DanG BloG: yet another DanG BloG

Here's another video from our "Bring Your Daughters and Suns To Work" event:

I got a chance to participate in the 2009 "Bring Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day".  It was a lot of fun.  Here is a quick video fly by of some of the stuff going on, and, yes... if you look close you'll see http://alice.org in action there as well, thanks to excellent work from the Carnegie Mellon University Alice team:

  Check out Alice and other tools that are a lot of fun to use and create projects, both for sons and daughters and parents as well at http://java.com/engage

  If you'd like to join a discussion about getting started with some of these tools to teach programming, come by and visit us at the Programming with Duke & Friends site.

 

  I've read a number of posts lately that point in a similar direction, which is we our educating our students as if we are preparing them for a hundred years ago, not 20 or 30 years from now.   I also get the nagging feeling that there's a tide rising and most of us have a course set with no adjustment assuming the tide is at a constant level.  School is school, what worked 100 years ago to service an agrarian age should work just fine for the current age.  No Child Left Behind, although seeming to "teach to the test" at least... um... leaves no child behind... right?  With the proliferation of computer desktops, mobile phones and so forth, wouldn't you think that enrollment in computer science would be through the roof?  Well, it's at a 30 year low, actually..  Not to say that computers themselves are going away, quite the contrary.  But the computer science deparment, that particularly odd thing that needs to insert the word "science" into it's title so that it can continue to hang out near the mathematics department from which it sprang... that's the place where you grab a keyboard and spend a week typing in your "Hello, World" Java program and by Friday maybe you've gotten past syntax errors, compiler issues, and managed to see those special "Hello, World" characters appear on the screen... that place seems irrelevant these days.  Why in the world would you want to type in a bunch of cruft that displays "Hello, World" on a screen with no graphics?  "Dude, I can do that on my mobile phone faster than you can say it.  What's the point?  You got any classes on virtual reality I can take so I can own my own business in Second Life?"  Some things to think about below...

Exhibit A: Here's one of my favorite talks on, hmm, careful here... "Creativity as something to encourage in education" and not ruthlessly educate students out of it.  Excellent TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson entitled "Do Schools kill creativity?":

Please watch this talk, but I think one of his early points is worth pulling in here even if you don't click the play button.

• "It's education that's meant to take us into this future that we can't grasp.  If you think of it, children starting school this year (given the talk was given in 2006...) will be retiring in 2065.  Nobody has a clue!  Despite all the expertise [...] nobody has a clue what the world will look like in 5 years time.  And yet we're meant to be educating them for it"

Exhibit B: The "Shift Happens" presentation, or variants thereof:

Some data points worth pulling inline in case you aren't watching that one, either:

• today's learners will have 10 to 14 jobs... by age 38
• the top 10 jobs that will be in demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004 (not to mention that the people holding those jobs in 2010 started school around 1970)
• Nintendo (as in video games) invested more than $140 million in research and development in 2002 alone - the US federal government spent less than half as much on research and innovation in education
• There are over 2.7 billion searches performed on Google each month - where did people ask the questions before?
• The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the population of the planet
• It is estimated that a week's worth of New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century
• It is estimated that 1.5 exabytes (1.5 x 10 18 ) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year - that's estimated to be more than in the previous 5000 years
• The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years - it is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010

Exhibit C: Robert Cringely's, installment the last couple of months, a series of three posts on education and technology:

1) War of the Worlds: The Human Side of Moore's Law - excerpts:

•  "... we've reached the point in our (disparate) cultural adaptation to computing and communication technology that the younger technical generations are so empowered they are impatient and ready to jettison institutions most of the rest of us tend to think of as essential, central, even immortal. They are ready to dump our schools...."
• "... Kids can't go to school today without working on computers. ..."
• "... Homeschooling, charter schools, these things didn't even exist when I was a kid, but they are everywhere now. ..."
• "... We are nearing the time when paying dues and embracing proxies for quality may give way to having the ability to know what kids really know, to verify what they can really do ..."

