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This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to plan, organize, and deliver an Alice workshop for K-12 students and teachers. Learn how to seek funding, publicize the workshop, and gather necessary supplies. Includes presentation materials and hands-on activities.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Conducting an Alice Workshop Brenda Parker Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro TN
Introduction • Why offer an Alice Workshop? • Planning the Workshop • Delivery of the Workshop • Survey Results and Follow-Up Activities Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Why offer an Alice workshop? • We live in a technological age. • Provides technological exposure to K-12 students • Most states need more advanced technological education • Computer programming is the new “computer literacy” • Revolutionize the way programming is taught in the United States • It’s the right thing to do! Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Establish goals • How to seek funding • Who should attend • Publicizing the workshop • Research similar projects • Produce PowerPoint Presentation • Produce “hands-on” activities • Gather supplies Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Establish Goals • Make a list of workshop objectives • Participants will be able to: • Create and play an Alice world • Understand basic concepts in programming • Know why students should use Alice • Know how to use Alice in the classroom • Guide students in creating Alice animations • Etc. Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • How to seek funding • Departmental funding • Internal and external grants • Textbook publishers • College bookstores • Corporate donations Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Determine workshop participants • Middle/high school teachers • Middle/high school students • Math/science teachers? Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Publicizing the Workshop • Determine dates/times for the workshop • Create and publish an Alice web site • Design and print brochures for distribution • Produce application forms • Attend K-12 in-service training sessions • Give presentations at in-service training sessions • Establish contact with education coordinators Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Research similar projects • http://www.cs.duke.edu/csed/alice/ • http://www.cis.uab.edu/programs/alice-festival/ • http://www.aliceprogramming.net/workshop2008.html • http://visualization.sju.edu/newsletter.html • http://itestlrc.edc.org Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Produce Presentation • Divide presentation into components • Welcome and Introduction • Alice Basics (adding and placing objects) • Alice control Structures • Advanced Concepts • Creating and calling functions • Creating events • Using Alice in the Classroom • Presentation should meet the goals of the workshop Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Produce “hands-on” activities • Should be short and “manageable” Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Planning the Workshop • Gather supplies • Flash drives • CD’s • Door prizes • Participation Certificates • Recruit student aids • Manage luncheon details • Award plaques or ribbons • Reserve laboratory facilities Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Welcome and Introduction • Indicate your state’s need for computer programming • Indicate employment statistics • Show sample Alice animations Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Presentation Components • Brief PowerPoint Presentation • Hands-on Activity • Brief component “test” Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Alice Basics • Alice Control Structures • Advanced Concepts in Alice • Using Alice in the K-12 Classroom Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Alice Basics • What is Alice? • Where to obtain Alice? • Alice environment • How to create a simple Alice Animation Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop – Alice Basics • Hands-on Activities • Practice 1 – Open Alice, set defaults, click on an object, examine properties and methods for the object • Practice 2 – Create a new world, add at least 4 objects to the world, position the objects, rename the objects and save the world. • Practice 3 – Click on an object, drag method for object, play and save the animation. Do this for 2 different objects. Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop – Alice Basics • Example: Practice 1 - Test Questions • How do we select an object? • Show names for the different areas of the Alice window. • Name a property of the ground object. • Name a method listed for the light object. • Test questions have point value • Purpose of test – aid students Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Alice Control Structures • Do in order • Do together • Loop • Decision structures • Screen grab Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Advanced Alice Concepts • Creating and calling custom methods • Using events • Managing the camera • Billboards • Scenes • Dummy camera Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop • Using Alice in the K-12 Classroom • Very short lessons on Alice • Encourage lab time in pairs • Use Alice tutorials • Allow students to change previously created worlds • Begin small – delay advanced concepts Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Delivery of the Workshop Using Alice in the K-12 Classroom • Example assignments • Animation about math/science question • Create a space quiz • Create a video about a famous person • Book report • History Day project • Advertisements for school programs • Art classes Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Survey and Follow-up Activities • Survey • Alice is easy to understand. • My students will benefit by using Alice • I plan to discuss Alice with others. • I will use Alice in my classroom. Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Survey and Follow-up Activities • Follow-up Activities • Keep in contact with the teachers • Request experiences with Alice • Conduct surveys after using Alice in the classroom Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Summary • Planning workshop is very important! • Planning requires methodical efforts. • Is it worth it? • Advice: • Plan well • Plan easy to follow steps for all attendees. Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University
Brenda Parker - (615) 898-2389 Email - csbrenda@mtsu.edu Web site: http://www.cs.mtsu.edu/~parker/Alice Alice Symposium - June 17, 2009 - Duke University