Hour of Code

Like many schools last week, Salisbury High School participated in the international Hour of Code (http://csedweek.org/) as part of Computer Science Education Week.  I was excited to be able to have students use the tutorials provided at http://learn.code.org/hoc/1.  Students in both sections of my Honors Virtual Reality I class participated.  I also opened up the activity to students in our school's STEM Academy as well as inviting students from the entire school to an afternoon session on Monday, Dec 9.

Students loved conducting the tutorials using Angry Bird and Zombies.  The tutorials were well designed and functioned very well for students.   They loved making the characters move from place to place as well as figuring how to code.  I loved that the tutorials progressed from easy to challenging.  Many students remarked that that the first few stages were easy and they did not see the challenge.  As they progressed though, they then found the activity more challenging and engaging.  Several remarked that they had to think quite a bit about how to tell the objects to move.  I laughed when some of the students who remarked "this is too easy" commented that it had gotten really hard.  In one of the afternoon tutorials, I had three awesome 9th grade girls attend.  Two of the girls got a really quick start on the tutorials and well into stages 9 and 10 while the third student was struggling with trying to code.  This student had never coded before and found the activity challenging since she initially had difficulty in understanding that the computer did exactly what she told it to do.  For example, if she coded for the bird to move two steps forward, it only moved two steps forward.  It did not move any more or any less.  As this student struggled, I provided some additional assistance and encouragement.  The student began to really think like the computer and quickly realized that the computer does exactly what you tell it to do - nothing more, nothing less.  As the student adapted to this way of thinking, she quickly learned how to manipulate the coding process for her own advantage.  She mastered if / then statements and looping with more ease than the other two girls.  In the end, the third girl quickly accelerated through the more challenging stages and only finished 2-3 minutes behind the other girls.  I was impressed that she, in such a short period of time, had learned how to code and think like a computer.

Here are some of the more powerful reflections that I got from my students regarding coding:

• "It was fun to try something different. I never knew how to read code so it was cool to do something unusual."
• "It was fun to get to see the behind the scenes of games. I also liked to control what was going on."
• "I feel like it would be interesting to learn about coding because I could then set up and run a program, which would be cool to know how to do. Also, we use programs in my work that I could know how to work with."

Overall, I was so pleased that Salisbury High School could participate in this activity.  I was also pleased that so many students commented that they found coding to be fun and interesting.  Most realized that coding could be very challenging as well though.  I did have several students comment that they did not enjoy coding and they did not think that this would be a good career for them.  This is very powerful though in that students realized that coding is something that they do not want to do.  This helps them to better focus in on what they may want to do in the future as a result.




In talking with several students as a result of this activity, many expressed an interest in learning more about coding and a desire to take a class that involves more coding.  While I could only give them a brief introduction to coding, I did direct them to consider taking computer programming or AP Computer Science which is available to our students through online classes.  I hope that they will be able to follow up on this opportunity.  I had had several students sign up to complete the activity online through our Edu 2.0 management system as well which is encouraging.  Also several of my colleagues in Career and Technical Education were also able to participate in the Hour of Code so I would estimate that we had a minimum of 86 students complete this awesome activity.  I applaud the individuals who worked together to create this stellar opportunity for students worldwide and know that it will make a difference in the lives of many students and provide access to opportunities in computer science and programming.

 Student expressing frustration when the computer program did not respond as she hoped.

Students learn how to code during the Hour of Code.

 

Citizen Science

Over the summer, I was asked by the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) to develop a Citizen Science project for Honors Chemistry.  I had never heard of Citizen Science.  So after asking a few questions, I agreed to create a  Citizen Science Project.  I am very appreciated to the North Carolina Virtual Public School for their encouragement in developing this project and especially to Janice Silver, my Instructional Director for NCVPS.

Citizen Science is a constantly evolving phenomenon where citizens assist scientists with collecting and analyzing data.  For example, in the project that I developed, citizens would classify various photos of the solar system taken by the Spitzer or Herschel telescopes.  Citizens take a brief training course on classifying images as either clouds, not clouds, or in-between.  I conducted this project with 20 students in my online Honors Chemistry class through the North Carolina Virtual Public School.  I also conducted this project with some adaptation with two sections of my Honors Virtual Reality I class at Salisbury High School {This course is a locally developed STEM elective course where students engage in the use of technology to solve problems}.  A total of 43 students from Honors Virtual Reality I completed this project.  I also implemented this project with 26 students in my regular Chemistry class at Salisbury High School.  Having done this project both entirely online and entirely face to face provided with very similar experiences.  The end result is that students were able to engage in Citizen Science and make a meaningful impact.  Their work will allow scientists to more effectively map out the universe based on the responses that they received.  

