Pixel Pattern Madness

I can't stop with the pixel patterns. This gallery of gifs is pure pleasure. Tile them on your desktop, protopage background, everywhere! Now to try making some--that's when you realize how artful these are. Actually, when you think of it, there must be some techniques to making them tile properly.
Link

One reflector and the if command

Look here for the reason for these Logo posts.

Setup: Connect a motor to port A. Connect a reflector to port 1. The reflector is the blue piece with a wire attached to it.

To activate the reflector, type this in the command center and hit enter:
display reflect1
If the reflector lights up, it's ready to go.

A reflector is like a switch. If it sees a light color, it's on. If it sees a dark color, it's off. Download this program and run it. To test it out, put a white piece of paper or a white Lego in front of the red light.
to start
loop [spin]
end

to spin
if reflect1
[aoff]
if not reflect1
[aon]
end

Two switches and the if command

Look here for the reason for these Logo posts.

Setup: Connect one motor to port A and one lamp to port B. Connect one switch to port 1 and another switch to port 2. Download and run this program:

to start
loop [flash-and-spin]
end

to flash-and-spin
if switch1
[aon]
if not switch1
[aoff]
if switch2
[bon]
if not switch2
[boff]
end

One switch and the ifelse command

Look here for the reason for these Logo posts.

Setup: Use one switch connected to port 1 and one motor connected to port A. Download this program:
to go
loop [reverse]
end

to reverse
aon
ifelse switch1
[athisway]
[athatway]
end

One switch and the if command

Look here for the reason for these Logo posts.

Setup: Use one switch connected to port 1 and one motor connected to port A. Download this program:
to go
loop [spin]
end

to spin
if switch1
[athatway]
if not switch1
[athisway]
aon
end

One switch and the waituntil command

Look here for the reason for these Logo posts.

Setup: Use one switch connected to port 1 and one motor connected to port A. Download this program:
to go
loop [start]
end

to start
waituntil [switch1]
aon
waituntil [not switch1]
aoff
end

The waituntil command functions sequentially, just like other simple commands.

Programming an RCX with Logo Commands

I use MicroWorlds EX Robotics to teach 7th graders to program Lego RCX robots. It took me a lot of trial and error to find simple ways to control the input and output for these units; to find efficient programs that direct switches and reflectors to make the RCX do useful things. The accompanying help guide for MW EX provides overly complex examples for just learning the basics, so I figured it might be helpful to post the examples I'm using to get my students started on creating interactive robots.

Un-conference board

The NYCIST Un-Conference workshop sign up board is such an impressive sight. I came up here a day late a little apprehensive, worried that there would be chaos or general lack of inspiration. But I should have known...this is a group of people who know so much and have so much curiosity about everything. It couldn't help but be fruitful and productive.

Interaction Design

This is how to set up an un-conference. Grab a paper and put yourself in a spot. That's great interaction design.

Chris Lehmann, virtual keynote, NYCIST un-conference

--learning with your head, heart, and hands: can I do all three in each and every class? And let the kids know that I am?
How do we move away from schools + computers to simply innovative schools:
--facutly workshop, not staff meeting
--creating common meeting time
--move away from "How do we do this?" move toward "Why do we do this?"

Integrating Multimedia Projects

AGrill has a good idea. Distribute the task types to classes according to what the students focus on. For example, for an English podcast project have the students write scripts in their English class, research in Library class, then record, edit, and publish in tech class.

Filemaker

I have to learn Filemaker scripting.

Filemaker to Moodle connection

What a great idea, link Filemaker to the MYSQL backend of Moodle to create a course creation interface, since Moodle's is soooooo clunky. Once it's set up it would be so much easier than what I was doing with Excel and the PHP script last Sept. to upload courses.

Bus blogging 7

8:19 am
Soundtrack to this ride brought to you by Music of Bali: Gamelan and Kecak, in the Explorer Series. Excellent travel music. Arrival in New Paltz, T-minus 14 minutes, I hope.

Bus blogging 6

8:15 am
Head-in-the-clouds Mountain

Bus blogging 5

8:10 am
Toll booth operator, what a crappy job.

Bus blogging 4

8:09 am
Such a cross-section of people on teh bus, variety across economic, social, ethnic boundaries. Well, maybe not economic. Who would take a bus regularly if they could afford to drive (or be driven)? I guess I could afford it, or rather Hewitt could afford it for me, but I wanted to have the time for reading and writing. One thing you're bound to have on the bus, though is one pair of loud people. Luckily on this bus they are up in front, far away from me.

Video Games and Instructional Design 2

8:04 am
first person perspective allows learner to interact with content as an experiential object rather than abstract information which may afford a better conceptual understanding of the material.

Bus blogging 3

7:56 am
Fog and fall, pretty, camera batteries died, ugh

Video Games and Instructional Design 1

7:47 am
The author, Michele Dickey, argues that the trajectory of player POV from "God's eye" view in early video games to first-person in later either parallels or influenced instructional design theory as reflected in the development of problem-based learning and project-based learning approaches. In both, learneres are taking a first-person perspective within the learning environment rather than the ealier approach of simply mastery of a specifit set of skills and knowledge. I wonder is this is because instructional design theorists are big gamers.

Bus blogging 3

I'm trying to use this time to finish a reading for my class at NYU, Representation and Interaction Design for Eductional Environments. The current reading is about benefiits of video game design for developing instructional media. I'll drop some key points in here as I go through it.

Bus blogging 2

7:23 am
Eeeew, potty smell on every left turn...

Bus blogging

7:12 am
What, no wifi in Port Authority?!? Ah, taking the bus is the way to travel...sweet solitude as the world passes by. But wow Port Authority is so disgusting. Nuff said about that. Anytime I get on a Greyhound/Trailways bus it reminds me of my 18-hour rides between California and New Mexico, one parent to another, 30 years ago. Those trips always felt like journeys into undiscovered territory because buses take you through strange, unattractive parts of each destination. It's a feeling that persists now, even in Manhattan.