"If parents do not get involved then no amount of money spent on education will accomplish much."
I cannot agree with this enough. I am a teacher (at an international school in Tokyo). Way back when I was a student teacher in the US, we had parent/teacher night. I had one class which was a strong academic class with about 15 students. I had another class with 40 low academic students. For the class with 15 students, the parent/teacher night was full with parents - basically 100% of the students had a parent show up. For the class with 40 students only about 15 parents showed up - basically about 25% of the students had a parent show. This shows the relative importance of education for each group (of course, I'm sure some parents couldn't make it due to working at that time). There is only so much teachers and schools can do - education and values start at home.
All of the discussion going on about teaching programming in schools is a great new/old trend. Like many posters here, I learned basic programming skills years ago in middle / high school. But then that all changed somewhere along the line.
School technology courses began to focus on turning students into secretaries - students learn Microsoft Office. If you're lucky, they'll teach design skills (PhotoShop, etc.) The other trend these days is about using Web 2.0 to enable collaboration, which is not bad in and of itself, but misses the mark. That's where programming comes (back) in.
There are a lot of great free resources out there. I have taught programming using Scratch to third graders, Microsoft SmallBasic to fifth graders, and JavaScript to ninth graders. There is also GameMaker, which has a free lite version that allows for drag-n-drop game programming. Microsoft also has Kodu, which let's kids make 3D games with a drag-n-drop interface.
A few months ago I gave a TEDxTokyo presentation on the subject (excuse the shameless plug), which you may find interesting, possibly even entertaining...
I can't agree with this more - programming is one of the key literacies of the 21st century. Programming is as vital a subject to teach as music, art, or poetry. The skills gained by learning programming are applicable in almost any domain - skills such as analysis, abstract representation, and logic.
I recently gave a presentation at TEDxTokyoTeachers on this exact subject entitled "The Guitar and the Smart Phone". In it, I use the guitar as a metaphor (analogy?) for the way we are using computers in education and why that approach falls short of teaching the skills students need for the 21st century.
My school has been using Live@edu since the beginning of the year and it has been an unqualified success. Everthing is web-based (although you can use Outlook or another mail client if you prefer), which means it it also cross-platform. Mail is synced between all of a user's devices. It's pretty slick. The SkyDrive storage offers 25 GB of storage and is HTML5 based (but uses Silverlight on Windows).
The original question is a false dichotomy; the question isn't whether or not college should go online or not. The question is under what circumstances is the application of information technology and integration of online access and collaboration to the university education process appropriate and to what degree?
I am the Moodle Coordinator for the University of the People, a completely online tuition-free university. We have students from 119 countries learning in a collaborative fashion through online discussion forums, downloadable resources, and assignments including peer-assessed work and online quizzes, exams, and projects.
The mission of the university is to provide "universal access to quality, online post-secondary education to qualified students". Without the online component (through the open-source Moodle LMS), the university could not hope to fulfill this mission without charging a large tution and pricing most of the world's population out of the market. All coursework is online, and from my own perusal of the course materials, I find the curriculum to be challenging.
While this model will not and should not completely replace the traditional university, it is a viable model for providing a quality education, particularly to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity for financial or other reasons. For example, the university has a number of students from Haiti who, due to the 2010 earthquake, would have no other options.
I agree with several other posters who state that there is something to be gained from the interaction with professors, students, and others in the university community. That, of course, does not preclude posting resources online, creating discussion forums, and having students collaborate through the Internet. As an undergraduate (at Penn State) I had several undergraduate courses with 300+ students - my largest had over 1000. The professors in these courses mostly lectured; why couldn't the lecture be posted online and the quizzes, exams, and papers be submitted online? Not to mention there were students who did not attend class, but rather purchased the notes from one of the note-taking companies on campus. What's the difference?
A strong argument could easily be made that the blended approach is best; the workplace is increasingly becoming more diffuse and more and more collaboration is done between remote locations; in my case I live in Japan and collaborate with my university colleagues in the US and Israel and with intructors and students from around the world. The modern university education needs to adapt to and reflect this reality.
