Exploration Station

One of the great things about astronomy is that you can begin to enjoy the night sky for free. One of the downsides is that observing is very weather and location dependent. You will see less in a city than away from one. Despite this, unless you live in a city with a horrendous amount of pollution, even in the city you can see enough to get started.

Many people who first decide to give astronomy a try want to find all these cool-looking sights from pictures. As a beginner, attempting to find many of those objects may frustrate you without first getting your bearings around the night sky. Until those bearings have been established, look in your surrounding area to see if there are any observatories that hold public viewings. The city’s parks department might be know the answer. Communities that have a a college or university may have astronomy classes, and maybe even an observatory. Some universities will do public viewings too. These are great places to see more some great views found by more experienced astronomers. Plus, you may even get some help in your new journey.

If you want to start from the beginning, learning what you can see with your naked eyes is a start. Two good resources for starting come from Sky & Telescope magazine, though there are a LOT of other sources for this information. I like how Sky & Telescope breaks it down very simply for beginners. The first is something called “Sky at a Glance,” a page that is updated weekly. Each week is broken down into days and gives you a simple information, and they provide easy to understand drawings to help. For example, here is the information for Tuesday, July 24th:

The Moon shines with Saturn tonight, as shown here. Saturn, the most distant bright planet, is 3,420 times farther away and 35 times as wide.

This accompanies an image showing the position of the moon across three nights. Not only will it help you see both of these objects, but the image helps you learn a few stars as well.

The second resource is the ability to print out a basic planisphere for your location. Also referred to as a sky chart, you may have seen on of these before. It is possible to purchase a generic one (that will do well for most of the continental US), that is adjustable for date and time. Sky & Telescope has an Interactive Sky Chart, but it will require setting up a free account with the site to use. It is printed to match what you should see on a given date and time, so you can set it to when you want to go out. Some searching can also find you an iOS or Android sky chart app, some allowing you to aim your phone at the sky and have objects identified.

A really cool alternative to Sky & Telescope’s Interactive Sky Chart is a basic Star Wheel from THIS site. What I like is that they provide a version for city use, only showing the brighter stars that might be seen, helping highlight those stars a beginner is more likely to recognize. They also provide a non-city version as you improve.

Take some time to start learning some stars. Do not worry about learning them all, but try to identify the bright ones and the shapes they help make up. Both the shapes (constellations) and the stars will help you learn to find objects. Explore the moon with the help of a moon map. Start with the labeled image found HERE, then expand with some more advanced maps as your knowledge grows.

One last item to consider if you want to get started with learning your way around the sky. Binoculars and telescopes seem like wonderful tools, but they can also turn away beginners when the views do not match expectation. Learn your way around the sky, mainly named stars and constellations. Then try your hand at using binoculars. Look around a bit and get used to finding brighter stars with them. When you become comfortable, begin challenging yourself by searching for Messier objects. It is one of the more famous lists of objects in amateur astronomy, and a great starting point for looking at more than just the moon and stars. Don’t purchase a telescope until someone with more experience can help guide you, both in how to use one and picking one that best serves your goals.

There is definitely too much to cover in a simple post. The goal was to focus on some strategies to get you started.

1. Begin observing with just your eyes. Learn your way around what you can see using sky charts, learning stars and constellations.

2. Examine the moon and learn some features. This is a good point to introduce binoculars.

3. Gain experience with binoculars by finding the stars you have learned. 

4. Check out the Messier list to practice your binocular skills and begin finding more than just individual stars.

Like computer programming, 3D modeling can often be seen as difficult to learn. It does not have to be. Which leads to the topic of learning for our third Summer Learning post. Our focus will be on free and semi-free options.

There are a HUGE collection of different 3D modeling software, also known as CAD software (for Computer Aided Design). Enough examples that there are too many to explore. A range of difficulties exist amongst each but with effort, any one of them can be learned.

Tinkercad is a great place to start your journey. The controls are a bit simplistic compared to a lot of software out there, but that is what makes it a great point to start. The simplicity hides a rather powerful tool for making complex shapes. If you have access to a 3D printer, Tinkercad can also easily create files that most printers can use. Students in one of my past summer school classes used Tinkercad to make fidget spinners. The official website includes some starting tutorials that will teach you the basics behind Additive and Subtractive modeling, two main concepts that anybody journeying into 3D modeling will want to understand. Beyond those tutorials, some larger projects exist that will help you develop further skills. Go HERE to get started.

