No, I haven’t seen The Force Awakens… so quit asking me. I had to work today. I am planning on seeing it now that Winter Break has started, I just haven’t decided when or where. What did I do today, the proclaimed “Star Wars Day”? I wore that unlicensed “Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt” with Han & Chewie, cleaned my classroom, and I did something very scary. I put in my VHS copy of Star Wars (Episode 4) that was the “enhanced version” which means the sound was brought into THX standards, and some of the specials effects were touched up… Nothing as drastic as the “Special Editions.” I saw the film pretty much just as I had seen it in 1977 (btw: Han shot first). Why was that scary? I hadn’t played that tape in probably over 15 years. I was afraid that it would disintegrate half way through (right before ‘Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid”) and it would be lost forever. I lucked out, and the school VCR along with our projector did a fine job.
I keep going back on Star Wars or Star Trek and there are days when I’m a trekkie and days when the Force is with me. I’m in that in-between age range that was influenced by both while growing up. Just as the prequels kinda soured me to Star Wars, I know there are Star trek films that were horrible, or worse. So all I can do is embrace the science fiction fan in me and get lost for a few hours in a galaxy far, far away- next year I’ll get lost where no one has gone before.
On a side note, I did pick up a BB-8 Sphero thanks to my sister Nancy. OK Sue’s sister, but we’ve known each long enough she’s my sister too. Now i watch it charge with Cecil watching and look forward to what tomorrow will bring. Isn’t that what Science Fiction is all about anyway?
I know the world is divided into three camps: the luddites, the non-Apple users, and the Apple users. Those who dislike Apple have their reasons. Those who love Apple have their reasons. Luddites? They can’t read this so who cares.
My first computer ever- was an Apple II+ It had a cassette tape drive and a whopping 48k of memory. We’d play things like Beneath Apple Manor- an adventure game in which you traveled through a dungeon taking on monsters and gathering treasure. You were a white, flashing square. The monsters were a colored square. You used the keyboard to move and fight. It was a computer, and I learned a few things from it. Most importantly- I learned I hated the way it worked. Yes, I hated working on a computer.
Once I was introduced to the Mac I saw how simple an interface could be and there was no going back. Intuitive, and it just worked. I’ve been a Mac owner since 1984. I know people can list off thousands of reasons to not buy anything from Apple. Don’t waste your time on me- I’m part of the cult, I have drunk the Kool-Aid. There’s no saving me now, just move on. Heck, I had a Newton that should tell you how far gone I am. I like what I like, and like simplicity.
Oh, and one more thing… Here’s to whatever Apple is announcing today, it might not be Earth shattering, but I’m guessing it will be, in some small way game changing.
I remember my first experience with a mouse… it was 1984 and I was in a computer store looking at my graduation from high school present. The way I grew up I had a choice, a trip to Europe, a new car, or a computer… All of those actually had equal value in 1984. I chose the computer. I was wandering aimlessly in the store and a sales guy asked me what I was looking at and experience I had with computers. My dad once worked for IBM so I was looking at the IBM PC. I was then asked about what I liked and disliked about computers- I replied typing in “LOAD” or “BRUN” or whatever. So he put in on a Macintosh… They had me listen to a cassette tape to learn what to do and from that point I was sold on this new generation of “computers for the rest of us.” I drew a dragon in MacPaint. Of course it was the most expensive computer in the store and I had to wait until one came in, but I was happy, and have been happy since. For me the other computers lack something simple- simplicity. Then I’ve been working on one ever since. Yes, I work on Windows machines, but I don’t have to like it.
I recall my school district “training” us on the brand new IBM PS2 computers they had bought. While in the word processor it froze… the guy in charge said “Just press ctrl-alt-del” Huh? Macs don’t freeze. I did as I was told and was shocked when I had lost everything I had typed. When there was a problem (rarely) with my Mac, I would just reboot the program and a recovered file would show up. Why are these PS2s considered “good”? Over the years I have developed a theory- The technology department chooses a computer that will be difficult to use and have issues just to guarantee job security… So far I haven’t been proven wrong. While the number of PC’s increases so does the technology department.
