I am a big fan of cheesy 80s horror. I know, not quite the introduction you would expect from me. But hey, those types of movies are incredibly formulaic. Like an algorithm. IF (GoUpstairs) THEN YouDie(). When (Running) Don’tTripAndFall() //They always do Right?? I see the world in algorithms. I think Papert would consider this […]
The Story The year is 2153. In a world run by evil bots, it’s dangerous to be human. Lance, Freya, and their friends are trapped in the Rathouse Orphanage. Will they escape or will the Commander and his sidekick catch them? I am always on the hunt for new tools, games and apps, especially in […]
This morning I tweeted an article titled “Spatial skills higher among those who played with construction-based toys and video games in childhood.” It is a great read with many interesting points. From the article: Childhood play experiences strongly shape a person’s spatial skills, according to a new CIRES-led study—those skills can be critical to success […]
Last week the Federal government of Canada announced a $50 million investment in Computer Science & STEM education. A big move following similar initiatives happening with our friends in the south. I am pleased with the program and its goals, but have some concerns about “coding.” In Code Breaker, I write about the notion of […]
Fact Triangles are similar in some ways to flashcards although they are a better way of showing and practicing fact families. Fact Families are sets of three numbers that can be divided or multiplied together and they help develop the understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division. Below are two examples: Source: https://www.helpingwithmath.com/resources/oth_fact_triangles.htm A […]
When I decided to give away a few copies of my book, Code Breaker, I never anticipated the overwhelming requests for a copy! I am so grateful to have such interest! I have written a great deal of content about how to get started with coding at Hour of Curiosity so I decided “why not […]
Happy New Year and welcome back to school for 2018! Over the holidays I noticed Annelyse De Marco doing some pretty amazing things in her classroom so I reached out and asked for an interview. Annelyse and her class participated in the Hour of Code and there was plenty of fun to be had! 1) Who […]
For all the kids who grow up in a small town and think they don’t stand a chance. You do. I was once that kid.