MagicaVoxel is just plain cool. It is different than many other 3D modeling options out there. It works on the principal of voxels, which is also the basis for how Minecraft works. Anyone who has played Minecraft will quickly see similarities. 3D models are built using blocks. Each block can be adjusted within a large range of colors. Additional tools can be used to help create dynamic lighting, shadows, and more in order to create scenes, like the one above. The main site includes links to tutorials and additional tools. Plus, not only is it free, but it does not require a powerful computer to work. If Minecraft is more your style, or you like the more pixelated retro look, definitely check out MagicaVoxel HERE.

SketchUp is one of those tools that is both a free and a paid version. The free version still provides a lot to help you design to your imagination’s content. The free version is an online app, minimizing the interface to key tools and rearranging them. However, the symbols remain the same.

Since SketchUp has become the main software used in Project Lead the Way’s middle school classes, there are a LOT of videos out there to help learn basic techniques. Unfortunately, most of the videos are for the paid version, so it might be helpful to start at the official Help page for the free version. This will help you learn the differences, at which point you could attempt some of the models the paid version’s tutorials discuss. Start HERE to access the free version, also referred to as SketchUp for Web. If you have access to the paid version, you also have the ability to add modifications, or additional tools, to help enhance the software further, such as those found in this article.

If you school is a Google school, you might have access to SketchUp for Schools. This makes available some actual lessons to help you learn the software and will link it to your Google Drive account.

Blender is quite a powerful tool. Used in a variety of industries ranging and popular in both animation and video game design, it’s biggest flaw is the learning curve. Blender has a reputation for being difficult to learn, with an interface that initially seems backwards compared to other software. Rumor goes that once you start learning the software, the interface makes more sense.

One great thing about Blender is the vast amount of tutorials and videos out there. The official tutorial page includes a lot to get your started, but searching out others such as this list of tutorials will only help you expand your skills. If 3D modeling is not quite an interest, but you want to learn computer animation, the brilliance of Blender as a tool is that it can do both, and more. And the best thing...it is completely FREE. Be prepared to check the requirements first to make sure that your computer can handle Blender before deciding to try Blender. Check it out HERE.

Autodesk Inventor is not a free program. That is something to note right away. Students and Educators can get a free three-year license of this professional program. With that out of the way, Inventor will also come with a steep learning curve. As with Blender, there are a large amount of tutorials and videos out there to get you started. The vast amount of options can make this seem overwhelming so you will want to use the tutorials. Where Blender seems more suited for designing characters, Inventor comes off looking more mechanic. This can be important to consider when deciding which to use.

If you are taking or plan to take Project Lead the Way classes, this is the software used at the high school level so getting started early can give you a leg up on your classmates. One additional note is that the software requirements can be a bit higher for many, so check them against your computer before installing.

This is only a small selection of software options. As linked near the top of today’s post, there are many other options, each with differences that may or may not suit your interests. If you really want to explore 3D modeling, learning different tools can widen your abilities and give you some advantages if you choose to explore this as a career. These happen to be five that I have used and/or played with at some point, with Blender being one that a student introduced me too. He had self taught himself and already displayed some really cool models he had created, so it definitely is learnable even at a younger age if you are determined to give it a try.

Paper cranes are the image of Origami for many people, but it is much more than just a single bird. Origami is a form of art that boils down to carefully folding paper to create shapes. Shapes much more complicated than a simple paper airplane. The act of making the shapes can be therapeutic for some. So today, we will look at some resources to get you started in this craft.

While Origami is often seen as a Japanese craft, the art of folding to make shapes can be found in other cultures as well. Wikipedia has some basic information to get you started if you want to learn more. The paper crane is synonymous with Japanese culture, with a famous story about a young Hiroshima survivor who attempted to make 1,000 cranes before she died.

A really nice site to get started is Origami.me. I would suggest starting at the Beginner’s Guide to learn about basic folding techniques. While a mountain and valley fold look simple, practicing how to make the other folds will help as you begin to create designs. A guide to make a paper crane is also available. 

