Monthly Archives: March 2012

Differences between Javascript and C#

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While working on a web project which utilizes ASP.NET and C#, I couldn’t help but notice some striking similarities between what we are doing in Javascript with the Codecademy and with C#. Here is a blog post I found that highlights some of the differences:

 

http://blog.boyet.com/blog/javascriptlessons/javascript-for-c-programmers-function-basics-and-scope/

 

I looked up salaries for C# programmers on the East Coast and found they make between 90,000-130,000. Not too shabby!

Keep programming!!!

From Ancient to Eye Catching

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From Ancient to Eye Catching

Four syllable word. Engineers. Four letter acronym. STEM. What is it and what are they? They can be anywhere and everywhere and you wouldn’t even know. They make and build anything you can think of. Engineering has anything to do with creating, fixing, and problem- solving human needs and wants. One type of engineer could be a computer engineer. They work with technology, science, and math to either innovate a product or to invent one. Sometimes we take engineers for granted because their creations surround us everyday and they help us everywhere and we don’t even realize that hey, someone had to design that product and figure out how it was going to work! One product that continuously evolves is the Mac computer by Apple. Its innovations and inventions are simply genius; what used to be heavy, importable, and not very attractive, is now slim, eye catching, and can now easily fit on a small desk. Some devices can fit into the palm of your hand. Engineers can be found anywhere and their products are everywhere so we should be thankful for their innovations and inventions or else we wouldn’t be as successful or efficient as we are today.

“All Sizes | Abandoned Mac | Flickr – Photo Sharing!” “ Photo Sharing.

Web. 06 Feb. 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/

photos/sethw/945233667

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All Sizes | (100/365) :: Christmas Came Early! | Flickr – Photo Sharing!” Welcome to Flickr – Photo Sharing. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/gusilu/3072725919/sizes/s/in/photostream/&gt;.



10 Ways to Keep Most Girls Interested in STEM by 8th Graders at BMS

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  1. Make it simpler and not so challenging
  2. More photography
  3. More computer activities
  4. Less building
  5. Pick colors and objects with designing projects
  6. Pick the type of design you want to build
  7. More vivid instructions
  8. Define sizes of parts easier
  9. Include fashion
  10. Mix groups with genders so boys can teach the girls  By: Dayna G.

         

To make girls more interested in STEM classes, teachers should include fashion, use devices teenage girls are used to, mix groups with boys, and make more vivid instructions. Teenage girls aren’t really into technology that has to do with building or wiring things. Of course they like cell phones, iPods, and laptops. Teachers should use these items to keep girls interested and confident because they already know how to use these things. To get students more interested, why not include the number one things girls love the most? Fashion! All girls see these movies with high-tech devices like fashion outfit selectors, so why not build them, or build something close to them in real life or even talk about how they might work? Girls would be so much more engaged if they were building something that could help their fashion lives. I know that BMS 8th graders would want to be doing something like that. Girls would also be much more interested if there were boys involved. By making mixed groups of boys and girls where the boys would teach the girls. The girls would want to be doing that because the boys are. If the girl is interested in the boy and the boy likes doing things with technology, wouldn’t the girl be interested too? Of course she will!

A third thing that would make our class easier is directions with vivid and easy to follow images. It is hard enough for young females to learn how to build things and it would be much easier and more fun if everything was colorful.  Average, ordinary girls might even learn to like building robots. Giving the measurements or labels on the bags of tools or part bags for the girls would be useful too because it would be more clear about the parts that are needed based on the description in the instructions.

By using things girls are interested in and connecting it with STEM girls will want to be more engaged and want to be doing it. Keep things colorful and fun!

Written with determination by Casey C. and Jessica C.

Make girls more interested in STEM by using photography. I asked other girls in the class and they said they  would love to have photography in this class. I would too. It’s fun to take pictures of what you want. This is what girls really like. Also, girls like to pick their own designs. For this project, we had to build a robot that girls would like better.

I asked one group what they would want to build. They told me that  the furniture design project would be fun to build instead of robots. During that project, we learned the design process as we had to solve one big problem with a piece of furniture. We liked the project so much because it had to do with fashion and design. Lastly, some girls like computer designs more than hand building a design, like the pegboard design on Autodesk Inventor. Girls liked it more than building the robot because it was fun to learn how to use the program. These are just some more ways girls will be more interested in the class STEM.

Written with thought by Dayna G. and Ms. Gambino

 

For more information, guidance, or chats about teaching STEM in middle school, contact Ms. Gambino gambinos@bethel.k12.ct.us