Additional profile information on Alfred Thompson at Google+
OK so you are a student and you are wondering what to do over the summer. Perhaps you have a job but maybe it is not fulfilling. And besides wouldn’t it be cool to write some great code and win a new Windows Phone for your efforts. Right? Well the Windows Phone team has a contest just for you. They are looking for students to write applications targetting the new “Mango” update for Windows Phone 7. Though DreamSpark all the software you need it free. What more information? Here is some detail “borrowed” from the Windows Team Blog:
Come on and show the world what you can do!
This post is late this week. Why? Totally wrapped up in ISTE. OK I did spend some of Sunday visiting the Mummies of the World exhibit at the Franklin institute and then a trip to Betsy Ross’ House. Hey if you are in Philadelphia you might as well take advantage of it. Since then I have been meeting with friends at the SIGCT open house, a couple of dinner meetings, booth duty in the mornings, and sessions in the afternoon. I’m actually writing this post from a session that is not as interesting as it could or should be. I’m too too tired to move though. I will go find food once this is done.
The Microsoft student team announced the: June Microsoft Tech Student of the Month – Andrew Zurek
During the week I found this web site by a high school computer teacher called F# in High School Computer Science this bears more looking into. BTW I am always on the look out for more computer science teachers who blog or Tweet on Twitter so if you know of any please leave their links in the comments. I am on Twitter @AlfredTwo and I hope you will follow me if you are a Twitter user.
The Microsoft Tech Student Twitter account (@MSTechStudent) asks “Wondering what past Imagine Cup participants are doing now? Find their stories here”
Need an excuse to try Azure? Announcing the Rock Paper Azure Challenge Grand Tournament, winner takes home $5,000!
Nice post by Hélène Martin (@purplespatula) on the 2011 Computer Science AP Reading If you have ever wondered what it would be like to grade the Advanced Placement Computer Science exam this is a must read.
Patrick Godwin (@ximplosionx) who is a Microsoft Student Insider has been trying out the new Kinect SDK. His first post on the results are at Intro to the Kinect SDK–Drawing Joints in XNA. He has a video of his Kinect code it in action:
Well, that’s it for now. I have been tweeting links already this week and so I should have a good list next week.
Michael Scherotter who works for Microsoft decided to run a computer programming day camp in his home for his 9 year old son and 9 of his friends. Taking on teaching programming to 10-year olds may not be for everyone but from the sound of Michael’s blog posts it sure sounds not only possible but quite a bit of fun. From his first post:
My son Alex, age 9, wants to learn about computer programming so I decided to try something fun – to teach it to him. In my day job, I explain and demonstrate Microsoft’s software development technologies and I’ve been programming since I was about ten so I think I know what to do. I wanted to do something really fun for Alex, and kind of adventurous, so I invited 9 of his friends to join him and next week I will be teaching a group of 8 boys and 2 girls programming in my home on my dining room table. Each camper will be bringing their family computer and I’ll be teaching Kodu and Small Basic.
Kids at this age are wide open to new ideas. They are also starting to make important decisions about what they like and do not like. Exposing them to concepts like programming and computer science and letting them experience success has tremendous potential for life changing opportunities. Is this something you could do or encourage in an after school program? Something to think about.