Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson
Alfred Thompson's blog about teaching computer science at the K-12 level. Alfred was a high school computer science teacher for 8 years. He has also taught grades K-8 as a computer specialist.
So You Want To Teach Your Kids To Program?
In all honestly I tend to avoid Slashdot. Oh I scan it for the news from time to time but I work...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 06/01/2011
Random Hacks of Kindness June 2011
Are you interesting in public service, of using you computer science, web development, ...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/31/2011
Atlanta (Georgia) Area Windows Phone Camp for Students
Tara Walker is running a three-day Microsoft Mobile Development appLab at the Library at the...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/31/2011
Windows Phone 7 Games in Visual Basic
I’ve been working all week in C#. Now C# is a wonderful language if you are going to use...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/27/2011
Never Underestimate a 13-Year Old With a Computer and a Dream
Now I taught middle school during the longest year of my life. And I do guest talks at middle...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/24/2011
Data! I need more data!
Big data! I don’t know how many times lately I have read or heard that computer science...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/21/2011
How Many Letters In An Alphabet
My mind tends to wonder a bit when I drive long distances. Sometimes it goes in very weird...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/20/2011
Seven Rules for Beginning Programmers
Paul Vick posted these Seven Rules for Beginning Programmers earlier this week and I have been...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/19/2011
Programming Competition as Learning
As I write this I am at St Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY for their annual high school...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/18/2011
Always Mount A Scratch Monkey
Do today’s students know what a scratch disk or a scratch tape it? Most of them probably do not....
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/17/2011
Interesting Posts 16 May 2011
Computer Science teacher Pat Yongpradit seems to be everywhere on the educational blogosphere...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/16/2011
Returning Data From A Second Form
The other day I received a query about using second forms in Visual Basic. I found a link to some...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/14/2011
University Computer Science Faculty Blogs
I read a lot of blogs. Perhaps too many. But there are a few blogs I could not do without. I thought...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/13/2011
What Can You Do With What You Know?
We’ve all heard the saying “It is not who you know but what you know.” While the truth of that can...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/12/2011
Computer Science As Competitive Sport
I was reading Stacey Armstrong's blog this morning. He was writing about the end of the Texas CS...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/11/2011
Programming with C# and XNA 0.5: Jump Start
Pat Yongpradit, a talented young HS CS teacher I have written about before, has created a 5 week...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/10/2011
Interesting Links Post 9 May 2011
I had a great week last week. Long but great. I finished up with two conferences where for once I...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/09/2011
Teaching Students To Create Their Own Business
One of the things that I tell students when I do career talks is that it has never been easier to...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/06/2011
Kodu Cup Submission Deadline is May 10th 2011
Just a reminder that the submission deadline for the Microsoft Kodu Cup is next week on May 10th,...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/05/2011
Mid Atlantic Developer Expo is Coming!
This event looks interesting. If you are in the mid-Atlantic (say around Virginia) and interested in...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/05/2011
Why Not C#
Someone recently passed on same objection to using C# as a first or otherwise early programming...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/04/2011
Most Read Posts–April 2011
I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the top read blog posts from April 2011. I look...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/03/2011
Interesting Links 2 May 2011
I had an interesting week last week. Took a couple of vacation days – one to go snowboarding with my...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 05/02/2011
Academic Feedback Survey–Closing May 1st 2011
If you are a computer science or information technology professor/instructor/teacher would you help...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/28/2011
Where Do Female Computer Scientists Come From
As someone who is mildly addicted to statistics and who has a degree in Sociology (really) I found...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/28/2011
Problem Solving For All Times
I am not a carpenter. I know carpenters. One of my friends and co-workers is a well-trained...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/27/2011
DreamSpark, AppHub and Windows Phone Development
So are your graduating high school seniors bored? or perhaps you are still looking for things to do...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/26/2011
Interesting Links 25 April 2011
Apparently some people actually do read this blog. I have talked to a couple of people recently who...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/25/2011
Learning With Visualizations
A picture is worth a thousand words so what is a video worth? Add some music and off you go reaching...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/20/2011
XNA Game Development Tutorial
From the makers of the “XNA Game Studio Beginner’s Guide” DVD’s, the next evolution of Game...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/19/2011
The Internet is the Answer for School Reform–Or Not
A friend of mine sent me links (via Slashdot which I occasionally read for the articles myself) that...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/18/2011
Interesting Links Post 18 April 2011
Imagine Cup US is over and now we start thinking and planning for the Worldwide Imagine Cup finals...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/18/2011
Boring is Bad
I have long been an advocate that teaching should be as much about sharing enthusiasm and it is...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/16/2011
Kinect For Windows is Coming
You know you want it. Ever since the Kinect was announced back when it was code-named Project Natal...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/15/2011
Books for Computer Science Students
Ever since I was told about a list of Movies for Computer Science Students and wrote some comments...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/14/2011
Be Careful What You Wish For
Mark Guzdial had a guest post by Eric Roberts of Stanford today titled - Guest Post: Eric Roberts on...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/13/2011
Champions for The US Imagine Cup 2011
We just announced the winners in the US Imagine Cup for game development and software design. The...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/11/2011
XozGaming–High School Team in the US Imagine Cup Finals
XozGaming is an Imagine Cup game development team made up of two high school juniors from...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/11/2011
Final US Imagine Cup Teams Announced - 2011
After a trip to Seattle (space needle, Pike Place Market, etc.) last night the US Imagine Cup teams...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/10/2011
US Imagine Cup Finals 2011– Up and Running
I have been in the Seattle area (mostly Bellevue and Redmond) the past couple of days for the US...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/09/2011
Computer Science Curricula In Flux
I don’t know when I have ever seen as much going on with computer science curriculum going on at one...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/07/2011
Imagine Cup Stories
Today I am on my way out to Redmond WA for the US Final of the Imagine Cup. Here I will see 22 teams...
Author: Alfred Thompson Date: 04/07/2011