2) Amish Paradise: There is no one correct response to the generatonal change that's coming thanks to Moore's Law - excerpts:

•  "... the Amish have been on this same "new" educational path forever. Their ability to produce nearly 100 percent productive citizens (and very nice furniture) for about fifty bucks per student per year is especially galling to those government schools that spend $16K and turn out a lot of slackers...."
• "... because of cheap computers and the Internet, the ability to solve problems ad hoc has become more efficient than teaching kids about problems and issues that will never face them. As a result, the US has let itself become less competitive by putting so much money into a product (a kid) making both its cost and its ability globally uncompetitive. So, instead of putting more effort into making globally competitive products, we put more effort into blaming those who are smarter at using technology that was mostly invented here. ..."
• "... The next generations will use technology even more than we do and they'll use it differently. This difference will form a feedback loop that will in turn alter the very structure of our society and its institutions. ..."

3) Ozzy Knows Best: Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are the unwitting inventors of  prototype for digital education - excerpts:

•  "... Our grandchildren will run a world very different from the one we ran and many institutions will simply have to adjust or die...."
• "... Parents who are today in their 20s grew up with personal computers, mobile phones and video games. More importantly, their parents did, too.  This new generation of parents lives in a digital world and has little patience with analog traditions. Where we think of bricks and books they think of electrons and photons. Where we remember what time the library opens, they wonder why it should ever close...."
• "... For education, the personal computer is probably a dead end. It's not that we won't continue to have and use PCs in schools, but the market and intellectual momentum clearly lie elsewhere. So forget about personal computers: the future of education probably lies with digital games...."

And on that last note, I have to pop in for a few moments of confirmation and mega-dittoes.  I've been using Scratch and Alice recently with students.  I can liken the responses to the usage of these tools in the following way:

Class Project for 4th graders:

• Create a document in Word
• Create an HTML page

Class Response from 4th graders: 

I might as well have said, "it's time to do 100 sit-ups, everybody on the floor, let's go..." - there are a few eager beavers but by and large, "why are we doing this again?"

Class Project for 4th graders:

• Create a video game using Scratch based on a homework assignment
• Create a movie using Alice based on a homework assignment
• Create a robot car project using Squeak that drives itself around a track

Class Response from 4th graders:

Roughly akin to what you'd get if you walked into the computer lab and said, "Who wants ice cream?" -  nearly unanimous "Boo-YEAH!!"

Related to what freshbrain.org is all about, here are some resources for those of you interested in using computers as tools to enhance learning for kids, while staying on free and/or open source software tools:

HTML using SeaMonkey

• make a web page for a landing place for students' projects
• Seamonkey is a Mozilla project including HTMl editor, browser, etc.
• runs on mac / windows / etc.
• free software (yay!)

Alice v2

What is Alice and what is it good for? What is Alice? (wordy) What is Alice? (abbreviated) Although computer programming has existed in its modern form for half a century, it still eludes all but a small fraction of society. While programming is an inherently difficult activity, there are currently many barriers, both mechanical and sociological, that prevent large portions of the population from learning to program a computer. Learning to program a computer is hard. Alice address both the mechanical and sociological barriers that currently prevent many students from successfully learning to program a computer. Alice addresses the mechanical barriers to programming by making it much easier for students to create programs. Rather than having to correctly type commands according to obscure rules of syntax, students drag-and-drop words in a direct manipulation interface. This user interface ensures that programs are always well-formed. In addition, Alice reifies object-based programming by providing animated, on-screen 3D virtual objects. Alice makes learning to program easier. And it's fun. Sociological barriers are far more complex.  Alice addresses the specific needs of the subpopulation of middle school girls. By supporting storytelling, an intrinsically motivating activity for middle school girls, Alice will make programming a means to an exciting end. Alice makes programming more accessible to girls as well as boys.

• alice.org - Alice v2.0 is the next major version of the Alice 3D Authoring system, from the Stage3 Research Group at Carnegie Mellon University. It has been completely rewritten from scratch over the past few years. The focus of the Alice project is to provide the best possible first exposure to programming for students ranging from middle schoolers to college students.