On a side note, it would be great if more world-class unveristies and colleges put their coursework online for all to see like MIT is doing with its OpenCourseware project.
The statements above reflect my own personal opinions; I do not speak for or represent the University of the People in any way, shape, or form.
For those of you interested, here is more information on the University of the People. Wikipedia Inside Higher Ed
The first two, Drape and Gamemaker, are simple-to-use drag-n-drop programming languages. Drape is no longer freely available, but you can download it, and lesson plans, from my homepage, http://www.christianthompson.com?For_Teachers/.
Gamemaker is freely available (shareware with just a few advanced features crippled). It can be downloaded at http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/
Phrogram is a BASIC-like programming language that has a number of built-in function for doing things like drawing and manipulating sprites, which as we all know is what students really want to do! Strangely, I found that they're not super-keen on converting miles to kilometers! You can download it for free at http://www.phrogram.com/.
If you don't know what JavaScript is, stop reading now, please.:) I use the program Max's HTML Beauty for my HTML / CSS / JavaScript unit. It is also freeware and can be downloaded at http://www.htmlbeauty.com/.
If any teachers out there have any other ideas, would like more information on my curriculum, or wish to collaborate on lessons, please feel free to contact me at christian[at]christianthompson.com.
I teach computers at an international school in Tokyo Japan. My students vary in age from grade 6 to grade 9. As you can imagine, they also vary in English language ability. Here is my curriculum:
Grade 6:Drape - A drag and drop programming language (No longer free but you can downloa it from my homepage).
Grade 7:Game Maker - A more complex drag and drop programming language created by the same person who created Drape.
Grade 8:Kids Programming Language - A BASIC-like programming language with easy to use graphics (sprite) capabilities and built in functions such as collision detection. Note that an updated version with 3D graphics capablities will soon be released (around Sept. 2006).
Grade 9: JavaScript - I use a program called Max's HTML Beauty++ for editing JavaScript and NVU for web design.
I teach computers at a middle school to students for whom English is not their native language (in Japan). From grades 6 to 9 each class has one (of three) term of programming.
Grade 6: DRAPE (A drag-and-drop programming language not entirely unlike LOGO.)
Grade 7: BASIC (Using SmallBasic)
Grade 8: KPL (Kids Programming Language)
Grade 9: JavaScript
These are mandatory computer classes that every student must take. The breakdown in the class is typical of any subject. A small percentage really take to programming. A small percentage can't get it at all. The rest fall somewhere in the middle.
The hardest problem has been motivation. Some students simply tell me that they'll "never use this again" so they don't care.
Many of the submitters are right in that computers are so much more complex than they were in our "saving-programs-to-cassettes" days that it's hard to do something comparable to commercial software.
Combine that with the obvious lure of the Internet and all it has to offer and you're left with kids who only know or want to know how to point-and-click to chat with their friends.
That said, if you put me in a sewing class I'd be pretty unmotivated as I'll never use those skills. Bottom line: everyone should be exposed to programming but not everyone needs to love doing it.
Pyron Solar http://www.pyronsolar.com/US/index.htm has got a great little system put together that uses fresnel lenses to focus sunlight on high efficiency solar cells.
They float the entire assembly in water to cool it and to assist in rotation so that the apparatus can follow the sun.
Do Microsoft's actions remind anybody of Ewan McGregor's character in Rogue Trader?
The movie, based on a true story, is about a currency trader who begins to feel as though the market responds to him, and as a result loses everything and winds up in jail.
What is Microsoft Thinking? Considering the number of people who buy low-end boxes (not the Slashdot crowd, I'm sure;) ), are these minimum requirements not insane?
I've always felt that most Microsoft operating systems were released about 3 years ahead of reasonably-priced hardware that could run the system comfortably. In this case I may have to revise that estimate upward by a year or two.
On the plus side, we should probably be grateful to Microsoft for this blunder as it opens a huge gap for [insert favorite Linux distro] to fill.
