CrouchingPython EdVentures

Just read this very inspiring and thought-provoking book about the future of education. Free download and well worth the time to read:

One Foot in the Future Ebook - Big Questions Institute Schools can no longer meet the future as it arrives. This ebook offers unique new ways to anticipate and create the futures we want and need.

I'm launching a podcast on creating engaging learning experiences, called Hard Fun, of course! We'll cover everything from PBL to personal connections to AI to the joy of learning. If you're one of those people, hit me up and let's talk! You know who you are!

Exciting news! Podcast incoming!

Podcast Incoming! OK, so…. taking a leap into the unknown here -- starting a podcast in the next little while, and I'm super excited. It's taking a while to germinate and get set up, but that's ok. It's not as if the world is waiting with baited breath and demanding the next episode! Backstory is this -

Upcoming Friday blog post -- exciting channel changes and additions! Spoiler -- Chicago Bob is coming. Watch this space tomorrow morning 8EST:

- CrouchingPython EdVentures Let's Code Cool Stuff! Come learn with me. I'm CrouchingPython, also known as Bob Irving. I'm an accomplished classroom teacher with 20 years of experience in teaching computer science. My specialties include Minecraft: Education Edition, game design with Kodu, Scratch, and Python, physical computin...

Yup.

I'd vote for this one, and also "kids these days..."!

One Word to Drop From Your Teacher Vocabulary A simple change in language can show students how mistakes are useful and how struggle can be productive.

Friday blog post -- more thoughts on ChatGPT and education:

ChatGPT — Round Two A funny thing happened with my last blog post. I shared some of my initial thoughts about the use of ChatGPT and what it might mean for education. And my lonely little corner of the internet blew up! Visits to my blog increased by about 1000%! I guess I unintentionally hit a hot topic. I

Coming tomorrow, blog post at www.crouchingpython.org -- round two of my thoughts on ChatGPT and education.
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- CrouchingPython EdVentures Let's Code Cool Stuff! Come learn with me. I'm CrouchingPython, also known as Bob Irving. I'm an accomplished classroom teacher with 20 years of experience in teaching computer science. My specialties include Minecraft: Education Edition, game design with Kodu, Scratch, and Python, physical computin...

As promised, my first thoughts on ChatGPT and education:

ChatGPT — Look out! I know that teachers have heard all too often that technology is changing everything, and that they need to adjust to these changes. But this one is for real. The introduction of ChatGPT in the last few weeks has created a seismic shift in education. And if teachers, administrators, "thought leaders...

Coming tomorrow -- Friday's blog post is on ChatGPT and what it means for education. This will change everything, folks!

New blog post!

LetsPlay Minecraft… Incoming! Forgive me for telling a personal story here. I know I should be posting thoughts with universal applicability, and this story actually has that. But you'll have to read to the end to get that! I'm going to try something new in the next few weeks -- I'm trying a LetsPlay Minecraft series on my

Coming on Friday --- a more personal style blog post on www.crouchingpython.org. I'll be talking about my upcoming attempt at a LetsPlay Minecraft series on my YT channel. Some ruminations on learning in public, connections with students, and whether just goofing around can be a learning opportunity. Watch this space!

LetsPlay coming to my YouTube channel for fans

LetsPlayAnnouncement

By way of introduction, I have a musical alter ego named Chicago Bob, name given to me by a musical mentor because of my passion for Chicago blues. Yesterday, I returned to my old school for the holiday assembly and reprised a tradition, playing Run Run Rudolph.

Friday's blog post -- What I Learned When I Moved My Entire Curriculum to iPads in a Week.
https://crouchingpython.com/?p=224
gup.pe

What I Learned When I Moved My Entire Curriculum to iPads in a Week Like teachers all over the globe back in March 2020, I had to shift to emergency remote learning in a week. Unlike most teachers, my middle school computer science curriculum wasn't based on a textbook with units, chapters, lessons, exercises, etc. So while many of my colleagues had to basically rep...

Just finished up my blog post for Friday, going live tomorrow at 8amEST: What I Learned When I Moved My Entire Curriculum to iPads in a Week.

I'll link to the post tomorrow, but you can check out my other posts at my web page: www.crouchingpython.org

- CrouchingPython EdVentures Let's Code Cool Stuff! Come learn with me. I'm CrouchingPython, also known as Bob Irving. I'm an accomplished classroom teacher with 20 years of experience in teaching computer science. My specialties include Minecraft: Education Edition, game design with Kodu, Scratch, and Python, physical computin...

