Students

1
Students Learning and Technology MicroWorldsEX
andRobotics

• Davina Pruitt-Mentle
• Educational Technology Outreach
• College of Education
• University of Maryland

Susan Einhorn Executive Vice
PresidentLCSIwww.MicroWorlds.com
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Audience Opening Question

• What does integrating technology in the
  curriculum mean to you?
• What potential does technology hold for the
  future of education?

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Technology PD Eras

• Basic Skills
• Word Processing
• Email
• Gradebooks
• More Advanced Skills
• Integrating technology skills, applications and
  activities

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"Learning Paradigm" Shift Constructivism

• Technology has the potential to redefine and
  change teachers roles in the classroom.
• Under the right conditions, technology can foster
  a shift in the teachers role from one of "sage
  on the stage" to that of facilitator.
• By using technology, "teachers can go beyond
  the traditional information delivery mode where
  they are presenters of ready-made knowledge, and
  become facilitators of students learning" (OTA,
  1988, p. 91).
• The potential for technology supported
  instructional change is significant

1. United States Congress Office of Technology
Assessment (OTA, 1988, 1995) and the U.S.
Department of Educations Office of Educational
Research and Improvement (OERI, 1993)
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Top Ten Teacher Technology Training Dilemmas
Many PD activities/courses still

• Teach at rather than with and through
  technology
• Focus on utilizing technology to teach the same
  stuff in the same or possibly slightly
  different way

• Teach skills
• Teach the applications but not the underlying
  understanding
• Introduce a plethora of resources
• Are something new, but rarely different

The need is to understand new teaching and
learning styles Learning Paradigm Shift
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ETO Efforts

• Electronic Tutorials and Resources
• After school technology enrichment programs

• Young Scholars Program
• Workshops
• Undergraduate Modules
• Graduate Level Courses

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Course Overview

• Learner centered-constructivist teaching AND
  learning
• Interdisciplinary-crossing boundaries
• Workforce skills
• College or higher education skills
• Along the way.increase the science/math/technolog
  y pipeline and teacher pipeline

As taken from 2003 SLT-YSP
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Syllabus

• Objectives
• Focus on inquiry and group based methods of
  learning
• Collaborate with peers to adapt/redesign problem
  materials
• Experience problem based learning through active
  engagement in an appropriate activity
• Know the elements of problem solving, including
  key content identification, scientific literacy,
  habits of mind, and critical thinking and
  learning events involved in project development
• Provide and accept feedback gracefully (to and
  from other participants and instructors)
• Be a reflective learner.

As taken from 2003 SLT-YSP
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Syllabus Goals

• understand, utilize and experience skills needed
  for the 21st century workforce and/or higher
  education opportunities
• explore and use a variety of technology/computer
  applications
• use technology to explore and design multimedia
  presentations
• design Logo environments (games, animated
  stories, and interactive multimedia
  presentations)
• build and program cybernetic devices to perform a
  specific task
• keep a journal of reflections and experiences
• design and present an e-portfolio highlighting
  projects and experiences.

As taken from 2003 SLT YSP
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Understanding The Learning Paradigm Shift

• Background on Constructivism
• Scavenger Hunt
• WebQuest
• Walk the Walk
• Microworlds

See Scavenger Hunt Handout
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MicroWorlds Pro
See Handout
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MicroWorlds Pro

• Files are called Projects
• Objects and text are displayed on pages
• Can you find
• Menu bar
• Toolbar
• Page
• Command Center
• Status Bar
• Procedures area
• Tabs

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Some Basic Commands

• pu (pen up)
• repeat
• setc (set color)
• setpensize
• cg (clear graphics)

• fd (forward)
• rt (right)
• bk (back)
• lt (left)
• pd (pen down)

Handout/Card
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Some Basic Shapes

• Hatch a turtle
• pd
• fd 50
• rt 90
• fd 50
• rt 90
• fd 50
• rt 90
• fd 50

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What would this create?

• pd
• fd 50
• rt 120
• fd 50
• rt 120
• fd 50

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Can you draw and program these?
Write commands to draw each of these shapes.For
each shape, how much does the turtle turn to draw
each angle?
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Short Cuts

• In the command center
• fd 100
• rt 90
• fd 100
• rt 90
• fd 100
• rt 90
• fd 100
• rt 90

• Is the same as
• repeat 4 fd 100 rt 90

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Converting to a Procedure

• (On the Procedures Tab)
• to square
• repeat 4 fd 100 rt 90
• end
• Test it
• Create a button
• Type the procedure in command center
• On the turtle (object) ? edit ? command

• Once you know the commands you want-convert the
  command to a procedure

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You can draw the shapes in any size, thickness,
or color.

• to colorsquare
• setpensize 5
• setc 15
• repeat 4 fd 100 rt 90
• end

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Class Needs More Practice?

• For beginning work with animation, try make a
  face, animate me, race cars, bouncing off walls,
  or growing spider.For beginning work with a
  game, try obstacle course.For beginning work
  with textboxes, try animated story.

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MicroWorlds Exercise

• Turtle Geometry and Teaching Turtles Words

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MicroWorld Examples

• Visit some of the following to see what is
  possible
• http//www.cattanach.org/microworlds/index.html
  (go to the bottom icon and click List Sites)
• http//www.mathcats.com/microworlds.html MathCats
  Interactive Math games and activities
• Tic-Tac-Toe http//www.thehunters.org/logo/
• http//mia.openworldlearning.org/ Open World
  Learning-go to Project Folders

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An Animated Story

• Walk through the creation of an
• Animated Story

Student Work Examples
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More With MicroWorlds

• Class Time
• Experiment and Play
• Try the tutorials (http//mia.openworldlearning.or
  g/ ) Resources ? Activity Pages
• Brainstorm and/or start your animated story
• Games, Simulations, Mazes

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Robolab
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For More Info

• Educational Technology Outreach
• http//www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/
• Ed Tech Outreach Young Scholars Program
• http//www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/YSP2004.htm

And See Handout
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Susan Einhorn Executive Vice
PresidentLCSIwww.MicroWorlds.com
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Educational Technology OutreachCollege of
EducationDavina Pruitt-Mentle(301)
405-8202dp151_at_umail.umd.edu http//www.edtechout
reach.umd.edu/