So today is a holiday celebrating moving your mouse around the screen is my kind of holiday… enjoy and take your mouse on a voyage.
SmithsonianX: POPX1.1x The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact on Popular Culture. What was I thinking?!? Take a MOOC at the end of the school year? Yes, it is about a topic I love (comics). Yes, it is going to be fantastic (it’s through the Smithsonian). Yes, it involves some very cool people (Stan something or other is part of the teaching team). Now as they start week 4… yes, week FOUR, I’m finally able to start catching up on my classwork and lectures. I was doing all right with the lectures for the first couple of weeks, but not the classwork. I’m now behind on everything (so instead of working I’m doing a blog entry), but I’m really excited about some things I’ve been working on because of this course.
Let me introduce you to the first idea for “Gizmo Girl”
One of the major pieces (I think, you mean I should have read the syllabus?) for this course is to create your own superhero. I decided that while I love Cecil and the joy he has given me, I needed to try something else, just for comics. So yesterday… yes, yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, the idea hit me. Of course with every idea I kept thinking “How is this different than something I’ve already read?” so I know I’ve been influenced, but I hope in the end this will be originalish.
So, you have Gizmo Girl, who is a technology based superhero. She is the niece of a retired hero (Mr. Gizmo from the comic I did for my classroom). Upon his death she is given a bracelet that she thinks is ordinary but actually gives her access to Mr. Gizmo’s lair, and all his stuff. This includes his vast array of “bugs” little robots that help him thwart crime and have actually been doing most of his job for the past few years as he was getting too old for that kind thing- so know one knows he’s dead, but the bugs are starting to show some wear and tear and it’s time for Mr. Gizmo (or Gizmo Girl) enter the battle against the bad guys. So the comic deals with her life as an elementary school student: homework, testing, teachers, mean girls, parents, etc. It also deals with her life trying to figure out this whole superhero thing, so she’s learning the ropes and then seeing how some of the stuff she learns in school can help her out.
I don’t want to give away too many plot points or spoilers yet, but I’m kinda amazed at how this character & her story are just coming to me without much effort right now. When I’m done with everything I’ll post it here and then you can look for her adventures showing up on My Geek Odyssey and maybe even in comic book form… or at least that’s the plan.
30 years ago Apple Computer announced that the Macintosh would be introduced to the public during the Super Bowl… I was a senior in high school. My parents were big into supporting us educationally with the latest fad… We had an Apple II+ I shared it with my brother and my mom (she loved playing games and would get rather obsessed over some of them). My parents decided since I was going to college that I might need a computer- this was very forward thinking. We went into a computer store and I figured I would get an IBM PC jr. I was mistaken… The salesman asked me what I knew about computers (not much) and what I didn’t like about computers. I replied I didn’t like having to type in “load” or “run” or “brun” That I just wanted something easy that worked. He sat me down at this taupe box put some headphones on me and proceeded to sell my father an IBM PC while I went through the tutorial for “MacPaint.” I was sold. I don’t really know how my life would have been different if I hadn’t ended up with a Mac. I don’t know if I would have done as much with art, or even technology. It’s silly to say a computer could have that much influence on your life, but I know this is one of those things that made me the person I am today. Oh, and I still own my first Macintosh from 1984.
As I may have commented over the summer (you know- those long summer breaks where teachers sit around on their yachts lighting Cuban cigars with $100 bills they get from the taxpayers) I helped out at a Robotics Camp being put on by my local High School’s robotics team. I did this mostly because while I enjoy Technology, I am a consumer of tech, not a producer. I buy the cool stuff and use it, but ask me about the actual technical side of things and I have learned to be a great bluffer doing a lot of smiling and nodding. I wanted to learn something about how the tech works. What I don’t know makes me almost as dangerous as what I do know.
