Week of December 30th - January 3rd

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday:

• No school, Happy New Year!
• Feeling motivated to get a jump on the new year?  You're encouraged to work on the AI/Robotics paper.  Or play around with RUR-PLE - download it from here.  Get the .exe for Windows, or the .dmg for OS X.

Thursday:

• continue on with RUR-PLE
• introduce looping with for count in range()
• introduce branching with if/elif/else

Friday:

• (snow day)

Week of December 16th-20th

Monday:

• Operating Systems vocabulary due
• Discuss operating systems

Tuesday:

• wrap up operating systems discussion
• file names and paths, hands-on OS with terminal window
• give out review sheet for test on Thursday

Wednesday:

• Current event #2 due
• User interface videos
• Doug Engelbart's Mother of All Demos
• Microsoft Surface Table  (now called PixelSense)
• Sixth Sense - Patty Maes TED Talk
• Google Glass
• Android Wear
• Project Milo
• Brain-Computer Interface
• Nova Science Now: Social Robots
• start RUR-PLE

Thursday:

• test on computer history, hardware, operating systems
• continue with RUR-PLE when finished

Friday:

• continue with RUR-PLE

Week of Dec 9th-13th

Monday:

• Part III of medical informatics project due.  Here again are the links to the presentations.  Feel free to look at the presentations from the other period to help you finish the homework. 

• 
  

• finish Cartoon Guide reading
• What is hardware and software, anyway?
• Computer history through SAGE
• Videos:
• ENIAC
• SAGE
• Introduce computer bus and bus services

ENIAC, University of Pennsylvania

Tuesday:

• (snow day)

Wednesday:

• Dissect old PCs

Thursday:

• Hardware vocabulary due
• Discuss computer chips, Moore's Law
• Optional - handout on how to build a computer.  Not for the faint of heart.
• video: How do they make computer chips?
• Fetch/execute cycle
• Experiment with the Visible Computer
• Give out Operating System Vocabulary worksheet
• Discuss modern computer history: 1960s to today

Friday:

• How a disk drive works
• Read "How Do Operating Systems Work?"
• Introduce operating systems: two roles, five jobs of an operating system

Week of December 2nd - 6th

Monday:

• Robotics/AI topic signup opens at 7:30AM
• 10-15 minutes to get group organized before presentations
• Begin Medical Informatics presentations

Tuesday:

• Complete Medical Informatics presentations
• Give out Cartoon History of Computers packet - read through page 65 for Friday

Wednesday:

• First current event due
• Part II of Medical Informatics project due (summary of all the topics in your group)
• Introduce Soldering: How To Solder video
• Hardware basics - input, output, storage, processing worksheet
• Begin discussing history of computers - Jacquard, Babbage
• Video: Babbage's Difference Engine

Thursday:

• Soldering lab

Friday:

• Last day for Robotics/AI topic signup
• Be sure you've read Cartoon History packet through page 65 for today
• Discuss basic electronics - circuits, resistors, capacitors, LEDs, transistors
• Continue with computer history through Hollerith
• Start "Busses and Chips" if time allows
• Give out computer hardware vocab worksheet

Week of November 25th-29th

Monday:

• Continue to work on Medical Informatics presentations. I will look over what you have at the end of the day and get comments back to your group via school email by Tuesday morning

Tuesday:

• Work on presentations, incorporate feedback. 

Wednesday:

• Last in-class time to work on presentations.  You can start on part II of the assignment if your presentation is done

Thursday, Friday:

• Thanksgiving holiday.  Take a little time to be thankful.