Here in the good old Empire (as I like to call it), movies cost 1800 Yen a pop to see. That's $16.35 per person. Then you throw in train fare and food / drinks and you're talking some serious hurt on your wallet. (well, my wallet because I, as the husband, get to pay)
So, my wife and I really have to want to see a movie to go.
And this is after ten years of recession. Unbelievable.
That said, if you use Windows, go for bbLean. It is a blackbox shell clone for Windows. It sports a minimalist design, multiple desktops, easy skinning, and easy keyboard shortcuts. Navigating is super easy. It also uses less resources. It's a win-win situation.
I have the same problem. I guess Showtime's geographical locator is better than movielink's.
Lets Me Get Around Stupid DRM Restrictions
on
Google Web Accelerator
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I'm living in Japan and on occasion will find that some sites will not allow me access due to my location. For example, movielink.com states that you must be present in the United States to use the site.
I just installed the web accelerator and had no trouble accessing the movielink site. Awesome!
Of course, they'll probably set up their own servers here in Japan at some point, but until then, I can surf with impunity.
I really wish I had had this when Napster offered that free iRiver H10. I couldn't sign up because of my location. I was mighty mighty upset that I couldn't get a free mp3 player.
Wow, those HP engineers really put the "inno" in innovation!
What kind of brainstorming session did this idea come from? Hmmm...let's see...how can we use less power? I got it! Let's turn it off!
Yes, I know it's more complicated than that, but really, this doesn't seem earth-shattering. Plus with OLED technology maturing, this whole idea is pretty much moot.
For the record, I do realize that "inno" has no meaning, so turn of your flame throwers. It was a joke, not a good one, but it was the best I could do on short notice.
I'm currently teaching computers and programming to middle school students.
Fortunately, the students are quite motivated and the girls perform as well as the boys (and in some cases better).
It's sad to see that as they move into high school, the pressure to conform and be cool forces girls (and boys for that matter) into certain well-defined areas.
It try to encourage all my students to excel in computer skills, but I'm only one voice in a cacophanty of voices (TV, movies, etc.).
The MUIP sounds great! Thanks for the heads up. Oh, wait...
Here are a few facts from the Microsoft website:
MUI is not supported on consumer versions of Windows such as Windows 9x, Windows Me, and Windows XP Home Edition.
MUI is an add-on to the English version of Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 family of operating systems, and will not install on localized versions of Windows XP/2000 or on Windows XP Home Edition.
I have Windows XP Home Edition (Japanese Version).
For fuck's sake, know what you're talking about before bitching about Windows.
As if installing windows isn't enough of a headache. I had to reinstall windows in Japan, and let me tell ya, my Japanese isn't what it should be.
On a side note, I envy the Mac people here in that they can seamlessly switch between English and Japanese versions of their OS just by setting a preference.
In windows land, it's purchase both or suffer. Now more activation heedaches.
Slashdot Mirror
"If parents do not get involved then no amount of money spent on education will accomplish much."
I cannot agree with this enough. I am a teacher (at an international school in Tokyo). Way back when I was a student teacher in the US, we had parent/teacher night. I had one class which was a strong academic class with about 15 students. I had another class with 40 low academic students. For the class with 15 students, the parent/teacher night was full with parents - basically 100% of the students had a parent show up. For the class with 40 students only about 15 parents showed up - basically about 25% of the students had a parent show. This shows the relative importance of education for each group (of course, I'm sure some parents couldn't make it due to working at that time). There is only so much teachers and schools can do - education and values start at home.
All of the discussion going on about teaching programming in schools is a great new/old trend. Like many posters here, I learned basic programming skills years ago in middle / high school. But then that all changed somewhere along the line.
School technology courses began to focus on turning students into secretaries - students learn Microsoft Office. If you're lucky, they'll teach design skills (PhotoShop, etc.) The other trend these days is about using Web 2.0 to enable collaboration, which is not bad in and of itself, but misses the mark. That's where programming comes (back) in.
