Week of January 2 - 3, 2020

Thursday:
Welcome back!
Intro to computer algorithms.

• "Algorithm: a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer."
• "In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is a self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed."

In other words, an algorithm is a very specific recipe.

• Video: The Secret Rules of Modern Living: Algorithms
• Video: What is an Algorithm and Why Should You Care?
• Video: The Smartest Elevators

Demonstrate Conway's Game of Life:

• Any live cell with fewer than two live neighbours dies
• Any live cell with more than three live neighbours dies
• Any dead cell with exactly three live neighbours becomes a live cell 

Demonstrate selection sort vs merge sort

Friday:
Creative Coding video from PBS
Introduce Python programming with Processing.py
You can download processing here. To add the Python mode: Start up processing. Click on Java in the upper right-hand corner, and click "Add mode..." Select Python, and click install.
Introduce first Processing drawing project.

Remember, your AI/Robotics paper is due next Tuesday, January 7th, at the beginning of class, on paper and via turnitin.

Week of December 16th - 20th, 2019

Monday:
For today: Please take this survey for my SGO
Give out review sheet for computer hardware, history, operating systems, and basic electronics test on Friday.
Begin discussion of computer bus and bus services

Discuss computer chips, Moore's Law, Photolithography
Videos:
How do they make computer chips?
Zoom into a microchip

Experiment with the Visible Computer - Class handout

Tuesday:
Homework for today: Read 'How operating systems work' handout
Booting a computer
Discuss modern computer history: 1960s to today.
Complete computer hardware discussion
How does a hard drive work?

Wednesday:
Homework for today:  OS vocabulary due at the beginning of class
Introduce operating systems: two roles, five jobs of an OS: processor management, memory and storage management, device management, application interface, and user interface.
Try System Information and Activity Monitor apps.
Do hands-on OS with terminal window
Introduce file names and paths.

Thursday:
Complete OS discussion
Review for test on Friday.
Watch user interface videos as time allows:
Ablegamers (1:57)
Project Milo (3:53)
Microsoft HoloLens (4:11)
Toybox demo for Oculus Touch (0:52)
Brain-Computer Interface (4:54)
Could Neural Lace Connect Our Brains to the Internet? (4:01)

Friday:
Test on computer hardware, history, operating systems, basic electronics

Week of December 9th - 13th, 2019

Monday:
"Getting Started with AI Paper" homework is due at the beginning of class today.
Read 'Cartoon Guide to the Computer' handout through page 64.

Review basic Python test in randomly generated groups

Introduce computer hardware basics - input, output, storage, processing worksheet in class
Begin discussing history of computers - Jacquard, Babbage, Lovelace, Hollerith, WW II computers, computers in the 50s
Videos:

• Babbage's Difference Engine
• The Queen of Code
• ENIAC
• SAGE

Tuesday:
For the beginning of class today, have finished all the codingbat problems in Warmup-1, and 5 problems from each of Logic-1, List-1, and String-1. Make sure you are logged in to your account when you're working on them, or I won't see your work.

Review subroutine worksheet in randomly generated groups
Continue with computer history discussion

Wednesday:

Subroutine parameter and return value quiz (50 min)
Continue with computer hardware discussion

Thursday (flip day, 2-1-4-3):

Hardware vocabulary due
Finish reading "Cartoon Guide to the Computer" handout

Computer dissection

Introduce Soldering: 

How To Solder video, in-class worksheet

Discuss basic electronics - circuits, resistors, capacitors, LEDs, transistors

Friday:
Homework for today: Read "Soldering is Easy" twice
Soldering lab
Give out "How Operating Systems Work" reading, Operating Systems vocabulary for Tuesday