Communications of the ACM
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How the “Frontier” Became the Slogan of Uncontrolled AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been billed as the next frontier of humanity: the newly available expanse whose exploration …
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Playing With Code–Recursion
Recursion was never a big part of my toolbox but I am starting to appreciate it more recently. Regular readers know that I have been writing about and writing code...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
IoT, Python, and Raspberry Pi–Oh My
Trying learn too many things can be a risky proposition. But sometimes it feels like the way to go. Regular readers of this blog know that I have been trying to...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Playing with Bacon's Cipher
Bacon's cipher is a fairly well-known and simple cipher. Its considered a form of steganography. Unlike most steganography, the code is hidden in the text and not...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Pluses and Minuses of the Unary increment Operator
There has been a conversation on Twitter about the unary increment operator (++) and related (+=, –, etc.). I tend to gloss over these when teaching beginners....
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Observations on #CSTA2021 Virtual Conference
The CSTA 2021 Virtual Conference is in the books. I really did enjoy it and I learned a lot. Virtual conferences are different from in-person conferences and INotes...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Notes on Day Three of #CSTA2021
No morning help desk duty for me today so I watches the whole “Morning Java” session. For those of you not at CSTA, Moring Java was an introduction to the day with...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Notes on Day Two of #CSTA2021
Today started, for me, with help desk duty. While I was there no one needed any help which I suppose says good thi8ngs about the HopIn platform CSTA is using. The...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Day One–#CSTA2021
Today was the first day of the Computer Science Teachers Association conference. All online of course. It was a pretty cool day. I got myself set up with a twohttps...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Learning My nth Programming Language
They say that the second programming language is the hardest to learn. That’s mostly because one learns how to program using their first language but each language...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Avoiding Tour De Force Sample Code
Sample code is a wonderful way to teach and learn coding. The problem with a lot of sample code is that it is just too complicated and to fancy. I call it tour...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Phun with Phidgets
Recently I requested a free (for educators) starter kit from Phidgets. Phidgets are small controllers and sensors that are easy to use and with a helpful API. The...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Is Picking a First Programming Language the Hardest Problem in CS Education?
All of a sudden the subject of the first programming language is getting discussed everywhere. OK, maybe not every where but it is in Twitter, Blogs, and Facebook...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Why Are Arrays So Hard For Beginners?
Beginner programmers often, dare I say usually, struggle with arrays. Sometimes it is hard for experienced programmers like myself to understand why but with years...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Getting Excited for CSTA 2021
As a member of the CSTA Conference Committee, I attended the first of two presenter training sessions today. Wow! CSTA 2021 will be good. Now I have read most of...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Exploring the Ternary Operator
I’ve never had a lot of use for the ternary operator. Until recently, I think I under appreciated it. I Don’t recall ever using it in professional development though...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Trip Report: Teaching as a Long Term Sub
Well, this is not actually a trip report but its something like it. I spend the last couple of months teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy as a long term substitute...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Othello/Reversi for After the APCS Exam
My good friend and former teaching partner, Tom Indelicato posted about his end of year project for his AP CS A student recently. With his permission I share it...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Learning From My Students
Being back in the classroom has been a learning experience for me. For one thing I have had to learn a bit of Processing (the IDE) as students had been using it...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Which Sort Do You Use?
My algorithms class is studying sorts this week. I felt like we needed a little hands on sorting to get an understanding of how some sorts related to the types...
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson