Monthly Archives: December 2019

Resources / tech_ventures

the 50p bunny is all ears

This is the big blue bunny rabbit that our children spotted whilst on holiday in Dorset. It was for sale for the quite reasonable price of 50p. After some debate over who would be making the purchase, he was presently in the bag /  saved from landfill / one of the family.

The parting words of the stall holder rang in my ears, a clarion call to action: “you can connect your phone to it and stuff”

what stuff I wondered. What might it be capable of?

A google later and I had the app. The connection was made to the bunny but there was another connection to make, this time to a news story:

theregister.co.uk/2017/03/01/cloudpets_woes_worsen_mics_can_be_pwned/

oh dear. The batteries were swiftly removed.

Now in the depths of winter I have taken the final step to remedy matters for my son to enjoy his improbably treasured bunny:

 

and sew it ends!

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December 30, 2019
tech_ventures

A Level Normalisation Session

Sometimes chopping a database up and sorting into into 1st, 2nd and 3rd normal form on the very floor works best!

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December 30, 2019
Resources / tech_ventures

Pi 4 in action

Demonstrating automated systems to Year 9 with a Raspberry Pi 4, breadboard mounted PIR and resulting monkey on patrol.!

 

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December 1, 2019
Resources / tech_ventures

Picademy

A full weekend of study at Bath University. Being presented with the opportunities and the potential of Raspberry Pi by those who know it best. My thanks to Dan, Mark, Laura and Alan for an amazing time.

 

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December 1, 2019
Background_history / earlier_tech

Radio Phone

Dad loved this phone. I used to get in trouble for borrowing it. Before there were “cordless” phones and well before many people had mobile phones, this was an early “I’m in the garden” device.!

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December 1, 2019
Resources / tech_ventures

Plickers in Science

Popping into a Year 7 Science lesson I was perplexed to find all the pupils elevating laminated symbols above their heads as their teacher held her phone up to scan the scene.

The data promptly appeared on the white board at the front. This was my first taste of Plickers in action – now I am keen to give it a go!

 

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December 1, 2019
Background_history

1998, a starter

The wonderfully talented Year 13 A Level Computer Science class that I teach weren’t quite sure what to make of my scrawled starter question: what happened in 1998?

They made some great suggestions (considering that this occurred comprehensively before their birth!), but what I remember of 1998  is that the idea started to formulate in my mind that not everyone was going to grasp what computers were all about in time to join the rapidly approaching Twenty First Century.

Flickernet arrived in December 1999.

Twenty years on it is clear to me that the need for Computer Education, in all its forms, is as urgent today as it was back then.

 

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December 1, 2019
tech_ventures

Washroom Screen

There is something fascinating  revealed on those rare occasions when computer hardware (here at Heathrow) reveals what it is really thinking.!

 

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December 1, 2019
Resources

NCCE Certification

 

  • Just to round off the training that I have been fortunate to receive recently: the NCCE Certificate in Computer Science Subject Knowledge has come through. Julia kindly presented me with it at BCS HQ.

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December 1, 2019
Resources

BCS Certified!

Delighted to record that I have been awarded the BCS Certificate in Secondary Computer Science Teaching – my thanks to LPA for providing the experience and guidance to achieve this key qualification.

As a separate, but related, enterprise I have also been made a STEM facilitator for the National Centre for Computing Excellence (NCCE). This means that I can help to deliver the new NCCE curriculum.

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December 1, 2019
tech_ventures

English Scratch / debating

We recorded our responses to pupil debating using an agreement / disagreement selector on the screen of each pupil: as persuasion shifts the balance, so the background colour indicates the viewpoint of each pupil around the room.

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December 1, 2019
Background_history

Joe

Farewell to my Cousin Joe. I just wanted to record here how much I miss him – we all do. Joe always supported any tech venture that I made. The way that he pondered a concept, and gave gentle pointers was such a precious gift.

Full tribute here:

JPG

 

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December 1, 2019
tech_ventures

Robot Update

After a little father and son time, the latest iteration of the Garage Robot is born! Upon being shared as the designated show-and-tell item, the spinning motor jams on, resulting in a scene of suitable chaos in the classroom with the robot determinedly making the most of its chance to take a turn at the front!

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December 1, 2019