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MARK TWAIN / BAY ACADEMY PREP COURSE

Mark Twain/Bay Academy Prep for Computer-Math & Science and Creative Writing Admission Exams
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CLASS Programming_And_Imagination Program 3
GRADE Second year class
TEACHER Marina Malysheva  
TIME 1:05-2:05
LOCATION New Jersey (Teaneck, NB, Wayne)  
ROOM 575
TEXTBOOKS  
STUDENTS
Subject Programming_And_Imagination
PROGRAM

In the second-year class we continue design of interactive projects in the Scratch programming/authoring environment. We concentrate more on applications of programming (e.g. cryptography, math modeling) and on exploration of the new features of Scratch 2.0 that help learn about data structures and common algorithms (e.g. search, sorting, graph coloring).

Our students learn to put together multi-part projects, cooperate with each other and share their work. The emphasis is more on planning of the projects and on user-computer interaction than on coding.

We continue to use microcomputers and robotics kits. In addition to the hardware used in the first-year class (Lego WeDo, MaKey MaKey, PicoBoard), we apply Scratch programming to LEGO Mindstorms and Kinect. We touch upon the topics of electric circuits, circuit logic, and artificial intelligence; and tie them with mathematics.

Children bring their laptops to class. Their parents are encouraged to help them with set up, and are welcome to stay in class – to observe and help.

See our work on our Scratch website http://scratch.mit.edu/studios/183073/ and Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolPlusScratch

Scratch

is a programming (authoring) environment created by a team of psychologists, educators and programmers at MIT. It is easy to use and learn, but it allows design very complicated projects. Read more at http://scratch.mit.edu/

WeDo Robotics

is a cross-curricular educational LEGO set designed to introduce the principles of robotics and engineering to elementary school students. Read more at http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/categories/products/elementary/lego-education-wedo

MaKey MaKey

is an invention kit that turns everyday objects into touchpads - for doing art, engineering, and everything in between. Read more at http://www.makeymakey.com/
PicoBoard is a microcontroller with sensors, designed for people with creative slant. Read more at http://www.picocricket.com/picoboard.html

LEGO Mindstorms

is a series of kits are designed to create small, customizable and programmable robots. Read more at http://mindstorms.lego.com There is a national competition http://www.firstlegoleague.org/

Kinect

is an input device that enables users to control and interact with computers using gestures and body movements. See an example of using it with Scratch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na0lX6HKeJM
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