There are a lot of great free resources out there. I have taught programming using Scratch to third graders, Microsoft SmallBasic to fifth graders, and JavaScript to ninth graders. There is also GameMaker, which has a free lite version that allows for drag-n-drop game programming. Microsoft also has Kodu, which let's kids make 3D games with a drag-n-drop interface.
A few months ago I gave a TEDxTokyo presentation on the subject (excuse the shameless plug), which you may find interesting, possibly even entertaining...
I can't agree with this more - programming is one of the key literacies of the 21st century. Programming is as vital a subject to teach as music, art, or poetry. The skills gained by learning programming are applicable in almost any domain - skills such as analysis, abstract representation, and logic.
I recently gave a presentation at TEDxTokyoTeachers on this exact subject entitled "The Guitar and the Smart Phone". In it, I use the guitar as a metaphor (analogy?) for the way we are using computers in education and why that approach falls short of teaching the skills students need for the 21st century.
They should follow the state of Kentucky's lead and migrate everyone over to Live@edu, Microsoft's free cloud-based email, file storage, messenger and web app, system for schools. Kentucky was able to migrate 700,000 accounts over to Live@edu in the course of a weekend. (Ref: http://msftedublogger.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/state-of-kentucky-rolls-out-liveedu-to-700000-users/)
My school has been using Live@edu since the beginning of the year and it has been an unqualified success. Everthing is web-based (although you can use Outlook or another mail client if you prefer), which means it it also cross-platform. Mail is synced between all of a user's devices. It's pretty slick. The SkyDrive storage offers 25 GB of storage and is HTML5 based (but uses Silverlight on Windows).
Did I mention it's free?
The original question is a false dichotomy; the question isn't whether or not college should go online or not. The question is under what circumstances is the application of information technology and integration of online access and collaboration to the university education process appropriate and to what degree?
I am the Moodle Coordinator for the University of the People, a completely online tuition-free university. We have students from 119 countries learning in a collaborative fashion through online discussion forums, downloadable resources, and assignments including peer-assessed work and online quizzes, exams, and projects.
The mission of the university is to provide "universal access to quality, online post-secondary education to qualified students". Without the online component (through the open-source Moodle LMS), the university could not hope to fulfill this mission without charging a large tution and pricing most of the world's population out of the market. All coursework is online, and from my own perusal of the course materials, I find the curriculum to be challenging.
While this model will not and should not completely replace the traditional university, it is a viable model for providing a quality education, particularly to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity for financial or other reasons. For example, the university has a number of students from Haiti who, due to the 2010 earthquake, would have no other options.
I agree with several other posters who state that there is something to be gained from the interaction with professors, students, and others in the university community. That, of course, does not preclude posting resources online, creating discussion forums, and having students collaborate through the Internet. As an undergraduate (at Penn State) I had several undergraduate courses with 300+ students - my largest had over 1000. The professors in these courses mostly lectured; why couldn't the lecture be posted online and the quizzes, exams, and papers be submitted online? Not to mention there were students who did not attend class, but rather purchased the notes from one of the note-taking companies on campus. What's the difference?
A strong argument could easily be made that the blended approach is best; the workplace is increasingly becoming more diffuse and more and more collaboration is done between remote locations; in my case I live in Japan and collaborate with my university colleagues in the US and Israel and with intructors and students from around the world. The modern university education needs to adapt to and reflect this reality.
On a side note, it would be great if more world-class unveristies and colleges put their coursework online for all to see like MIT is doing with its OpenCourseware project.
The statements above reflect my own personal opinions; I do not speak for or represent the University of the People in any way, shape, or form.
For those of you interested, here is more information on the University of the People.
Wikipedia
Inside Higher Ed
I just started using BlueGriffon, a free and open source WYSIWYG web editor that is available for Linux, Windows, and MacOSX.
It's lineage is as follows:
Netscape Composer -> NVU -> Kompozer -> Blue Griffon
It's been around in one form or another since 1997, so I'm thinking it won't go anywhere.
