Just ask Alice...

So I got back a day or so ago from a conference/class on version 3 (beta) of the Alice programming language. Is it nifty tech? Oh, yes. Fun graphics, great feedback for beginning programmers and even more stuff in the graphics library. Is it more than nifty? I think so.

Alice is great creative fun. You can place all sorts of objects in a 3d world and then animate them with a graphical programming language. Yes, it is a bit like Scratch, but more sophisticated.

I taught with Alice 2.2 for a three-week class about a year and a half ago, and it was a fine experience. I liked the way it introduced a lot of programming concepts. It had some limits and glitches here and there, but the kids loved it, and I was able to get some girls to sign up for the class. (Disclaimer: they haven't come back for more, I'm afraid.)

But what I like about the new Alice is that it is better integrated with the programming language I use elsewhere - Java. You can start the programming in a purely graphical mode that is self consistent, but looks like nothing else out there (except Alice 2.2, of course). But then you can flip a switch and those graphic blocks become... graphic blocks that look like java code. And finally, you can import the whole file into Net Beans and continue writing in Java proper - all the Alice code is written in Java, so you don't need the Alice IDE at all, if you don't want it.

From a pedagogical standpoint, it is like progressive training wheels. It reflects a real dedication by the creators towards pedagogical development as much as gee-whiz flair.

Yes, it's beta, and since this is a complete revision from the ground up, it is (as yet) even buggier than its predecessor, with several features still in the works. The two versions feel almost like different programs, which the sort of are. If you want to switch from 2.2 to 3, there will be some disappointments in what you can do with the software. But I think the advances in the way you can teach with it make up for the loss (however temporary) of some of the tricks and toys.

I liked Alice when I taught with it. It was fun. And a "sneaky" way of getting in some programming. But I wasn't planning to incorporate it into my regular curriculum. But now with version 3, I think I will. It looks to integrate much better as an intro to my AP class, enough so that I may even switch IDEs from Eclipse to NetBeans to use it. I'll be sure to report how it goes.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Vacation

Whoa! I just started this blog and I'm going on vacation already????

Actually, I am headed to Orlando - at least in part for a seminar on using Alice 3 in the classroom. Alice certainly counts as "Nifty Tech" to me, and I am eager to see whether it will integrate better with my Java class than Alice 2 did.

I'll try to post once or twice, but I don't know what my hours or access will be.

Exposure

So when I went to ISTE a couple of weeks ago, I arrived with one question on my mind - if I am trying to get our students to develop a digital footprint and do meaningful work, rather than "blog because Mr. Howe told us to," how do I get people to respond to the students' blogs. After all, if they dutifully blog and nobody answers, then that blogging wasn't very meaningful, was it?

I got two possible answers from a session from Chris Moore and Niki Vander Velde

1) To get people to follow you, you have to make meaningful comments on their blogs and twitters. I must admit, I'm more of a "lurker" personality on blogs, but I am going to try to be more participatory now. I want to model what I am asking of our students, and (frankly) I want to build contacts.

2) I need to check out comments4kids. I'm curious what the best way of utilizing that website will be with a bunch of individual footprints - I only saw an example with younger students and a class blog.

Any other ideas out there?

Technology proficiency

We are about to start a new program at our school - a change in the way we handle "technology proficiency." And readers of this blog can help!

But first, some background. My school is a private pre-K to 12th grade school with about 540 students in the 9-12 grades, where I teach. Virtually all of our students are college-bound. For the past 10+ years, we have had a "technology proficiency" requirement for graduation, which could be met by taking a computer course or by passing a test.

Just about everybody involved hates this test. It is hard to schedule a time when students can take 2-3 hours to take it, and seems artificial and disconnected from the rest of the school curriculum. For the last ten years, it has been predominantly about using Microsoft Office, which only reflects one small aspect of what technology use is all about these days.

We wanted to change things to make them more relevant, more up-to-date, and, frankly, fairer. So this is what we came up with:

Students can still take a computer course, or they can do a technology project (or set of projects). The project(s) must fulfill three of the following four categories:
1. Using digital tools to do research and evaluating the veracity and integrity of the resources found on the web.
2. Using collaborative web 2.0 tools to reach outside of the classroom or to coordinate and collaborate with other students.
3. Demonstrate mastery of an application or web app.
4. Build and maintain a positive digital footprint.

This is new for us - it goes into effect this August. We'll have to see how it goes.

One of my goals for this blog is to spread the word about some of the work our students are doing and help solicit feedback on their postings. Tune in to see what they come up with!

Statement of purpose

So this is the inaugural post on my new blog, "More Than Nifty Tech." It seems like the time for a statement of purpose. In fact, I have three goals for this blog:

1. I want to write about the way we use technology in the classroom - not just because of the classroom, but because of the learning and success we hope it will bring. To that end, I'm interested in the ways we use to train teachers about technology and the ways that technology is used with students, in or out of the classroom. 
2. I want to share some of our students' work - to announce their successes and help them get the word out and get exposure for their digital footprints
3. And I want to talk about nifty tech, or "more than nifty" tech, particularly in the school setting.

I hope you'll come along for the ride!

Or, in the words of my demotivational calendar this month: 

"Blogging: Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few."