Once you begin to feel comfortable with the folds, check out their database of designs in the Instructions section. It contains a lot of easier patterns, then links to more complex patterns. And if you are inspired to “Catch ‘em all,” then check out this really cool post about Origami Pokemon.

Beyond this site are other resources worth checking out. Star Wars fans can rejoice in a site devoted to Star Wars origami. OrigamiUSA has some free patterns for visitors to try. Origami Fun has a wide collection of designs to try along with tips, instructions, and even easy designs for a younger audience. And I was quite impressed at the massive collection of designs found at Origami-Make.org, where each item may have multiple different designs, sorted by difficulty.

A simple Google Search will turn up many more sites contain resources to get you started. Some places, like Origami Spirit, provide video resources for those who want to see the folding in action.

Computer programming can seem like such an overwhelming task to learn at the start. Depending on your approach, that could come out true. Thankfully, there are a some great sites for getting you started in the adventure known as coding that not only make it easier to learn, but fun too. Today, we will look at five such sites (in no particular order).

1. Code.org

Code.org is one of the go-to sites for starting your lessons in coding. With a variety of interactive games built to teach different programming concepts, it feels less like learning until you dive into the larger course options. Even then, it still plays like a game. Start with the Hour of Code lessons. They are short and can give an introduction to how the site works. If interested, try the larger courses. They will cover more topics, but there are elementary, middle school, and high school level courses. The best part...it is all free.

HERE is a link to the Course Catalog, where you can see the various options for learning.

2. Code Combat

This is a favorite of mine. It truly is a game. Play as a knight, but control using code. What makes this one unique is the approach. As you complete levels, you gain experience and gear. New gear means new codes to help solve levels. While there are a lot of free levels for the general user, a paid account is needed to experience everything. Still, over 100 levels available to free users still can give you an great introduction to coding. 

Take note that when you first go to the site, there is a link for students and teachers. Those would be for classrooms and as a student, you would only get around 20 levels before needing to pay to do more. If you just want to explore and have fun, go to the third link that says Play Now, which will give you many more levels to play for free.

HERE is a link to the site.

3. Scratch

Scratch is a programming language that looks completely different than what most people visualize when they think if computer programming. It was originally developed by researchers at MIT to help making coding seem more approachable. Over the years, it has exploded in popularity. If you have tried Code.org, then Scratch will seem familiar. Some might even suggest that the success of Scratch helped inspire many of the gamified programming sites that have developed over recent years. Plus, the site is FREE!

One really cool aspect of using the Scratch site is that you can have complete creative freedom to design something out of your imagination...then share it. Users have created animations, games, and more. 

HERE is a link to the main website.

HERE is a link to official tutorials to help you learn how to use the site, and ANOTHER LINK to the official Scratch Wiki, where some additional resources can be found.

4. Tynker

If you want to experience a variety of coding skills, check out Tynker. It has resources for several different languages, like HTML/CSS, Javascript, and Python. They also have a set of lessons all centered around Minecraft Modding. One downside of the site is that it will require a paid subscription to access a lot of the resources, but there are some free lessons if you want to check it out first. The lessons look and feel like games, which makes it a great way to get introduced to the concepts.

HERE is a link to the site.

5. CodeAvengers

CodeAvengers is another site to help learn a variety of languages. It may look less like a game at first because of the interface, but it is still built to make learning the languages fun. It also has A LOT of languages available, enough to really help you get started. While the site will require a subscription to go very far into the courses, they offer a 7-day free trial. That allows you to see the first five lessons of every course. This is great if you want to try each to find a language you really want to learn.

HERE is a link to the main site.

Check out this intro video:

BONUS MATERIAL!!

I know I said five, but I want to briefly mention two other great FREE resources. In the list above, I tried to focus on sites that are built to teach you about computer programming while playing games. These two bonus sites are less game, more lesson. Khan Academy and Code Academy are popular options to learn coding despite being less game-like. They both provide a variety of popular languages (check out Code Academy’s full catalog) and online communities through which you can get help during your coding journey.

That should cover some great starting ground if computer programming is something you have wanted to try. It is a career field that seems to only be increasing in size. Companies that might not seem like they have anything to do with coding are employing programmers. 

