[Yr11 Information Technology] [Oz-teachers] Program android phones

[Roland Gesthuizen]

Another interesting programming tool. App Inventor by Google seems to
be a lot like Scratch with drag and drop programming elements. Here is
a cute introductory video.
       http://youtu.be/8ADwPLSFeY8

Regards Roland

On 15 July 2010 13:30, Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com> wrote:
> "Teach yourself how to program by making computer games" is a free book
> worth sharing and using in the classroom.
>       http://inventwithpython.com/
>
> You can either buy a hard copy from Amazon or just download the full PDF as
> I did for my ebook reader :-)
>
> Regards Roland
>
> On 14 July 2010 21:38, Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Bruce is right to suggest using Scratch to teach the basics of
>> programming. I still use it with my senior students. It is a whole new world
>> to explore when kids plug in a USB scratch board.
>>      http://delicious.com/rgesthuizen/scratch
>>
>> Python has a lot going for it as an introductory language for teaching
>> programming to students. I have some research that I can share with anybody
>> interested that works though this. Python is easy to learn, cross platform
>> and powerful. Can even run off a USB key. Just check out what NASA and
>> Google are doing with it. We also use it on the OLPC laptops. Check out
>> ANUGA, a python hydrodynamic model by ANU and Geoscience Ausralia I have
>> seen used by students to manipulate a 3D model of a tsunami wave. Here are
>> some resource links.
>>      http://delicious.com/rgesthuizen/python
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> On 14 July 2010 20:54, Bruce Fuda <bruce.fuda at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Sybille and others,
>>> I also use Scratch as a lead-in to Python and PHP (depending on the
>>> subject) with my students because it eliminates the most frustrating aspect
>>> of any programming language - the peculiarities of syntax. I use it in Year
>>> 6s as the only programming "language" they use, in Year 8 alongside very
>>> simple Python activities, and in years 9/10 in units exploring both web dev
>>> and application programming.
>>> The great thing about using it is you can set very simple tasks with it
>>> (make the cat bounce up and down), or you can use variables and event
>>> triggers extensively which allows you to develop very challenging and
>>> complex problems and activities for the students to solve,
>>> If you're going to be teaching VB to kids with no experience, I'd
>>> recommend using Scratch to introduce control structures and variables - it's
>>> graphical, and it shows good program structure in ways that are not too
>>> dissimilar to the coding standards used in most full-blown languages.
>>> Bruce
>
>
> --
> Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
> http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
>
> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
> the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
>



-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
--Margaret Mead