The project was separated into three phases with my face to face students and four phases with my online students.  In each case, students selected a background question to answer for their beginning stage.  Those questions included the following:

• Why are the Spitzer and Herschel Telescopes unique?

• How are stars born? How do stars die?

• Why is IR radiation used to analyze images from space?

• How was the universe formed?

In Phase 2, students actively engaged in classifying images from the telescopes.  Initially students were provided with a brief tutorial from the website.  I also provide a screencast to help students access and use the site (http://screencast.com/t/GH2QqcCw).  Students then classified a minimum of 10 images and took a screenshot of them.  The screenshots were then placed in a document where students showed their classification and explained their rationale.  

In Phase 3, students reflected on their experience and the importance of Citizen Science.  Here is a brief list of what several students shared in their reflections:

• "Citizen science is important because it gets the citizens involved in scientific activities and discoveries."
• "It helps scientist conduct their experiments in a timely manner while allowing for average citizens to feel apart of it."
• "Citizen science is important because it not only gives another opinion on very debatable science, but it also helps to further research in a faster manner. Citizen science is a great way for people that aren't scientists to be active in discoveries and get educated."
• "It is important for us to be involved in important studies and research. A lot of people can accomplish things when working towards a goal that would take a smaller group of people years to do. It expedites research and it provides a service in an area that we are currently exploring. It is also important for citizens to be involved in science because it allows us to direct research towards things that we feel need to be discovered."
• "Citizen science is important because it helps scientists and citizens alike. It helps scientists with their work by eliminating some of the "busy work" that is involved with research. It also keeps citizens aware of what is going on in science and in the world." 
• "Overall, citizen science is beneficial because a large number of people are willing to put forth the time and effort for the same goal. These volunteers make it possible to complete big experiments that would have otherwise been costly. And, since there can be a lot of people, the work gets done quicker, and simultaneously involves common individuals."              

At the beginning of this school in my face to face school, all teachers were required to develop a professional development plan (PDP).  I shared about Citizen Science in my department meeting and many of my colleagues added this as part of their professional development plan.  Recently during our science PLC, I shared this project.  As a result several of my colleagues are actively developing Citizen Science Projects to integrate into their classes.  We have also engaged in many discussions about the need to help all our students see the importance of science in their daily life and how Citizen Science can provide the conduit for doing just that.

There are many opportunities for Citizen Science projects.  Many involve Life Science areas such as collecting data on various species and their geographic locations.  I encourage you to research Citizen Science opportunities and to get involved.  

If you would like a copy of my Citizen Science Project, request a copy by emailing whitsonba@rss.k12.nc.us.

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A 21st Century Final Exam, Part I

This morning, my Virtual Reality students are taking their final exam.  The final exam involves the students creating a model of our solar system using Maxon Cinema 4-D.  Each class has a specialized rubric to follow that is listed at the bottom of this blog entry.  I am excited to see how students will respond to this challenge.  In this assignment, they have to apply their knowledge of the solar system and use Cinema 4-D to create a replica of the solar system.

I have fielded many questions about the solar system such as:

• Does Mercury orbit around the Sun quicker than Jupiter?
• What's the difference between orbiting and revolving? 
• Why is Pluto no longer a planet?

I originally released this assignment yesterday to students so that they would have the opportunity to prepare for their final.  Many students eagerly jumped into starting the assignment by creating their planets ahead of time.  Since part of this assignment encourages students to collaborate, many are actively sharing their creations and generating many creative ideas with other classmates.  Currently there is a lot of active engagement with students in the class about other space phenomenons such as asteroid belts.  I will be eager to see how the final assignments turn out in the end.

What I love about this exam format is that it is truly 21st Century.  There is no standardized, best selection questions (multiple choice) or required essay questions.  Students must show me what they have learned and illustrate a scientific concept.  They have been encouraged to collaborate the entire semester with each other and they are actively doing it this morning.

I also like that students have a clear rubric to follow and know what is required in order to get a certain grade.  I have found that my students do better by setting a standard set of expectations as a high B and then giving them the opportunity to earn extra points to get an "A," hence the grading rubric reflecting a 90 for the basic requirements.  While some students will be happy to get the 90 and not push themselves, other students will really push themselves to go further and beyond.  As a result, creativity will flow and students will create something extraordinary.

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Final Exam For Virtual Reality

In this final exam, you will use Maxon to construct a replica of the solar system.  Pay attention to the rubric below.