Week of November 18th-22nd

Monday:

• Return and review midterm exams
• Video (in class): Business Casual G-Men
• Readings for Monday:
• Email Phishing and Scams (2011) -or- How Phishing Works (from HowStuffWorks) or both if you're so inclined. . . 
• Creepster of the Week: Webcam Hijacker Gets Six Year Sentence (2011)
• Cyberthieves Silently Copy Your Passwords As You Type (2006)
• Growing Target for Identity Thieves: Kids (2006)
• Security Firm Discovers Global Spy Campaign (2013)

Tuesday:

• Stronge student survey
• Video (in class): Sabotaging the System  (2009)  (backup links: part1 part2) (use Firefox)
• Optional video: Stuxnet (2012)
• Readings for Tuesday:
• How Zombie Networks Fuel Cybercrime (2004)
• Digital Fears Emerge After Data Siege in Estonia (2007)
• The Enemy Within (2010) - a long but worthwhile article with one really bad word, please ignore it.  There's also a worksheet that goes along with it.
• (In case you're wondering:  yes, Conficker is still out there. . . )

Wednesday:

• Review for security quiz, tie up any loose ends
• Query class on informatics preferences
• Introduce Robotics/AI topic with videos:
• Dancing Sony Robots (3:26)
• High Speed Robotic Hand (3:00)
• The Latest Version of the LittleDog Robot (2:17)
• Sebastian Thrun - Google's Driverless Car (4:14)
• Robots that Learn from People (3:43)
• A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors (1:43)
• RoboBees - Design Poses Intriguing Engineering Challenge (2:20)
• MIT's Nexi MDS Robot - First Test of Expression (1:12)
• Robot Baby Learns How to Express Human Emotion (2:01)
• How to Survive A Robot Uprising (4:02)
• AI vs AI, Two Chatbots Talking to Each Other (1:24)
• Introduce AI paper/presentation
• Optional: distance learning on Cyber Security, room 111, 10:30 to 11:30 -- bring your lunch.

Thursday:

• Computer security quiz
• Watch "Smartest Machine on Earth" episode of NOVA
• Recommended video: "The Future of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence" with Andrew Ng, machine learning expert from Stanford

Friday:

• Start Medical Informatics unit:
• In class, watch CBS News video: Charting A New Course
• All groups working on informatics project.

Week of November 11th-15th

Monday:

• TCP/IP try-at-home due.  Here are the worksheets:
• Windows XP
• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• Mac OS X
• if you run into problems with any of the commands, take your answer from these screen shots -- what you would have seen if it had worked.
• Read Secret Geek A-Team Hacks Back, Defends Worldwide Web and turn in this worksheet.
• Continue with discussion of TCP/IP
• Give out "official" internet vocabulary definitions.

Tuesday:

• Give out review sheet for midterm
• Wrap up internet technology, begin unit on computer security
• Ransomware video: FBI Ransom Computer Virus
• Readings for today:
• New Fast-Spreading Virus takes Internet by Storm (1999)
• Slammed!  An inside view of the worm that crashed the Internet in 15 minutes (2003)
• The Facebook Virus Spreads: No Social Network is Safe (2008)
• What is a Drive-By Download? (2013)
• Think You're Safe at Starbucks? Think Again. (2013)

Wednesday:

• Complete reading and discussion from Tuesday
• Shortened period, knee replacement distance learning

Thursday:

• opportunity to review and ask questions before midterm
• if time remains, students can study for midterms or start readings for next week

Friday:

• Principles of Computer Technology - Midterm

Week of November 4th-8th

Monday:

• Continue with discussion of digitizing sound, images
• Video: Autotune on Nova
• Video: using Audacity
• Algorithms: difference between selection sort and merge sort
• Here are links to TCP/IP try-at-home worksheets, due next Monday, Nov 11th
• Windows XP
• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• Mac OS X
• if you run into problems with any of the commands, take your answer from these screen shots -- what you would have seen if it had worked.
• Also for next Monday: read Secret Geek A-Team Hacks Back, Defends Worldwide Web and turn in this worksheet.

Tuesday:

• Grand Rounds, JSUMC

Wednesday:

• Internet vocabulary worksheet due at beginning of class
• Begin discussion of internet history and technology
• Video: The Lighting of the Beacons
• Video: Warriors of the Net

Thursday, Friday:

• No school, teacher's convention.

