alice-teacher Alice 3.x

Sun Mar 19 11:34:13 EDT 2017

Full disclosure: I am the co-author of a textbook for Alice 3 that has just been released by Pearson: Prentice Hall - Alice 3 to Java

	https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Dann-Alice-3-to-Java-Learning-Creative-Programming-through-Storytelling-and-Gaming/PGM117446.html <https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Dann-Alice-3-to-Java-Learning-Creative-Programming-through-Storytelling-and-Gaming/PGM117446.html>

From the Preface to the book:

We understand that instructors will use this text to implement and support curriculum and objectives that meet the needs and requirements of students in their own specific educational institutions. In other words, we expect instructors will use the textbook in many different ways. Nonetheless, the following provides a short description of the target population and courses we taught, and others we envisioned, as this book was written.

In a semester-long course for introductory programming. At the high school level, this course may be a general course or a pre-AP Computer Science (Java) course. At the college/university level, this course may include non-majors as well as pre-majors who need additional preparation prior to enrolling in a rigorous CS1 course... 

In a semester-long course for introductory programming for non-majors, with an interdisciplinary focus. The programming examples presented in this text have a storytelling and animation context that is well suited to courses with an interdisciplinary focus… 

As a primary component in the AP Computer Science Principles course. This book encompasses the span of computational thinking practices: connecting computing, creating computational artifacts, abstracting, analyzing problems and artifacts, communicating, and collaborating. The animation problem-solving context exemplifies most of the big ideas in the CS Principles curriculum, including creativity, abstraction, algorithms, and programming.

As a kick-start to an AP Computer Science (Java) course. Alice 3 can be displayed in Java mode, and Alice 3 projects can be imported into NetBeans, a Java IDE...