Stay tuned for Friday's blog post: How I Switched My Entire Computer Science Curriculum to Run on iPads Just before School Lockdown.

I'm afraid I don't have lots of deep eduthoughts this week. Just in-the-trenches middle school teaching experiences!

No lies detected! 💯
📷 Learning with Lori

I love online teaching and learning. Here's why.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Online Learning Am I in a very small minority on this one? I think so! But this isn't click-bait. I really do love online teaching. Here's why. I freely admit that "in-person" learning is probably the best for most people in most situations. So let's get that out of the way right off. I'm not advocating for

PBL -- a personal story

Why Project-based Learning Works — A Personal Story It's really not that complicated. We all learn best by doing. Here's an example from my life. I was doing poorly in 10th grade English. I was a terrible student. I had no interest in school or what I was studying, I had not developed any study habits at all, and I wasn't even interested

Learn how to do project-based, hands-on, just-in-time learning. Make your coding classes come alive! Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RRRL39Q. Available in paperback and e-book formats!
-basedlearning

New blog post, part 2:

Just in time learning, part 2 - CrouchingPython EdVentures You might want to read part 1 first. But I promised that I'd show you how I avoid complete chaos with this approach. And here's how I do it.Once they submit their GDD (Game Design Document), I check it for any gotchas: too ambitious for the time and the platform, not enough details, too hard/too

I love this so much.

The Lego stadium that might be saving lives An Ohio State professor spent four years of his life building a monstrous Lego cathedral of Ohio Stadium. Now he's selling seats in the stadium with a bigger purpose: funding complex heart research at his lab.

I made it a practice to do this every day. I think it makes a difference.

❤️

via Patrick Mulick

I don't usually post about workflow, but since I discovered I am so excited about gettting stuff done. I'm totally new, and there's a lot to learn, but I'm starting small and building as I go -- just-in-time learning, baby!

My new blog post:

Just-in-time learning, Part 1 - CrouchingPython EdVentures I'm a big believer in using "teachable moments". Those are the times when the concept/material aligns with the learner's Need to Know. And the more of those teachable moments there are, the stickier the learning is. So the question is…. how do we provide as many of those teachable moments as possi...

Live streaming at 9amEST this morning. Come see what all the excitement is about with my Minecraft coding courses!

Minecraft Magicians! Minecraft Coding with Bob Irving: https://youtu.be/i3tV-4YXrR0

I have found very few lazy students in my teaching career. What I have found are disengaged students, who find no connection between their lives and the material they have to learn.

That's why I always strive for two things in my approach: immediately engaging material (say Minecraft, for instance), and a project chosen by the students that connects that material to their own interests and passions.

If you can do that, students will run through walls to learn and keep learning.

Words to live by.

https://crouchingpython.com/?p=181

Why every kid needs to learn coding - CrouchingPython EdVentures I know all the arguments about "preparing for the future" (which is now, by the way), getting tech jobs, the value of computational thinking, digital literacy et al. And they're all relevant and true. But here's my take, as a former English teacher. I'll explain why that's relevant.No one ever quest...

Coming soon! Reserve your place now!

Why should every kid learn to code? Not because they will be software devs someday, but because it gives them a palette of tools for expressing their own creativity. That is all.

WEquil App Makeshift Homeschool App helps kids learn to love learn, teach each other, and take charge of their own education.https://www.makeshifthomeschool.com/

Here's a question for parents and students. I can teach any of these things. What would you like to take a course in?
Kodu game design
MicroBits
Command blocks intro
Command blocks intermediate
Agent coding in M:EE
Scratch game design
Virtual robotics
Intro HTML
Turtle Logo
Raspberry Pi and Python coding
Python game design with Pygame
Beginner Lua Coding Roblox
Retro game design with Arcade
Sonic Pi
Processing
UNO beginner

https://news.mit.edu/2022/hal-abelson-computer-science-0916

I had the pleasure of meeting Hal at a conference at MIT a few years back. He's a pioneer in the realm of kids and coding. A true visionary and hero!

“Kids are people too!” MIT Professor Hal Abelson has dedicated his career to making information technology more accessible to all and empowering people — kids, in particular — through computer science.

Execute command for rookies

The Effect command