Week of Oct 28th - Nov 1st

Monday:

• Web sites are due by 11:15 AM  -- files copied to PCT server, turn-in sheet checked off, signed, and handed in. Before you hand in your sheet, please go to the PCT web server home page, click on your name, and make sure sure that your files show up!
• continue with discussion of dynamic web pages
• read Cookie Monsters - discuss browser cookies
• video: What They Know - Advertising Cookies and You (7:15)
• hand out review sheet for test on Wednesday
• begin discussion of binary numbers

Tuesday:

• review for test
• continue with discussion of binary numbers, representation of text, sound, images
• video: Autotune on Nova
• video: using Audacity

Wednesday:

• test on HTML, dynamic web pages
• wrap up discussion of binary numbers
• give out internet vocabulary worksheet

Thursday:

• Introduce Robotics and AI Paper
• Algorithms: difference between selection sort and merge sort
• Begin discussion of internet history and technology
• video: The Lighting of the Beacons
• video: Warriors of the Net

Friday:

• JSUMC rotation

Week of October 21st - 25th, 2013

Monday:

• All students working on 3 page web sites.

Tuesday:

• All students working on 3 page web sites.  Last class time for this.

Wednesday:

• Pioneer presentations
• Begin discussion of Google,  cloud computing, dynamic web pages.  Videos:

• Being a Google Autocompleter (2:37)
• How Google Search works (3:15)
• How Search Ads Work (2:38)
• How Google Apps Work (1:51)
• Google Data Center (4:52)
• What They Know - Advertising Cookies and You (7:15)

Thursday:

• read Cookie Monsters
• continue with discussion of dynamic web pages

Friday:

• JSUMC rotation
• Please note the change: Web sites are now due by 11:15 AM on Monday -- files copied to PCT server, turn-in sheet checked off, signed, and handed in.  You are welcome to turn your site in earlier, if you are ready.

Week of October 14th - 18th, 2013

Monday:

• Staff day, no school

Tuesday:

• Introduce HTML table tags, rowspan and colspan
• Introduce <div> and <span> tags, css classes
• All students working on 3 page web site

Wednesday:

• PSAT - remember your #2 pencils!

Thursday:

• Students look at CSS Zen Garden
• All students working on 3 page web site

Friday:

• no class, JSUMC rotation

Week of October 7 - 11, 2013

Monday:

• Computer Pioneers project due: on paper and via turnitin
• Introduce CSS styles vi style attribute and tag, external stylesheets
• Students continue to work on individual web pages

Tuesday (short periods, TEAM meeting in PM):

• Introduce HTML validator: http://www.onlinewebcheck.com/
• Introduce "HTML ducks in a row" assignment
• Note: TextWrangler for Mac is a free download.  For Windows users, Notepad2 and Notepad++ are excellent free alternatives.

Wednesday:

• All students working on "HTML ducks in a row".
• 3 page website assignment available when finished

Thursday:

• "HTML Ducks in a row" assignment due by 11:15
• students working on 3 page website when done

Friday:

• JSUMC rotation

Week of Sept 30 - Oct 4, 2013

Monday:

• Scratch projects due at the beginning of class - 
• hand in printed writeup
• to turn in the actual program,  go to "file->download to your computer" menu item, and download the program file to your computer.  Name it "period - yourname.sb2" so it looks like "per1 - malvika.sb2" for example, and email it to me.  If the file is too big to email, you can bring it in on a USB, or we will figure something out. 
• make sure your project is shared on the Scratch website, then add your URL beside your name on this spreadsheet.  This will allow your classmates to admire your work, and you to admire theirs.

• Go over Scratch quizzes. 
• Introduction to HTML and CSS.
• Hand out "Computer Pioneers" project.
• Give out Design Principles handout - read it for Wednesday.  There will be a simple quiz.

Tuesday:

• Continue to work on First HTML exercises, due by the end of lunch.  Students who finish early can work on Pioneers project.
• Start presentation on CSS styles.
• Second HTML assignment available. 