Please let me know if you have any questions…

All the best,
Don Slater

> On Mar 18, 2017, at 8:04 PM, Cynthia Thibault <cynthia.thibault at easthaddamschools.org <mailto:cynthia.thibault at easthaddamschools.org>> wrote:
> 
> I am currently using Learning Java though Alice 3 by Tebring Daly and Eileen Wrigley.  I have block scheduling with hour and a half classes and most students remain engaged all period, every period. I have never been so pleased with a text. Just as I think "Oh, I wish they would teach the students  this" the topic comes up in the next lesson. The students are able to perform self-paced lessons and I am able to do small group instruction just to make sure they are understanding what they are accomplishing.
> I am so pleased with Alice and the transition to Java with Netbeans and the Alice Plug in. I have a wide range of students and believe that this an engaging way to bring coding to all students.
> 
> Cynthia Thibault
> Nathan Hale Ray High School
> Moodus, Connecticut
> From: alice-teachers <alice-teachers-bounces+cynthia.thibault=easthaddamschools.org at lists.andrew.cmu.edu <mailto:alice-teachers-bounces+cynthia.thibault=easthaddamschools.org at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>> on behalf of Pigatt, Yvonne <ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>>
> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2017 2:17 PM
> To: Alice educators
> Subject: Re: alice-teacher Alice 3.x
>  
> Thanks Don!
>  
> I think I can use this code to control the game.  I was not able to find anything like this by browsing YouTube videos. 
>  
> Can you recommend a textbook for Alice 3.x?  Looks like I will be teaching middle school students again next year. I currently teach 2.4 on the Community College level.
>  
> My goal is to teach K-12 teachers how to use Alice in the classroom.  Working with these middle school students is a great way to learn about the needs of k-12 teachers.  I tried to get into the Duke training in North Carolina last year, but was placed on the waiting list.  
>  
> By the way, I do read every thread that is included in the educator's list.  Thanks Don for moderating this list, it is very useful.  I don't know what we would do without it or you!!!!!
>  
>  
> Thank you,
> 
> Vicky
> Yvonne Pigatt, Assistant Professor
> Computer Science/Information Technology
> The Community College of Baltimore County
> 443-840-2835|443-840-5035 fax |ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>
> CCBC. The incredible value of education.
> The only way to do great work is to love what you do..Steve Jobs
> From: alice-teachers [alice-teachers-bounces+ypigatt=ccbcmd.edu at lists.andrew.cmu.edu <mailto:alice-teachers-bounces+ypigatt=ccbcmd.edu at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>] on behalf of Donald Slater [djslater107 at mac.com <mailto:djslater107 at mac.com>]
> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2017 1:08 PM
> To: Alice Teachers
> Subject: Re: alice-teacher Alice 3.x
> 
> Yvonne,
> I am glad the videos were helpful… 
> 
> Recursion is one possibility, but the memory overhead might eventually cause Alice to crash…
> 
> I put this video together demonstrating a SimpleGame Control loop which might be helpful… Please let me know if you have any questions…
> 
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2332970/SimpleGameControl.mp4 <https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2332970/SimpleGameControl.mp4>
> 
> All the best,
> Don Slater
> 
> 
> 
>> On Mar 16, 2017, at 10:23 PM, Pigatt, Yvonne <ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>> wrote:
>> 
>> Thank you Don for your quick response.  We will be polishing up our code this weekend and this information will be very useful.
>>  
>> Do you have a video that can show us how to restart a procedure in a game.  If a user clicks on a wrong answer, how can we start the procedure again.  I guess we can use recursion?  We are using Alice 3.x.
>>  
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> Vicky
>> Yvonne Pigatt, Assistant Professor
>> Computer Science/Information Technology
>> The Community College of Baltimore County
>> 443-840-2835|443-840-5035 fax |ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>
>> CCBC. The incredible value of education.
>> The only way to do great work is to love what you do..Steve Jobs
>> From: alice-teachers [alice-teachers-bounces+ypigatt=ccbcmd.edu at lists.andrew.cmu.edu <mailto:alice-teachers-bounces+ypigatt=ccbcmd.edu at lists.andrew.cmu.edu>] on behalf of Donald Slater [djslater107 at mac.com <mailto:djslater107 at mac.com>]
>> Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 9:13 AM
>> To: Alice Teachers
>> Subject: Re: alice-teacher Alice 3.x
>> 
>> Yvonne,
>> It would be very difficult to export / import methods that belong to the Scene class into other projects.
>> 
>> However, if the methods belong to an object (such as the ClownFish) or the Fish class, then that class can be exported and imported into other projects… See the following video demonstrations:
>> 
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXhZZMZawis&feature=youtu.be <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXhZZMZawis&feature=youtu.be> - a summary video
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaNqDdHmvho&feature=youtu.be <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaNqDdHmvho&feature=youtu.be> - focus on export
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XprEvcqjgY&feature=youtu.be <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XprEvcqjgY&feature=youtu.be> - focus on import
>> 
>> If you build the mouse-click listener with if statements than different events can be triggered, depending on what is clicked on…
>> 
>> See the following video:
>> 
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzgnRiHTXo&feature=youtu.be <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzgnRiHTXo&feature=youtu.be>
>> 
>> (Keypress events start at the 6:50 mark, but it may be useful to view the entire video).
>> 
>> If you have not covered the if statement in your course, another way to do this would be to 
>> add the mouse-click event 
>> click on the details button, and select Set of Visuals 
>> from SetOfVisuals, click on Custom Array… 
>> In the Custom Array Dialog box, add the object or objects that you want to respond to that particular mouse event.
>> 
>> See this video demo:
>> 
>> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2332970/mouseEventDemo.mp4 <https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2332970/mouseEventDemo.mp4> 
>> 
>> Please let us know if you have any other questions…
>> 
>> All the best,
>> Don Slater
>> 
>> Alice Project
>> Carnegie Mellon University
>> Entertainment Technology Center
>> 700 Technology Drive
>> Pittsburgh, PA 15219
>> 
>> Email: dslater at cmu.edu <mailto:dslater at cmu.edu>
>> 
>> I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
>> --- Henry David Thoreau
>> 
>> The true object of all human life is play. -- G.K. Chesterton
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 16, 2017, at 12:37 AM, Pigatt, Yvonne <ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi,
>>>  
>>> I am working on a middle school project and have run into some problems.
>>>  
>>> Can Alice 3.x procedures be imported into other Alice 3.x projects?
>>>  
>>> I am trying to combine code from four different students into one project.  Can there be multiple mouse click event listeners that initiate different events?
>>>   
>>> Thank you,
>>> 
>>> Vicky
>>> Yvonne Pigatt, Assistant Professor
>>> Computer Science/Information Technology
>>> The Community College of Baltimore County
>>> 443-840-2835|443-840-5035 fax |ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu <mailto:ypigatt at ccbcmd.edu>
>>> CCBC. The incredible value of education.
>>> The only way to do great work is to love what you do..Steve Jobs
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