Re: Antikythera Mechanism in Etoys

Luis,
Thank you very much for the link to the Antikythera project. I am in awe of what complex ideas can be expressed in Etoys and of Diomidis Spinelli's use of it. One of Etoys' characteristics that led me to invest time and energy in it is that students can not outgrow it easily. Amazing what Professor Spinelli has done!

The articles in your Blog about teaching Etoys and Squeak are very interesting.  I read that you used Lenny Pitt's Pong Game materials and your students' impatience with planning mirrors a similar rush to get started that we saw among teachers at a Google CS4HS workshop this summer. http://etoysillinois.org/library?tags=CS4HS

I have been making videos, very short, very fast paced videos, about Etoys tools, tiles and techniques. The set is called Etoys DIY. Topics, comments and suggestions are welcome; I have a lot to learn. The videos are on MSTE's You Tube site. Ihttp://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDD4D8876FC2E6FC<http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDD4D8876FC2E6FC>

Currently EtoysIllinois is consulting on a Department of Homeland Security grant to StarLogo TNG and Scratch at MIT. http://education.mit.edu/projects/computer-programming-tools-schools  Since your are using two of the languages, you might enjoy.

"Computer Programming Tools in Schools
[http://education.mit.edu/sites/default/files/projects/three%20tools%20image%20thumbnail_0.png?1329238934]
Computer Programming Tools in Schools (CPTS) is a multi-language curriculum that uses Scratch<http://scratch.mit.edu/>, StarLogo TNG<http://education.mit.edu/projects/starlogo-tng>, and Etoys<http://etoysillinois.org/> to teach fundamental computer science concepts and programming skills in the context of homeland security-relevant topics including food safety and risk models. These three tools are beginner-friendly programming tools developed by different labs at MIT and University of Illinois but share a drag-and-drop graphical interface. The CPTS curriculum is designed for use in an introductory course for middle or high school students with no prior programming experience, with the goal of engaging students' interest in computer science and preparing them for further studies in this and related fields. All the activities are project-based and student-centered, using a variety of formats, including games, simulations, and interactive media"

I look forward to reading more articles in your blog and to seeing more of Professor Spinelli's projects.
Regards,
Kathleen


________________________________
From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of Luis Galindo [[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 5:31 PM
To: Squeakland List
Subject: [squeakland] Antikythera Mechanism in Etoys

Hey guys!

I received in my<http://goog_2065993431> Blog<http://worldinventor.wordpress.com> a proposal to modify an Antikythera Mechanism eToys project to add user input for date time and to display date time with start / stop/ fast forward/ fast reverse.

Anyone interested in contributing to this project?

Project URL: http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/sw/ameso/Antikythera.045.pr
Source: http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/sw/ameso/

Have a nice weekend :-)

Luis

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