"I've got a shotgun, a rifle, and a four-wheel drive. A country boy can survive." - Hank Jr.
I, for one, welcome the coming robot economy. However, we need to be aware of the potential benefits as well as the potential economic dislocation.
Marshall Brain, the founder of http://howstuffworks.com/, has written a fictional account of what a future of advanced robots might look like.
http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm
He also maintains a blog to keep track of developments related to a future robotic society.
http://roboticnation.blogspot.com/
"It could be good and it could be bad, but I don't know for sure" - Husker Du
I've been teaching computers for the past 4 years to middle school students in Japan. Here are the programs I use:
:) I use the program Max's HTML Beauty for my HTML / CSS / JavaScript unit. It is also freeware and can be downloaded at http://www.htmlbeauty.com/.
Grade 6: Drape
Grade 7: Gamemaker
Grade 8: Phrogram (formerly KPL)
Grade 9: Javascript
The first two, Drape and Gamemaker, are simple-to-use drag-n-drop programming languages. Drape is no longer freely available, but you can download it, and lesson plans, from my homepage, http://www.christianthompson.com?For_Teachers/.
Gamemaker is freely available (shareware with just a few advanced features crippled). It can be downloaded at http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/
Phrogram is a BASIC-like programming language that has a number of built-in function for doing things like drawing and manipulating sprites, which as we all know is what students really want to do! Strangely, I found that they're not super-keen on converting miles to kilometers! You can download it for free at http://www.phrogram.com/.
If you don't know what JavaScript is, stop reading now, please.
If any teachers out there have any other ideas, would like more information on my curriculum, or wish to collaborate on lessons, please feel free to contact me at christian[at]christianthompson.com.
Cheers,
Christian
There's the rub!
I thought I'd share my favorite all-time poke statement.
.yek pots/nur eht selbasid tI
Does anybody remember what poke 808, 234 did? The answer is (backwards) at the end of this post.
I used to have endless fun going to department stores and putting a simple program like the following:
5 poke 808, 234
10 print "This store sucks!"
20 goto 10
Then I'd just sit back and watch the fun.
Answer:
Of course it was 25 years ago, so I may have the wrong numbers.
I teach computers at an international school in Tokyo Japan. My students vary in age from grade 6 to grade 9. As you can imagine, they also vary in English language ability. Here is my curriculum:
Grade 6: Drape - A drag and drop programming language (No longer free but you can downloa it from my homepage).
Grade 7: Game Maker - A more complex drag and drop programming language created by the same person who created Drape.
Grade 8: Kids Programming Language - A BASIC-like programming language with easy to use graphics (sprite) capabilities and built in functions such as collision detection. Note that an updated version with 3D graphics capablities will soon be released (around Sept. 2006).
Grade 9: JavaScript - I use a program called Max's HTML Beauty++ for editing JavaScript and NVU for web design.
I have also used Small Basic and my own JavaScript Interactive Fiction engine.
You can find downloads of most of these programs and some lesson plans at my homepage.
Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
These are mandatory computer classes that every student must take. The breakdown in the class is typical of any subject. A small percentage really take to programming. A small percentage can't get it at all. The rest fall somewhere in the middle.
The hardest problem has been motivation. Some students simply tell me that they'll "never use this again" so they don't care.
Many of the submitters are right in that computers are so much more complex than they were in our "saving-programs-to-cassettes" days that it's hard to do something comparable to commercial software.
Combine that with the obvious lure of the Internet and all it has to offer and you're left with kids who only know or want to know how to point-and-click to chat with their friends.
That said, if you put me in a sewing class I'd be pretty unmotivated as I'll never use those skills. Bottom line: everyone should be exposed to programming but not everyone needs to love doing it.
Pyron Solar http://www.pyronsolar.com/US/index.htm has got a great little system put together that uses fresnel lenses to focus sunlight on high efficiency solar cells.
