April+2010+Meeting+Notes

Where:** The Browning School, 52 East 62nd Street New York, NY 10065 (212) 838-6280  begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (212) 838-6280  end_of_the_skype_highlighting **When:** Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 4:00:-6:00 p.m.
 * Event Info:
 * What:** **What:** Robotics/Electronics/Physical computing projects and Programming projects - a whole meeting about making stuff virtual and real world. - Tim Cooper (originally planned for March)

RSVP HERE: []

Discussion Points:
 * How can we offer challenges in STEM (Sci,math,engineering and tech) to kids - such as programming, robotics, electronics, etc.?
 * How can we as a group foster these ideas in our schools through exhibitions, competitions, and other sharing - in the real and virtual worlds?
 * What are we all doing now and where would we like to be?


 * Tim Cooper**, Friends Seminary, Presenting

Levels of competition NYSSL funds can be used for robotics equipment Robo Expo happened last Saturday, 4/24/10
 * FIRST Lego League**
 * Jr - LS/MS
 * First - MS
 * Both of the above levels use the Mindstorms NXT programming environment
 * First Tech - HS
 * $2k to start and $5-600/yr to maintain
 * US First Tech Challenge- HS
 * $20K to start
 * Tetrix robotic system from Lego Education
 * RobotC (Windows only - Mac version in beta)
 * <[]>
 * Mostly 5-8th grades
 * Two parts - exhibition and challenges


 * Development environments for teaching programming**
 * Scratch
 * Scratch is a good way to introduce concepts
 * Scratch is used in a variety of programs, grades (4th to 9th and above)
 * Easily accessible (Friends uses scratch to demonstrate a scientific principles in 9th grade physics)
 * Processing is a good follow up to scratch (based on java)
 * Object oriented environment
 * Projects can be embedded on any web page for sharing
 * Online "classrooms" can be created for sharing work at [|www.openprocessing.org]
 * [|Alice] is similar to Scratch
 * Geared toward story telling
 * Built as a way to interest girls in programming
 * Python is a little more complex and/or difficult as an entry point, but it is more in the vein of where modern programming environments are headed.
 * There are communities built around all these programming environment
 * Friends is using Processing as the programming environment for their Intro to Computer Science course.


 * Arduino Devices**
 * Similar to Pico boards (for Scratch)
 * A general hardware base on which to build electronic devices
 * Available for $20 (pre-built) or build your own for $10
 * Programming language is similar to java but runs closer to C
 * They accept sensors
 * Friends Seminary students have built an autonomous blimp
 * Can build wheeled things, game controllers, things with displays, etc.
 * They have USB ports for connecting to computers, as well as other analog ports
 * The system offers "shields" with different functions (motor, GPS, wave, etc.) that plug into the boards
 * Could we organize an Arduino exposition?

[]
 * Maker Faire is Coming to Queens in September**

And, speaking of making things, also see [] for green power projects your school can make and how to report on the power your project generates.