• runs on mac / windows / etc.
• free software (thanks Carnegie Mellon University! )
• some support for export as applet
• alice.org/getting_alice_applets_to_work.htm
  but there are issues - see http://www.alice.org/community/showthread.php?t=709
• currently, Alice can be used to have students place their projects on their web pages but verify it works for you first
• no support for creating more 3d models without external tool excluding limited he-builder / she-builder

Alice v3 is "Storytelling Alice"

• "Story Telling Alice" (STA) is impressive but not fully released
• a windows only (boo!) preliminary version is available for download as well as a PDF Guide explaining some of it
• see Electronic Arts SIMS collaboration announcement
• see also www.alice.org/community/forumdisplay.php?f=28
  for Alice v3 news and forum posts
• free software (yay!)

Greenfoot

• What is Greenfoot Greenfoot is an extension to BlueJ focused on video game and/or simulation environment. Consider greenfoot as a combination between a framework for creating two-dimensional grid assignments in Java and an integrated development environment (class browser, editor, compiler, execution, etc.) suitable for novice programmers. While greenfoot supports the full Java language, it is especially useful for programming exercises that has a visual element. In greenfoot object visualisation and object interaction are the key elements.  If you know BlueJ and a microworld framework (like Karel the Robot or the AP Marine Biology Case Study) consider greenfoot as the best from both: object interaction (BlueJ) and object visualization (microworlds).
• good support for export as applet in Greenfoot v1.2 and forward,use it to have students place their projects on their web pages
• see also the listings for Greenfoot @ ACM SIG Computer Science Education 2007 Conference specifically Wednesday Workshops search down to "Programming With Greenfoot (Or: Introducing Java Via Games And Simulations)"
• >University of Kent Center of Excellence in Object-Oriented Teaching and Training
• Teaching Programming in Schools with Java
• Problems in the initial teaching of programming using Java: the case for replacing J2SE with J2ME
• mygame.java.sun.com/MyGame/ (try a few of the "Highest Rated" examples, these were developed by contest participants during JavaOne)
• students tend to get a kick out of being able to easily create and modify a video game, associate their own graphics and sounds (make sure they have a working mic and audio capture program so they can record the noises themselves) and post it to a web page that anyone with a java enabled browser can play
• If you look at Greenfoot -> BlueJ -> NetBeans BlueJ edition -> NetBeans as a path from beginner environment to what professionals use, it's a very appealing progression staring with something that will do any valid java code from the start. The only thing I'd change is to provide some sort of Alice-like drag-and-drop-coding environment for the younger students so they're not stumbling on a semicolon in the wrong place keeping them from compiling. But, it's all free and that's a very small gripe toward a very valuable set of tools for teaching.
• the Greenfoot talk I went through at the last SIG ACM Computer Science Education conference is documented at http://www.greenfoot.org/workshop/greenfoot-workshop-slides.pdf
  and materials available here http://www.greenfoot.org/workshop/
• runs on mac / windows / etc.
• free software (yay!)

Squeak

• squeak.org - Squeak is a modern, open source full-featured implementation of the powerful Smalltalk programming language and environment. Squeak is highly-portable - even its virtual machine is written entirely in Smalltalk making it easy to debug, analyze, and change. Squeak is the vehicle for a wide range of projects from multimedia applications, educational platforms to commercial web application development.
• squeakland.org - Squeakland has been developed to offer a variety of fun experiences to people of all ages who use their computers to create. Squeakland is meant to be a playground for developing a community of people who want to work together to invent new media types.
• a wonderful book by B.J. Allen-Conn and Kim Rose, "Powerful Ideas in the Classroom - Using Squeak to Enhance Math and Science Learning"
• the "Weekly Squeak" @ http://weeklysqueak.wordpress.com/ is a useful summary of what's going on in the Squeak world every week or so
• Squeak is Smalltalk underneath the e-toys script tiles but, as Alan Kay and Seymour Papert would say, there are some very simple powerful ideas in there for education
• Squeak e-toys are being used for the XO OLPC machine and SUGAR interface
• there's a squeak plug-in that allows projects to be put on web pages
• runs on mac / windows / etc.
• free software (yay!)