It is ♫SUMMER TIME!♫ Which likely means learning in the traditional sense is not what is on the minds of most students.

But does that mean learning cannot happen? Absolutely not. Try something new. Give yourself a challenge and learn along the way.

We will look at a series of topics and some resources to get you started through the month of July. Some examples of topics include coding, crafting, 3D modeling, and even astronomy. 

Challenge yourself to try at least one new topic during the summer. Maybe you will find a new interest, or learn about a hidden skill. Even if you end up not liking it in the end, you will have attempted some new. That is something to be proud of no matter what the outcome. 

It is an odd mixture of numbers for me. Numbers that come to mind as I see friends sharing some numbers about their teaching careers for Teacher Appreciation Week. The topic of rooms is a highlight as I develop a layout for my new classroom next year.

I have been teaching for 11 years.

Across those 11 years, I have been in 3 different districts.

St. Joseph School District is the longest as I finish my 6th year.

Across 3 districts, I have taught in 5 different buildings.

I have never stayed in one physical room longer than 3 years.

Next year will be the first time I have been in two different rooms in one building, and the first time I have been in three different rooms in one district.

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That is a lot of moving rooms. This time, I am rather exciting. I started asking to move into a larger room in the past. Several other PLTW teachers have mentioned that my room is a bit cramped for what I teach. Heck, students have completed projects working on the floor since I don’t have room for work tables. One teacher in another district commented that they could fit almost three of my classrooms into their space.

In the picture above, I am standing just inside the door to my classroom. Notice the minimal amount of moving space because of the rows of computers. There is about three feet at the front of the room to move and around five feet on the right were all the students are located. 

Along with the space is the limitation of storage. Often projects have to just rest out in the open in any available spot, available for any other student to walk up and explore.

This all changes next year. I will be in a larger classroom and one without a key restriction that limits the layout in my current room (a non-removable heating/shelving unit). It won’t be a massive increase in size, but it is enough to be very beneficial for my students.

For a few weeks, I have collected measurements and worked on a layout using SketchUp, one of the 3D modeling programs available for my students to use in class. Below is a top-down look at my room.

The left side of the room is the front. In the back is a door to the main hallway and a door to the library. The tables in the center will be work tables so students can spread out in the room. There is enough space that two more tables could be added if needed.

Now for another view, this time from the top right corner of the picture above:

One item that is exciting is that I am adding a Project Cabinet (the tallest item in the picture). It has the shelving necessary for students to store projects inside, free from prying hands. It, along with some other storage cabinets we are trying to get, are all lockable as well. A few projects this year got damaged by other students and this will help prevent that. The new layout is not set in stone, but until everything gets moved and I can see what it looks like, it is the current plan.

Computer science is an often underrepresented subject in schools, despite a growing prevalence in companies across the world. Coding is not the only skill students need. Computational thinking, designing with computers, and even just using a computer are becoming sought after job skills. Article after article after article highlight this need. 

With that knowledge, it is exciting to finally announce that Truman Middle School has been awarded a Verizon Innovative Learning Grant. This grant will enable the expansion of coursework provided for students at the school, covering the equipment and training expenses associated with two computer science courses.

The grant was applied for in December, 2017. Through a partnership between Verizon and Project Lead the Way (PLTW), schools had a chance to receive a $20,000 grant. The goal is aimed towards improving exposure to computer science principles in select schools. Last week, an email was received indicating that Truman had been awarded the grant. It was accepted at the February 26th St. Joseph School District (SJSD) board meeting (video here).

Over the next two years, two units will be added into the Truman’s PLTW classes. One class is App Creators. In this class, students learn about computer science and programming in regards to the creation of mobile apps. An overall goal is for students to develop an app that helps solve an existing problem that interests them. Schools that have already implemented the program are already making an impact, including a school in Pattonville, MO.

The second class is Computer Science for Innovation and Makers. Students will learn about the hardware side of programming, working with electronic parts to build and program a device. This is aided by a partnership with micro:bit.

As to which class will be started in the 2018-2019 school year, that is yet to be finalized. Feedback from current students will help identify an answer to this question. 

