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How Many Words in That Text?
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

How Many Words in That Text?

One of the projects I have used for years is a letter counter program. The idea is to count the occurrences of each individual letter. It’s a nice project thatAbout...

What Time Is 30 Minutes From Now?
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

What Time Is 30 Minutes From Now?

Got the proctor guide for the PSAT that I have to proctor next week. There is a chart to help proctors determine stop times that are 25, 35, 50, and 60 minutes...

Michael Backus Alaska Middle School Computer Science Teacher
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Michael Backus Alaska Middle School Computer Science Teacher

Every so often I run into a computer science teacher’s work online and ask myself “how have I never heard of this person before?” This week I listened to a podcast...

ACM/CSTA 2020 Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

ACM/CSTA 2020 Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing

Applications for the ACM/CSTA 2020 Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing are now open. The deadline is 12 January 2020.The AwardThe ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize...

2019 Champions of Computer Science Awards
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

2019 Champions of Computer Science Awards

Know a student or teacher or administrator who has achieved something this year to increase access and quality of CS education. I can think of a number of people...

The Problem Of Cheating on Programming Projects
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

The Problem Of Cheating on Programming Projects

This seems to be the year a lot of people are really getting concerned about cheating on computer science programming projects. There has been some discussion of...

If Statement Programming Projects
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

If Statement Programming Projects

Over the years I have used a number of projects to give students practice using if statements – especially those that involved nesting or checking lots of values...

Book Review: "Tools and Weapons"
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Book Review: "Tools and Weapons"

"Tools and Weapons" by Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne is a look at some important computing issues through a Microsoft lens. It is a pretty revealing look as the...

Password Checking Tools
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Password Checking Tools

Neil Plotnick shared some Password Checking Tools on Facebook recently. I’ve used some of these in the past and find them useful and instructive. https://howsecureismypassword...

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

This is a great program for high school girls interested in technology. I have had several students get awards at the state level and they all say it has been a...

The Scratch Course For Teachers
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

The Scratch Course For Teachers

This looks like a valuable free professional development course for teachers interested in incorporating Scratch into their curriculum."The Scratch Course" is a...

Updating and Expanding Programming Projects
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Updating and Expanding Programming Projects

I’m always looking for new projects. I found an interesting example in the book “The Creativity Code” (Creativity Code review here). It was a poem generator that...

What I Want from Computer Science Education Professional Development
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

What I Want from Computer Science Education Professional Development

The CSTA 2020 Call for Proposals is out and as usual it has me thinking.   Two questions come to mind. One is, what can/should I propose to present? The other question...

Vicki Davis Interviews Alfred Thompson
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Vicki Davis Interviews Alfred Thompson

Over the summer Vicki Davis interviewed me for her Ten Minute Podcast. Vicki and I have been friends for a number of years and it is always a pleasure to talk with...

And So It Begins–School year 2019 2020
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

And So It Begins–School year 2019 2020

Tomorrow (Monday) I will meet the new freshmen in my study hall. And I’ll finish getting my room ready for the new school year. First day of real classes is Tuesday...

Question Technology
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Question Technology

One of the interesting t-shirts I saw at CSTA 2019 last week said “Question Technology.” That might seem to be a strange slogan at a computer science education...

It’s Really About the Teacher
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

It’s Really About the Teacher

CSTA 2019 gave me a lot to think about. Today I was thinking about what was impressive and I thought about the Tuesday lunch panel. Microsoft brought a panel of...

What do Companies Get Out of Supporting CS Education
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

What do Companies Get Out of Supporting CS Education

After the announcement of a millions dollar grant by Google to CSTA and the new “Code with Google” program I was asked “what does a company get out of this sort...

Random Thoughts on #CSTA2019
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

Random Thoughts on #CSTA2019

I’m pretty sure I have been to every CSTA conference going back to when it was the CS & IT conference and there was no CSTA organization. This year’s was by far...

CSTA 2019 Day 3
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson

CSTA 2019 Day 3

So I missed the opening keynote which I am sure was amazing but I spent the time catching up with a good friend who I see too rarely. Time well spend. Leigh Ann...
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