Welcome! I am Eddie Cobb, Director of Technology and classroom teacher for all middle school technology electives at St. Timothy's School. The 2019-2020 school year will be my 21st year of teaching middle school, and my 18th at St. Timothy's School. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
I will be seeing your 5th through 8th grade students this year for several classes:
5th Grade Computer Competency
Section 5-1, Tuesday White/Blue, 4th Period
Section 5-2, Wednesday White/Blue, 6th Period
Section 5-3, Friday White/Blue, 2nd Period
6th Grade Programming and Logic
Monday White/Blue, 7th Period and Wednesday White/Blue 1st Period
7th Grade Programming and Logic
Wednesday White/Blue, 5th Period and Friday White/Blue 7th Period
8th Grade Robotics
Tuesday White/Blue, 7th Period and Thursday White/Blue 3rd Period
I will be seeing your 5th through 8th grade students this year for several classes:
5th Grade Computer Competency
Section 5-1, Tuesday White/Blue, 4th Period
Section 5-2, Wednesday White/Blue, 6th Period
Section 5-3, Friday White/Blue, 2nd Period
6th Grade Programming and Logic
Monday White/Blue, 7th Period and Wednesday White/Blue 1st Period
7th Grade Programming and Logic
Wednesday White/Blue, 5th Period and Friday White/Blue 7th Period
8th Grade Robotics
Tuesday White/Blue, 7th Period and Thursday White/Blue 3rd Period
The central focus of the curriculum across all middle school technology classes is learning to use logic as a tool for problem-solving, decision making, and construction of programs. Decision-based logic is the foundation of all computer programming, and it is very safe to say that your students are more familiar with this concept than even they may yet realize. Simple tasks which we may take for granted, such as launching and playing a game on a smartphone, all require a surprising amount of decision making on the part of the programmers who created the device and its software. Using specific examples of how programs are developed and the complexities involved are elements which students frequently do not consider - and can be a very eye-opening academic experience.
Computer Competency classes are required for all 5th graders, and all other classes are grade level applicable electives. All students in the 5th Grade will have an introductory class in which they will become familiar with responsible Chromebook use, school-managed Gmail account use, basic website design, and productive internet research to gather data on specific academic topics.
The Programming and Logic classes in the middle school curriculum begin with the introductory level 6th grade class and build to an advanced level in the 7th grade class. Each of these classes will be a year-long journey into the conceptualization, design, and construction of basic video games. Games can be simplified into "entertaining decision-making processes" but games also have many deeper elements which draw from other academic disciplines: art, music, math, and engineering. The importance of using logic as a tool which can help accomplish a goal in a game (as well as outside of the game!) will be illustrated to all participants. Students will also have several writing assignments throughout the year designed to help them articulate their opinions about what they do and do not value in a video game, as well as an opportunity to justify their views. At both the 6th grade level and then 7th grade level, free-to-download software called Game Maker (http://www.yoyogames.com/) will be used for the actual programming of all student-created games.
Robotics in the 8th grade is the culmination of all previous programming experience built in the 6th and 7th grades, but with the addition of a critical skill - construction. Students are challenged with a series of increasingly difficult tasks (e.g. a basic "street race," to "line following," all the way up to Bluetooth-controlled remote sumo wrestling robots) and goals which they must be able to accomplish with a robot. This class uses the popular robotics teaching tool Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits, and is also built to work in conjunction with the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy curriculum for middle school. Each student will be responsible for one full kit which contains a programmable "smart brick," an array of sensors of different types, and many Lego parts needed to give the robot its structure. Each kit's smart brick uses proprietary software designed to allow construction of advanced programs on the computer which can then be "pushed" to the brick and run for testing.
Computer Competency classes are required for all 5th graders, and all other classes are grade level applicable electives. All students in the 5th Grade will have an introductory class in which they will become familiar with responsible Chromebook use, school-managed Gmail account use, basic website design, and productive internet research to gather data on specific academic topics.
The Programming and Logic classes in the middle school curriculum begin with the introductory level 6th grade class and build to an advanced level in the 7th grade class. Each of these classes will be a year-long journey into the conceptualization, design, and construction of basic video games. Games can be simplified into "entertaining decision-making processes" but games also have many deeper elements which draw from other academic disciplines: art, music, math, and engineering. The importance of using logic as a tool which can help accomplish a goal in a game (as well as outside of the game!) will be illustrated to all participants. Students will also have several writing assignments throughout the year designed to help them articulate their opinions about what they do and do not value in a video game, as well as an opportunity to justify their views. At both the 6th grade level and then 7th grade level, free-to-download software called Game Maker (http://www.yoyogames.com/) will be used for the actual programming of all student-created games.
Robotics in the 8th grade is the culmination of all previous programming experience built in the 6th and 7th grades, but with the addition of a critical skill - construction. Students are challenged with a series of increasingly difficult tasks (e.g. a basic "street race," to "line following," all the way up to Bluetooth-controlled remote sumo wrestling robots) and goals which they must be able to accomplish with a robot. This class uses the popular robotics teaching tool Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits, and is also built to work in conjunction with the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy curriculum for middle school. Each student will be responsible for one full kit which contains a programmable "smart brick," an array of sensors of different types, and many Lego parts needed to give the robot its structure. Each kit's smart brick uses proprietary software designed to allow construction of advanced programs on the computer which can then be "pushed" to the brick and run for testing.