Almost a year ago, I initiated a GoFundMe to raise money for my classroom. The goal was $330 to purchase a set of KerbalEDU licenses. Each computer would then have the game installed with the express purpose of providing a game that can show kids how engineering can work in a realistic simulation. 

So far, my students have enjoyed the game and a number of them will go to it when their work is done to explore different designs. I often overhear them discussion different design choices as they attempt to get their craft to orbit. Their conversations sound just like what would occur if they were completing an offline design project. It is exciting to see them practicing what they learn and work collaboratively to reach their goal.

But thanks to wonderful donors, we raised more money than needed. I set some stretch goals to purchase equipment and licenses for other tasks. This is to share some of those additional purchases.

First, I did some research into Raspberry PI and Arduinos to examine which might be a better fit. Both provide a great chance to explore, but Arduinos won in the end. Two big reasons were behind the choice. One was cost. I found some kits online that provided a host of supporting parts and were designed around beginners. DFRobot was the kit of choice after further research into starting kits. I picked up a starter and intermediate kit, each with tutorials for associated projects. It took three storage containers to sort it all:

That still left some money to use. I recently picked up a Bloxels kits at a tech conference for educators. It is a video game design tool aimed for kids 8 years old and up. But it also has a physical component, allowing students to think both with their hands and with their technology. Students use a game board and the provided blocks to make assets and rooms. The rooms join together to create the world. The app handles the programming, making this a great introduction to creative design in video games.

Today, my students entered the world of 3D printing with a roll of the dice. 

Earlier this semester, the PLTW class at Truman Middle School received a 3D printer. An Afinia H400 to be exact. It looks really nice sitting on the shelf in class. As soon as it was received, I had an idea for which of our 3D model designs would make a good first print and plans were put into motion.

After creating a few models to practice some skills, students were given the instructions for the dice project. They would be required to meet certain size requirements, but would otherwise had the freedom to customize each side of the die. Some students choose to go with the standard spotted design, maybe changing the size or position of the spots (called pips). Others are creating custom designs for each side. The project was initially due this week, but because some students finished early, we did our first batch of prints today.

This was a learning experience for me too. I set up the first attempt during a plan period and came back to find the print bed moving around as if it was printing, but no filament was being extruded. While invisible prints would be really cool (and possibly creating a massive source of income for the school if successful), it would have required there to be a physical object. My hopes were quickly dashed.

After resetting the machine and checking the filament line, I set the printer loose. Soon, my 7th graders began asking about the weird noise that started up and I looked to find this:

My first thought was that the software truly did scale up the dice like it said when loading the files. I then realized these were merely the rafts being generated (the scaling was merely to make it easier to see in the software). The rafts help make it easier for the print to adhere to the bed (the metal plate underneath them). After a little bit longer, the dice began to take shape:

My 7th graders were definitely intrigued and a few were already talking about getting to print something in 8th grade. I could not constantly watch the printing, but took moments in between helping students to steal some glances. The build time was 2 hours and 46 minutes, much faster than expected, so I knew I would be ready to hand out prints by the end of the day. I could quickly identify some potential areas to improve the instructions for the project, including setting minimum distances away from the edges for the pips and refining the pip measurements for printing. 

During my lunch, I checked on the prints to get some more pictures.

It was cool how one can just barely see the layers being added by the nozzle as it glided back and forth across the print. I am planning on starting the next batch of prints earlier so that my 8th graders can actually see this themselves.

Finally, after getting back from my first lunch duty shift, I found the printer had stopped. The bed of dice was resting at the bottom, cooling down from almost three hours of heat. The bed itself heated up to over 140°F, while the nozzle heats up to about 527°F in order to smoothly extrude the filament. Definitely high enough to be careful if needing to open the printer door.

Once the printer had cooled down, I was able to get everything out and begin the process of separating the dice. I was a bit worried at first about not breaking them, but after some looking around online, I remembered the putty knife that came with the printer. Removing the rafts was a bit tricky, but once I realized they could be physically removed with a small amount of force, it went quickly. 

Everyone wants to get right in to developing their ideas, but proper planning can go a long way in realizing that idea. Nobody is exempt from the value of planning, even legendary video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the designers of he original Legend of Zelda game.