A the end of the camp one of the mentors mentioned that there was a robotics competition in Bloomington that I should look into. It seems the Bloomington Robotics Club sponsors this competition to promote robotics throughout the state. One way they do this is by providing grants to groups looking to start their own robotics program. I thought this would be a great opportunity for my kids (No, I don’t have kids, but all the kids at my school are “my kids”- you probably wouldn’t understand, it’s a teacher thing). So I put on my calendar the date when the application went live and applied hoping I would hear something quickly and put together a team in time to join the competition. Well, over Fall Break (while waiting for my valet to find the right pair of silk paisley socks) I received an email that a robotics kit had been ordered and shipped… this was a bit of a shock. I hadn’t heard anything back so I didn’t sign up of the competition! (Since my administrative assistant was on vacation) I contacted the club to find out what was going on, and my concern that when school got back into session I would just have 9 days to put together a team, teach the kids to build a functioning robot and program it… On Tuesday I pulled together three 6th graders who had attended the Summer Robotics camp, so they had background in the VEX Robotics platform we were using, and in three days we now have a fully functional robot! As “Coach” I used many sports metaphors to inspire them (“Tighten that screw for the Gipper” and stuff like that), and I ran around looking for a replacement “shaft collar” when the one that came in the kit wouldn’t tighten no matter how many metaphors I tried. I also suggested that we should at least have a proven design to start, so they should just follow the directions in the kit. Now the team has the week to consider any redesign of the initial kit, to practice “driving,” and to see if we can do anything with programming to have the robot actually do something autonomously.
So what is making me happy? Not only was I able to see three kids really excited about what a practical application of knowledge and nothing to do with some standardized test, but I was also able to see a few kids wondering how they could get involved. As a geek and an introvert being able to create a place where kids can “let their geek flag fly” is important to me. So many times kids who were like me don’t understand that while they are “a unique and special snowflake” they are not alone, that other people out there share in their interests and are “weird like me.” These three kids compete on November 2nd, I’ve told them I am happy that we have a functioning robot and we can compete. Everything else is icing on the cake. Once we finish this tournament, the goal is going to be to improve our skills, and include more kids and different projects, I just hope that they can help I guy like me, who dropped out of programming in College, to understand all this stuff. Is a PicoBoard really something you serve Raspberry Pi on?
I’ll post an update (with video) next week after the dust has settled.
Time sure flew. Not only have I completed the first week of my Coursera MOOC but I also just completed week #2! (If you missed the first post about the MOOC I’m taking, you can find it here)
Halfway through this little course, here’s a bit about my experience thus far:
At the beginning of lesson #1 there was a short, well-produced overview video about the class where the instructor explained the course, introduced the researchers on this project and discussed the assignments.
Then for the class itself, there were 3 15-20 minute videos that made up the lesson. I thought it was nice having several shorter videos rather than one long one. In addition to the streaming video, there’s an option for slideshow so you can just page through the slides (which is very helpful when trying to find a specific answer to a quiz question – trust me!), transcript which I think would be very helpful if English isn’t your first language, and a place to download the video.
There’s also a little speed button that I just discovered today so the videos can be played in real time, slowed down or speeded up. In playing with it I found 150% a bit too fast but 125% didn’t pose any difficulties for my ear and so did most of this lesson at the slightly faster speed.
On the discussion board there’s been a lot of chatter about various components of the course. People are recommending resources, asking questions and even challenging some of the statements. The instructors do pop in every so often to comment and respond so they’re obviously on top of what’s going on. Also, since this course is about China and we have a lot of Chinese speakers, they’ve been keeping a log of terms in both pinyin and characters – ie. jinshi (進士) – as a very helpful reference. And, since the text recommended for this week’s reading is only available in Chinese, there’s a group crowd-sourcing a summary translation into English which I think is pretty cool!