ACM SIG Computer Science Education

• ACM SIG CSE 2008 conference is in Portland, Oregon from
  March 12th - March 15
• http://www.cs.duke.edu/sigcse08/
• Sun and others sponsored the conference last year and the connection through Greenfoot was certainly interesting

One Laptop Per Child Activity

• There was a lot of focus on the OLPC at the SqueakFest 2007 conference
• individual sessions and information are posted at the SqueakFest 2007 blog
• Given Sun's involvement in Curriki / Curriculum Wiki / Global Education & Learning Community, "bridging the digital divide," and so on, I found this interesting... I noticed the One Laptop Per Child (laptop.org) listed this under the "children" section:
• EXPLORING
• The XO gives learners opportunities they have not had before
• Tools such as a Web browser, rich media player, and e-book reader bring into reach domains of knowledge that are otherwise difficult-or impossible-for children to access.
• separate but related topic, see also: click through Sophie-Croquet and the -> Trailer -> Warp -> Trailer HD links
• although this is just a cute movie illustrating what might eventually be, a project like Sophie based on Squeak for interactive books (imagine Curriki available in this form, all students have it available off of their laptops) and croquet for 3D past the target of Alice where you can go collaborative
• EXPRESSING
• The XO helps children build upon their active interest in the world around them to engage with powerful ideas. Tools for writing, composing, simulating, expressing, constructing, designing, modeling, imagining, creating, critiquing, debugging, and collaborating enable children to become positive, contributing members of their communities.
• LEARNING
• The XO takes learners beyond instruction. They are actively engaged in a process of learning through doing. ("Constructivism") Children also learn by teaching, actively assisting other learners.


• RESOURCES
• The XO not only delivers the world to children, but also brings the best practices of children and their teachers to the world. Each school represents a learning hub; a node in a globally shared resource for learning.

Please watch this space, freshbrain.org, which, as of 8/13/2007 lists a holder page with the description:

An independent nonprofit focused on enhancing the education and development of our youth in the areas of business and technology by providing hands-on real world experience.

More info as it unfolds, but if you have any interest in helping to to educate kids using technology as a tool, keep an RSS reader pointed to the FreshBrain blog:

FreshBrain Blog

The FreshBrain project is being created to enhance and extend the existing educational system. It will give students a chance to work with the latest technology in a supportive environment where they can explore and create, where they can take an idea and turn it into something real. If you think of the Curriki Global Education & Learning Community project as a resource to "open source" k-12 edcucational materials... and we hope you do! You could think of the FreshBrain project as a place to invite students to start getting technology training and exposure that would lead to using the technology to enhance the learning materials that are accumulating in Curriki. This starts to provide resources for education in places where web access is empowering and enabling, as opposed to "computer class" in a school being 30 minutes a week of typing and presentation training.

Kid Stuff for me would be that I am the head of a family of four, including a 5 year old and a 7 year old as of 2004.

I have been trying to keep an eye on something usable on the computer that would engage the creativity and enthusiasm of the 5-10 year old crowd. (I know, I know, the computer is no substitute for playing ball outside in real live sunshine, step... away... from... the... computer... I do encourage that, really!)

There are various JumpStart titles, which are OK. But it's still less creation and more playing a game somebody else wrote. I Found an excellent beginner chess game called Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster. Online, there's disney, and so forth. Sites like this that use flash to provide "games" are OK and they've certainly come a long way from the dawn of web time.

But... playing canned computer games, even those billed as educational software titles, is not the kind of child brain activity level I had in mind -- I was hacking out BASIC programs on my Atari pre-teen and up. (I was fortunate enough to get to play with the Atari 800 series of computers while growing up, but not fortunate enough to be at the helm of the Atari 800's successor when it came out, the Amiga series) Thus, what kind of authoring / creation environment might have a shot at prying the 5-10 year old crowd away from the Nintendo(s)/PlayStation(s)/GameBoy(s)? "Look kids, see what happens when you type in '10 PRINT HELLO WORLD 20 GOTO 10" likely as not will draw blank stares and fidgeting.... "are we done seeing something cool yet? Can I play Zelda now?" I had thought about REALBasic. Would prefer something that's free or inexpensive, though, which REALBasic basically isn't. And I don't think that's targeted toward a dynabook type of experience, which is what I'm after. That being the case, consider the source...

Have been looking at squeak and the info on squeakland lately. Lots of good things going on with the continuing journey of the original SmallTalk-ers as pertains to childhood education, learning and further attempts to do cool dynabook things. Hit the School Stuff and Kids Play links on squeakland for more info. More to come, hopefully, if the kids can, in fact, be pried away from the game consoles. step... away... from... the... Nintendo...