In order to get a 90 on the final exam, your submission must include the following:

• A sun in the center of the universe
• 8 Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) in the correct order
• The 8 planets should orbit around the sun (they should be moving in orbit in your final animation)

Give each planet a color using the following guide:

• Mercury - Purple
• Venus - Brown
• Earth - Blue
• Mars - Red
• Jupiter - Tan
• Saturn - Green
• Uranus - White
• Neptune - Yellow

The planets should be draw relative to each in size (for example, Jupiter is the largest so it should be larger than the other planets but NOT larger than the sun.  You may need to research the relative sizes of planets in advance)

Your animation should show at least 3 stars randomly placed in your animation (remember that the stars are stationary and do not move)

Submission of Maxon Cinema 4D file and Movie Animation (I need both files)

Saving your final format in the correct form (yourlastname_final_VR  such whitson_final_VR)
Correct knowledge of solar system (are they planets in the correct order, correct relative size to each other, location of sun, etc.)


Extra and Above (if you want a grade higher than a 90):

If you want to have a higher grade, you can earn extra points by incorporating the following into your design:

• Place a texture on the Earth that shows the continents (2 points)
• Add rings to Saturn (2 points)
• Show a moon orbiting the Earth (2 points)
• Addition of Pluto (2 points)
• A moving comet (2 points)

Educreations is AWESOME!

I have been absent from the blogging world for awhile due to a complex schedule.  I have been teaching with the North Carolina Virtual Public School in addition to my regular teaching job.  It has been a hectic semester so I am hoping to get back online during the upcoming summer break.  However, I wanted to blog about one of the most impressive apps that I have recently started using - Educreations (www.educreations.com).

Educreations allows anyone to create a screencasts and post them.  It is super easy and only requires a log in.  For me, I have loved using my iPad and a stylus to create various screencasts.  Here is a short one that I used to explain the Soil Triangle to my Environmental Science class -

 (http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/soil-triangle/7095723/?ref=link)


The real advantages of using Educreations is that it is free and easy to use.  All you need is a computer or iPad and inspiration.  I encourage everyone to use it.

More Maxon

We are close to finishing Virtual Reality I for the semester.  We only have 3 full weeks left and then we prepare for the final exam.  Students are creating amazing work using Maxon Cinema 4-D.  Here is a link showing different assignments - http://animoto.com/play/U33uv0nmpOWEALttyEbshA  

I am so proud of the work that my students have done.  Maxon Cinema 4-D is a challenging program that has really pushed many of the students outside of their comfort zone.  I have seen students do spectacular things with the program.  I think that what I love most about the class is to see students take pride in their work.  In one of my chemistry classes today, the students asked to see the Maxon work.  While I appreciate their willingness to try to sidestep some of the importance of chemistry and gas laws, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to do some informal recruiting for the Virtual Reality class.  The non-Virtual Reality students seemed to be very impressed by the work that they saw. 

I am so thankful that our system was able to have the forethought and support to move forward and create such a dynamic class.  Many of last year's students that are in college have reported taking classes that cover many of the topics that we cover in Virtual Reality.  Yesterday, a former student, stopped by to use the program to create a class final for his college.  He expressed that he liked the functionality of Maxon and I was happy that we could obliged him.  

I can't wait to show some of the final projects that students are working.  They are challenging and can be very frustrating but students are willing to hang in there and work till they get it.  Awesome!

Maxon Work

Students in Virutal Reality have been working with Maxon Cinema 4-D and were asked to construct a glass / bowl like object.  I found a tutorial online (sadly I cannot locate the URL to give credit to the awesome creator) and had students follow the tutorial.  There was some initial tweaking of directions since the tutorial was created for a different version of Maxon Cinema 4-D but the students adapted well.

Students initially describe their primitive drawing as "ugly."  However, once they applied the LATHE nurb and materials to their primitive and rendered it, they were impressed.  Many students actually pushed further ahead and created a floor and ceiling with gradients.  I was super impressed with their creativity.  One of the ways that I pushed them was to tell them that if they created what was in the tutorial they would earn a "B+" on the assignment.  I took advantage of their desire to want to earn high grades in order to motivate them.  This is an Honors class and the students received a weighted grade so I felt it was necessary to push them further ahead.  I did provide initial feedback on their creations and pushed them further with some suggestions.  I am quite pleased with the results.  Please click below to see what they created -

http://animoto.com/play/eGG3sRAmS3bQrTLKPyqkdQ

Cinema Maxon 4-D - Let's Get It Started

Last week, the Virtual Reality students started their introduction to Cinema Maxon 4-D.  Cinema Maxon 4-D is a 3-D modeling program that is used for animation.  Many animation companies use it for creating full length movies such as the Polar Express.  I love Cinema Maxon 4-D although the learning curve is quite high.  Many of the functions are completely new and often these functions do not do what is expected.

My students were charged with the task of creating a 3-D professional text.  They watched a tutorial and created the following images  http://animoto.com/play/vKVJ3ukgtUH9eeeDzB8EyA.  The beauty of Cinema Maxon 4-D is that students can export their creations into a JPEG format (as they did here) or into Movie format once we integrate animation in.  Many students often find the program challenging.  As students spend more time learning the program though they find that it has a lot of useful features and the ability to do some amazing things.