The last section is the dreaded ‘Assignments’ – which in my course means quizzes. One of the veteran Coursera students in the class pointed out that it’s best to take the quiz as soon as you finish the lectures so the materials are as fresh as possible – sound advice. There is a bit of a kerfuffle this week over what I agree is an oddly worded question. Depending on how you read it, you could have two different answers. So, as I was drinking coffee and stressing over which was the correct interpretation it suddenly struck me that a) my GPA won’t suffer if I get this one wrong b) the whole point of doing this is to learn something and I’m accomplishing that no matter what and c) I only need 60% to pass. So, I went with my first thought – we’ll see how that works out.
Overall, I’m very pleased with Coursera and how the class is going. The interface is easy to use, the course is interesting, and you sure can’t beat the price! Oh, and I did get 100% of the first week’s quiz.
For those who know me well, you know that sports have never been my thing. My older brother was athletic so in order to avoid competition, I avoided almost all forms of competition. It didn’t help much, my parents still compared us, but at least I wasn’t trying to directly compete or be like him. I tried my best to learn from my older brother by not doing anything he did.
I joke about my lack of knowledge when it comes to any sports. I know the basic rules of the important “All-American” sports but don’t really follow any. I know who my local sports franchises are and firmly believe that their business model is a little skewed since they make millions of dollars and still ask for handouts from the communities they live in, holding us hostage with threats of leaving if they don’t get tax breaks or bigger stadiums or key players out of jail, or whatever. I find it sad that many of my students nowadays think that their only way to be successful is through sports and pour more effort into (pick a sport) than learning. In my teaching career I have personally taught one child who became a professional athlete. 26 years of teaching, average of 24 kids in each class (actually a lot more since for about 6 years I taught every student in a school of around 700)- only one that I know of went pro. Last week I had a chance to check out a sport/competition that I think is worthy of not only our support as a community, but also one that might actually make the world a better place… Robotics.
Last week I started off by dropping by a robotics camp being put on by our local high school. The camp dealt with VEX robotics and instead of dropping by, I decided to help out where I could for the week. The campers formed teams and designed and built their own robots to complete a task. The competition had the robots move balls around the field and put them in a goal. At the end the robots had to knock a “bonus ball” into the play, score with it and return to their starting place before time ran out. Rounds were 2 minutes each and the robots were each controlled via a game controller by a “pilot.”
Throughout the week the teams of campers designed and redesigned their robot, trying out different things. Some teams were very flexible while others stuck with the same idea thinking if they try hard enough it will work. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein, one of the team captains reminded me of this quote at the start of camp, yet, his team was one that never varied from their initial design, even when it wasn’t as successful as the others on the field of play. The hardest part, as an adult, was to try to lead them down the path of discovery subtly without saying- “Look, your design isn’t working. You have time, try something else.” In the end there was a brief competition, a winning team was determined, and candy bars were given out to the winners.
The Indiana Robotics Invitational 2013
So, how is this different than many other “sports”? Well, first all the competition isn’t cutthroat. Each team (robot) competed in rounds in an alliance with (by the time all the rounds finished) all the other teams (robots) at the camp. Your team received points for the alliance winning. Scoring was 2 points for winning, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The Idea was to help every team to be better because you didn’t want to lose any match, so you would want to play with a strongest teammate you could. At the ages these kids were at, that was a difficult concept for them to grasp- you wanted everyone to be strong because in the end, the best robot would win- every match, no matter who they were paired with. In the end the oldest group of students were the winners, experience triumphing over youth.
Friday found the group at the Indiana Robotics Invitational and here, while the overall goal was similar, the robots were more complex since the task put before them was much more complex. The competition here put three teams (robots) on each side working to get as many points as possible. The round was divided into basically two sections (automated and piloted). The round began with the robots running a program for 15 seconds, then the human pilots took over. The goal- score as many points as possible. How? Well this year (each year the task is different) the robots were designed and built to throw a frisbee through a target. That was the first goal, three targets, get as many frisbees as possible through the targets. The course also had two towers, points could be gained by getting a frisbee to the top of the tower, but wait, there’s more. Just as the campers could gain points for being back in their parking place, these robots got points for hanging from the tower, the higher the robot was, the more points you received.