Wednesday:

• Quiz on CRAP design principles.
• Group C current topic writeups due
• Discuss design principles.
• Everyone working on second HTML assignment.

Thursday:

• Group C current topic discussions
• Everyone working on second HTML assignment.

 
Friday:

• JSUMC rotation #1

Week of Sept 23 - 27, 2013

Monday:

• Introduce cloning of sprites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8ApwSh84U
• Go around room, everyone briefly describe their project
• Continue to work on Scratch projects

Tuesday:

• Continue to work on Scratch projects
• Here's a great short video on making a scrolling game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGwPvljUV2o

Wednesday:

• Scratch quiz
• Continue to work on projects when done with quiz
• group B current topic writeups due

Thursday:

• Group B current topic presentations
• introduce AppInventor

Friday:

• Students working on HelloPurr app inventor tutorial (videos  or PDF)
• Finish HelloPurr? Go on to the PaintPot tutorial. (videos or PDF)
• Scratch projects due Monday Sept 30th at the beginning of class - 
• hand in printed writeup
• to turn in the actual program,  go to "file->download to your computer" menu item, and download the program file to your computer.  Name it "period - yourname.sb2" so it looks like "per1 - malvika.sb2" for example, and email it to me.  If the file is too big to email, you can bring it in on a USB, or we will figure something out. 
• make sure your project is shared on the Scratch website, then add your URL beside your name on this spreadsheet.  This will allow your classmates to admire your work, and you to admire theirs.

Week of Sept 16 - 20, 2013

Monday:

• JSUMC Orientation

Tuesday:

• Everyone working on Maze project.  Individual Scratch Projects handout available if you finish.

Wednesday:

• Group A Current Topic writeup due.  (Period 1: Nusayba, Maria, Alyssa, Jasper, Alex,  and Jared. Period 2: Gianna, Heidi, Anthony, John, Dan, and Katharine.)
• Maze projects due at beginning of class. Make sure your project is shared, and then put a link to it beside your name on this Google spreadsheet.  We will take 15 minutes at the beginning of class to allow you to share your work.
• Discuss Scratch concepts - parallelism and threads, broadcast, race conditions, cloning, "more blocks", etc.
• Introduce Individual Scratch Projects assignment

Thursday:

• Group A oral presentations
• Everyone working on Individual Scratch Projects

Friday:

• Everyone working on Individual Scratch Projects
• The project handout says that the preliminary homework for Scratch Project is due at the beginning of class.  I have changed that, it will now be due at END of class.

Welcome to Fall 2013!

Console of a UNIVAC 90/60 Mainframe Computer,
from 1972  (Wikimedia Commons)

Principles of Computer Technology for Fall 2013

Week of September 9-13

Monday

Here are a few links you'll need for the first day of class.  For all of these, you need to be signed into your ctemc.org email account.

• Who Are You? - a survey to help me know a little about you
• What Do You Know? - a survey to help me evaluate how much the class already knows about things we're going to be discussing this semester.  This is anonymous.
• Current Events Article Signups - takes you to the Google Doc spreadsheet for entering your current event articles, and making sure that no one from your period has already done it.

Tuesday

Make sure you've created a turnitin account by the beginning of class today!
Introduction to programming with Scratch 2.0

• Why learn to code? (video, 9:34)
• Introduction to Scratch 2.0 (video, 1:37)
• Run scratch in your browser: go to scratch.mit.edu and click on "Try It Out"
• Start working on "Getting Acquainted with Scratch" worksheet

Wednesday

• "Ask Some Good Questions" homework due
• Continue to work on "Getting Acquainted with Scratch" worksheet
• Start "Walking Boy" homework if finished

Thursday

• "Getting Acquainted with Scratch" due - hand in #15, #17 (by the end of lunch period)
• Everyone working on "Walking Boy"
• Maze project available if finished

Friday

• Walking Boy homework due by the end of lunch period
• Everyone working on Maze project
• Make sure your Scratch Maze project is shared, and then put a link to it by your name in this google spreadsheet so that others can see it.