They float the entire assembly in water to cool it and to assist in rotation so that the apparatus can follow the sun.
Our energy problems are licked, I hope.
Hey, I just wanted to say Great Sig. I miss my Commodore days. Take it easy, T
Do Microsoft's actions remind anybody of Ewan McGregor's character in Rogue Trader?
;) ), are these minimum requirements not insane?
The movie, based on a true story, is about a currency trader who begins to feel as though the market responds to him, and as a result loses everything and winds up in jail.
What is Microsoft Thinking? Considering the number of people who buy low-end boxes (not the Slashdot crowd, I'm sure
I've always felt that most Microsoft operating systems were released about 3 years ahead of reasonably-priced hardware that could run the system comfortably. In this case I may have to revise that estimate upward by a year or two.
On the plus side, we should probably be grateful to Microsoft for this blunder as it opens a huge gap for [insert favorite Linux distro] to fill.
Here in the good old Empire (as I like to call it), movies cost 1800 Yen a pop to see. That's $16.35 per person. Then you throw in train fare and food / drinks and you're talking some serious hurt on your wallet. (well, my wallet because I, as the husband, get to pay)
So, my wife and I really have to want to see a movie to go.
And this is after ten years of recession. Unbelievable.
Yes, Windows is ugly. Yes, Mac is pretty.
That said, if you use Windows, go for bbLean. It is a blackbox shell clone for Windows. It sports a minimalist design, multiple desktops, easy skinning, and easy keyboard shortcuts. Navigating is super easy. It also uses less resources. It's a win-win situation.
Did I mention it's easy (and FREE)?
Check it out. You won't be disappointed!
Here is the homepage:http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/
I have the same problem. I guess Showtime's geographical locator is better than movielink's.
I'm living in Japan and on occasion will find that some sites will not allow me access due to my location. For example, movielink.com states that you must be present in the United States to use the site.
I just installed the web accelerator and had no trouble accessing the movielink site. Awesome!
Of course, they'll probably set up their own servers here in Japan at some point, but until then, I can surf with impunity.
I really wish I had had this when Napster offered that free iRiver H10. I couldn't sign up because of my location. I was mighty mighty upset that I couldn't get a free mp3 player.
Wow, those HP engineers really put the "inno" in innovation!
What kind of brainstorming session did this idea come from? Hmmm...let's see...how can we use less power? I got it! Let's turn it off!
Yes, I know it's more complicated than that, but really, this doesn't seem earth-shattering. Plus with OLED technology maturing, this whole idea is pretty much moot.
For the record, I do realize that "inno" has no meaning, so turn of your flame throwers. It was a joke, not a good one, but it was the best I could do on short notice.
I'm currently teaching computers and programming to middle school students.
Fortunately, the students are quite motivated and the girls perform as well as the boys (and in some cases better).
It's sad to see that as they move into high school, the pressure to conform and be cool forces girls (and boys for that matter) into certain well-defined areas.
It try to encourage all my students to excel in computer skills, but I'm only one voice in a cacophanty of voices (TV, movies, etc.).
What's the solution? Any ides? Anyone?
The MUIP sounds great! Thanks for the heads up. Oh, wait...
Here are a few facts from the Microsoft website:
MUI is not supported on consumer versions of Windows such as Windows 9x, Windows Me, and Windows XP Home Edition.
MUI is an add-on to the English version of Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 family of operating systems, and will not install on localized versions of Windows XP/2000 or on Windows XP Home Edition.
I have Windows XP Home Edition (Japanese Version).
For fuck's sake, know what you're talking about before bitching about Windows.
Good advice!
But, easier said than done.
Thanks guys, thanks a lot
As if installing windows isn't enough of a headache. I had to reinstall windows in Japan, and let me tell ya, my Japanese isn't what it should be.
On a side note, I envy the Mac people here in that they can seamlessly switch between English and Japanese versions of their OS just by setting a preference.
In windows land, it's purchase both or suffer. Now more activation heedaches.
Thanks guys, thanks a lot.