I know there was more to it than that, but basically that’s what had to happen. So how does that make it world changing? Let’s think about the end results from participating in competitive robotics. You learn practical applications of Science, Math, Engineering and Technology. You gain skills that could help you get into a good college and when you get out actually produce something for the betterment of mankind, not just throw a ball around until your arm (or knees or back) goes out, then sit around talking about your glory days. You could take what you learned and still use it even when you’re old and grey filled with aches and pains.
I never played sports (fine full disclosure- I played soccer in 3rd & 4th grade and briefly tried springboard diving and swimming, I was lousy) – like I said, that was my brother’s thing. So I don’t understand the competitive culture behind sports, but even now at the elementary school I see the cliques forming- the kids who are told by their pee wee league coach to wear their jerseys to school the Friday before a game, to impress everyone. Fights and trash talking happen between rival teams and this is at elementary school… so sad. I’m waiting for someone to get the bright idea of taking out a key player during recess, so their team can win. I did not see signs at the robotics competition reminding parents that it is only a game. Then again these kids were not the all-star varsity lettering BMOCs and bullies, these were geeks and nerds, people with a passion for engineering and for computers, and yes, there were girls in the mix too. I would suggest finding out if your local school has a robotics program and go talk to the kids and the mentors. I’m sure you’d be amazed at what they are doing. Unlike most high school sports, this is a program I can actually see a benefit, and will support my local team. Try this- instead of buying a jersey with the number of some guy who will retire or be traded in a few seasons (causing you to have to buy another jersey), take that money and make a donation to your local high school robotics program. Our robot overlords would approve and might let you live after they take over.
One of the Semifinal Matches at the IRI video of the entire event can be found on their YouTube Channel If you want more information about Robotics Programs for students check out-
No, Cecil didn’t have a run in with a bovine; it’s Sue making a rare appearance on the feed!
Last night, on a whim, I decided to enroll in a massive open online course (or MOOC). It’s a four week class offered through Coursera called “A New History for a New China, 1700-2000: New Data and New Methods, Part 1” by Byung-Ho Lee and James Z. Lee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology*.
I’ve read about the MOOC concept and am interested to see how the whole process works. After listening to classes through The Great Courses over the years (I particularly liked the History of Ancient Egypt and Great American Music: Broadway Musicals) and trying a class on iTunes U (The Civil War and Reconstruction Era by David Blight of Yale) I’m really intrigued by adding the interactive component.
Class officially begins Monday so thus far I’ve registered – which essentially means creating an account on the website by giving them my name, email and location – and nosing around the course pages a bit. The course homepage contains links to the course outline, grading scheme, teachers’ bios, discussion forums, and a wiki for the class.
Grading scheme???? Eep! What have I gotten myself into? After reading that there will be a brief quiz each week and an open book final exam, it looks like there’s no need to fret – yet.
Even though we’re still 2 days, 11 hours and 14 minutes before class starts (I know this thanks to the helpful timer on my dashboard page) there’s a lot of action over on the discussion board. So far it seems to be falling into two groups. First people are discussing where to find the recommended texts. Then people are introducing themselves and saying where they’re from – so far I’ve seen Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and lots from China. Wow! I can’t wait to see what class discussions are like!
So, that’s where I currently am with this adventure. The first lecture video will be available in 2 days, 11 hours and 10 minutes.
* As a brief note, I’m leaving the course content to the folks at Coursera. If you actually have interest in A New History for a New China, 1700-2000, ask me later.
