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Classroom and Self-Directed Learning Resources

First Day, 2023-11-30

Welcome to Computer Science

Join Your Class in Google Classroom

Computing in the News

What does a sustainable smartphone look like?

MakeCode for micro:bit

Self-Directed Learning

2023-12-07

Computing in the News

Low Budget Should Not Mean High Risk: Kids’ Tablet Came Preloaded with Sketchyware

Advent of Code

MakeCode for micro:bit

2023-12-14

Computing in the News

Parrots learn to make video calls to chat with other parrots, then develop friendships, Northeastern University researchers say

Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)

  • Brackets
    • {}: Curly Brackets (braces)
    • []: Square Brackets
    • <>: Angle Brackets
    • (): Parentheses (if just one, it’s a “Parenthesis”)
  • #: Hash (also Pound Sign, Number Sign, or Octothorp, but never Hashtag)
  • /: Slash
  • \: Backslash
  • !: Exclamation Point (bang)
  • @: At Sign
  • *: Asterisk (splat)
  • _: Underscore
  • -: Hyphen
  • –: En-Dash
  • —: Em-Dash
  • <: Less Than
  • >: Greater Than
  • ;: Semicolon
  • :: Colon
  • ': Single Quote or Apostrophe
  • ": Double Quote

Learn the symbols with this program.

MakeCode for micro:bit

Who’s ready to earn their micro:bit badge?

2024-01-11

Computing in the News

Moving Pixel Clock Project

Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)

Learn the symbols with this program.

Servo Motor with micro:bit

Servo Motor with micro:bit

Self-Directed Learning

2024-01-16

Computing in the News

Robots key to new ways of farming as labor shortage looms

Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)

More micro:bit and Tinkercad (3D badge)

2024-01-25

Computing in the News

Your Tablet’s Light Sensor Can Spy On You

Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)

Preparing for the micro:bit treasure hunt

Beacon

Beacon Code

Beacon Finder

Beacon Finder Code

2024-02-01

Symbols badges

Self-Directed Learning

2024-02-08

Symbols badges

Introduction to Snap!

2024-02-15

Computing in the News

OpenAI Gives ChatGPT a Memory

p5.js

Here’s a little drawing program with a brush that changes color.

function setup() {
  createCanvas(400, 400);
  colorMode(HSB)
  background('lightblue');
}

let hue = 0;

function draw() {
  noStroke()
  fill(hue, 100, 100)
  ellipse(mouseX, mouseY, 30, 10)
  hue = (hue + 1) % 360
}

2024-02-22

Computing in the News

Go language hits top 10 in the Tiobe index

p5.js

function setup() {
  createCanvas(400, 400, WEBGL);
}

function draw() {
  background(220);
  rotateY(frameCount / 100)
  fill('yellow')
  sphere(100)
}

Self-Directed Learning

2024-02-29

Computing in the News

GoWyze camera security issue showed 13,000 users other owners’ homes

Symbols test

More p5.js

Here’s a program that shows video after a delay.

2024-03-07

Computing in the News

Women in Computer Science: Adele Goldberg

Photo of Mr. Briccetti with the Agile Mind Team Dave Briccetti (left) with Adele Goldberg (center) and the Agile Mind Team in 2006

Story of How Mr. Briccetti Came to Work for Adele Goldberg

Self-Directed Learning

A Surprise

2024-03-14

Computing in the News

Women in computing

micro:bit game

micro:bit game

Self-Directed Learning

2024-03-21

Computing in the News: Grace Hopper

Questions

  • When did she live?
  • Where did she get her math and physics degrees?
  • Where did the term “debugging” come from?
  • What programming language did she help develop?
  • What computers did she work on at Harvard?
  • What did she say is her greatest accomplishment?

Programming the micro:bit in Python

micro:bit Python editor

Explore examples in the Ideas tab.

Self-Directed Learning

2024-04-11

Computing in the News

Google to destroy billions of data records to settle “incognito” lawsuit

Tinkercad Circuits

Self-Directed Learning

2024-04-18

Computing in the News

35-gram Hopcopter revolutionizes robotics with its hops and flight

Snap! Clones

Self-Directed Learning

2024-04-25

Computing in the News

“The Impossible Statue” Uses AI To Blend The Styles Of Five Master Sculptors

Practice Quiz on Kahoot

Self-Directed Learning