Improving CS Education with ICE Winter 2005 Tech Prep Conference Barbara Ericson Georgia Tech

What is ICE? Institute for Computing Education Institute for Computing Education Partnership between Partnership between Georgia Tech’s College of ComputingGeorgia Tech’s College of Computing Georgia Department of EducationGeorgia Department of Education Announced June 2004 by Kathy Cox and Richard DeMillo Announced June 2004 by Kathy Cox and Richard DeMillo

ICE Goals Train more CS-AP teachers Train more CS-AP teachers Start by training teachers for the Prog and Sys Management courseStart by training teachers for the Prog and Sys Management course even teachers with no experience even teachers with no experience When ready train for CS-AP courseWhen ready train for CS-AP course Increase the number and diversity of CS students Increase the number and diversity of CS students Interesting curriculumInteresting curriculum Help with recruitingHelp with recruiting

Why? The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that despite the recent decline in the IT industry, computer software engineers and computer systems designers will be among the fastest growing occupations in The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that despite the recent decline in the IT industry, computer software engineers and computer systems designers will be among the fastest growing occupations in The percentage of women has been declining The percentage of women has been declining High of about 30% to about 12% nowHigh of about 30% to about 12% now

Summer week AP workshop 1 week AP workshop 17 teachers attended17 teachers attended 2 week Programming and Systems Management Workshop 2 week Programming and Systems Management Workshop 30 teachers attended30 teachers attended Two 1 week summer camps for high school students Two 1 week summer camps for high school students 30 students each30 students each

AP Workshop

Prog and Sys Workshop

Prog and Sys Workshop Content Media Computation Media Computation Manipulate Pictures and SoundsManipulate Pictures and Sounds 2d Drawing2d Drawing AnimationAnimation Demos of current research Demos of current research Robot dogs, aging in placeRobot dogs, aging in place Talk on diversity Talk on diversity Student panel discussion Student panel discussion

Workshop CS Content Introduction to object-oriented concepts Introduction to object-oriented concepts Keywords and operators Keywords and operators Primitive and object variables Primitive and object variables Class and object methods Class and object methods Arrays Arrays Iteration (for and while loops) Iteration (for and while loops) Conditionals (if, if-else, if-else-if, and, or) Conditionals (if, if-else, if-else-if, and, or) Graphical User Interfaces Graphical User Interfaces Input/Output and Exceptions Input/Output and Exceptions Debugging Debugging

Goals for Content Motivating Motivating For students and teachersFor students and teachers Creative Creative Open-ended assignmentsOpen-ended assignments Authentic tasks Authentic tasks Start with what students use computers for (pictures, sounds, text, web, games)Start with what students use computers for (pictures, sounds, text, web, games)

Negate an Image

Mirroring

Rotation

Create a Collage

Remove ‘Red Eye’

Sepia-Tint

Chromakey

Teacher Collages

Prog and Sys Results Survey results Survey results 70.37% of teachers felt more capable70.37% of teachers felt more capable 96.30% got ideas on what to teach96.30% got ideas on what to teach 88.89% got ideas on how to teach88.89% got ideas on how to teach 44.44% felt ready to teach in fall44.44% felt ready to teach in fall Teachers with no experience wanted a slower pace Teachers with no experience wanted a slower pace Some of the teachers are using the content Some of the teachers are using the content

Quotes I didn’t want to take this workshop. I thought it would be boring and too math- based, but I am having fun. I didn’t want to take this workshop. I thought it would be boring and too math- based, but I am having fun. My kids won’t believe that I am programming for fun. My kids won’t believe that I am programming for fun. This was the best (non-college credit) workshop I have ever taken. This was the best (non-college credit) workshop I have ever taken. The demos were awesome. I wish I had thought ahead & had a video camera to record demos. The demos were awesome. I wish I had thought ahead & had a video camera to record demos.

Student Summer Camps Two one-week summer camps for high school students Two one-week summer camps for high school students Not residentialNot residential 30 students in each camp30 students in each camp Content Content Building a computer from partsBuilding a computer from parts Computer engineering labComputer engineering lab Media manipulation in pythonMedia manipulation in python Demonstrations of researchDemonstrations of research Afternoon recreationAfternoon recreation

Student Summer Camps

Student Summer Camp

Winter day Workshops Preparing for the AP Case Study Preparing for the AP Case Study Jan 24 th - 25 thJan 24 th - 25 th Using Turtles, Robots, and Sound to Teach Java Using Turtles, Robots, and Sound to Teach Java Feb 28 th – March 1 stFeb 28 th – March 1 st Preparing for the AP Exam Preparing for the AP Exam March 28 th - 29 thMarch 28 th - 29 th

Preparing for the AP Case Study Ways to teach design concepts Ways to teach design concepts Role-playingRole-playing ScenariosScenarios CRC analysisCRC analysis UML class diagramUML class diagram Walk through of the case study Walk through of the case study Ideas for other projects Ideas for other projects Ways to extend the case study past fish Ways to extend the case study past fish

Extending the Case Study

Using Turtles, Robots, and Sound to Teach Java Use LEGO Robots and a visual programming language to introduce programming concepts Use LEGO Robots and a visual programming language to introduce programming concepts Use visual programming to control a virtual turtle Use visual programming to control a virtual turtle Use Turtle.java to control a virtual turtle using Java Use Turtle.java to control a virtual turtle using Java Use Karel J. Robot to control a virtual robot using Java Use Karel J. Robot to control a virtual robot using Java Use Sound manipulations to teach programming concepts Use Sound manipulations to teach programming concepts

LEGO Robots

RCX Code Visual Prog Language

Turtle Blocks Visual Prog Lang

Program a Turtle with Java

Program a Robot with Java

Using Sound to teach Java Write programs to reverse a sound, append sounds, make a sound clip, and construct a MIDI song Write programs to reverse a sound, append sounds, make a sound clip, and construct a MIDI song

AP Bowl – April 16th Teams of high school students will answer multiple choice questions Teams of high school students will answer multiple choice questions Using a Personal Response SystemUsing a Personal Response System Like a remote control Like a remote control Awards for teams with the highest scores and individuals with the highest scores Awards for teams with the highest scores and individuals with the highest scores Broken into A and AB Broken into A and AB Sign up at Sign up at

Summer 2005 Workshops 2 week Prog. and Sys. for beginners 2 week Prog. and Sys. for beginners No experience necessary!No experience necessary! July 5-8th and 12-15th 2005July 5-8th and 12-15th week intermediate Prog. and Sys. June 28-July 1st week intermediate Prog. and Sys. June 28-July 1st 2005 Some programming experienceSome programming experience 1 week College Board Endorsed AP July week College Board Endorsed AP July 18-22

ICE Resources Collaborative Website Collaborative Website Mailing lists Mailing lists Classroom visits Classroom visits Barbara Ericson Ericson Field trips Field trips Kristin Vadas Vadas Summer camps for students Summer camps for students