This morning I stayed up for something wonderful, I was one of those goofy geeks who didn’t go to sleep until he knew the fate of the Curiosity rover. I had been hyping the landing on my school’s Facebook page and getting pretty excited about the whole thing and the “Seven Minutes of Terror.” If you don’t know (since my local newspaper seems to think the Colt’s kicker’s decorating tips is more important than landing a robot on another planet)- NASA sent another robot to Mars to take a look around. Curiosity is about the length of a Mini Cooper and had a very complex series of things that needed to happen so it could land safely. The issue to me was FTL communication (the Ansible, if you read Orson Scott Card) hasn’t been invented or stolen from aliens yet, so it takes around 14 minutes to talk between Earth and Mars. While watching the pregame and then the whole (as someone put it) nerdspeak, it seemed like they were setting us up for failure. They kept mentioning how difficult it was and how without communication we wouldn’t know what was happening. Luckily, the stars were in alignment, careful planning worked out and amazingly there was a happy ending. While many people stood out (mohawk guy) it was a great demonstration of geeks in action and the power of getting enough dreamers in one room. Following the ustream broadcast (I have 300 channels and NASA TV isn’t one of them?!?! How did this happen?) along with Facebook & Twitter it seemed like almost everyone was either sleeping or nervously following what was going on. Some tweets more serious than others:
It would cost $60 billion to start a human Mars colony. Our wars in Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan have cost over $3.4 trillion. @dresdencodak
Once more, without the clear dust cover. Here’s the “fisheye” pic from my rear Hazcam http://twitpic.com/ag43lt @MarsCuriosity
Internet, you win this round. I’ll be back later, but thanks so much. Now going to celebrate with all my friends and team! @tweetsoutloud
There is a lot of really bad hair at NASA. @dbwildo
“Oh, you won a gold medal for running 100 meters? We just landed a car on Mars.” Nerds:1 Jocks:0 RT@christopheeerrr
Whoa. Whoa. Did that guy just say “go to Europa?” I distinctly remember being told in 2010 to “attempt no landings there.” @pvponline
I have never been happier for a room full of strangers as I am for these JPL engineers. @davekellett
I’m safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! @MarsCuriosity
Man! Real time CG graphics! To think: we went to the Moon with the computing power of an abacus rubbed vigorously on a shag carpet… @AH_AdamHughes
It does seem weird that Earth is sending a flying saucer to Mars. RT@AH_AdamHughes
Technology (and geekdom) brought this event to life. As someone pondered- What would be possible if NASA could get $30 billion through Kickstarter? All I kept thinking about was being a kid in Boy Scouts and visiting JPL right after Viking landed. The great thing about kids is their sense of wonder & imagination, the sad thing about kids is their lack of understanding when it comes to making something happen. I thought when my dad was trying to explain how difficult it was to get a probe to Mars, “It must not have been that hard- launch a rocket, have it land.” I didn’t have the experience of watching failed launches or memories of Apollo 1 or even Apollo 13. That perspective is important, but needs to be combined with youthful optimism. Last night I saw a room full of little kids who had grown up but never lost the spark. I am shocked to say that some times I am proud to be an inhabitant of the Earth, and sometimes interesting times are amazing.
No, I haven’t seen The Force Awakens… so quit asking me. I had to work today. I am planning on seeing it now that Winter Break has started, I just haven’t decided when or where. What did I do today, the proclaimed “Star Wars Day”? I wore that unlicensed “Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt” with Han & Chewie, cleaned my classroom, and I did something very scary. I put in my VHS copy of Star Wars (Episode 4) that was the “enhanced version” which means the sound was brought into THX standards, and some of the specials effects were touched up… Nothing as drastic as the “Special Editions.” I saw the film pretty much just as I had seen it in 1977 (btw: Han shot first). Why was that scary? I hadn’t played that tape in probably over 15 years. I was afraid that it would disintegrate half way through (right before ‘Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid”) and it would be lost forever. I lucked out, and the school VCR along with our projector did a fine job.
