
    • Samples
    • Humour
    • Blog
    • References