DigiGirlz - Getting Girls Interested in Science and Technology

The Vista Daily #17

Robert McLaws: Windows Vista Edition — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:40:20 GMT

I should rename this to The Vista Weekly, because I can never seem to make this a daily thing. Oh well,

re: DigiGirlz - Getting Girls Interested in Science and Technology

Alfred Thompson — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 01:37:31 GMT

For middle school students you might want to look at the Visual Basic curriculum at MainFunction.com If you create a free account at that site you can get the VB 2003 version from the Curriculum Center. If the Resource Center is an updated version based around Visual Basic Express (2005). Either is free and includes an ebook that is probably closer to what you are looking for in a middle school book than most textbooks.

For supplemental projects you may want to look at a project book I wrote a while ago. It is at MainFunction but hard to find there. You can get it easily at http://www.acthompson.net/teachvb/vbnet.pdf

re: DigiGirlz - Getting Girls Interested in Science and Technology

Maya Bentz — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:14:27 GMT

I agree that we should introduce students to programming in Middle School. I teach MicroWorlds in 5-6th grade and ActionScript with Flash animation in 7th grade. Last year, I also taught JavaScript in 8th grade and Visual Basic in 9th. However, I didn’t have a rewarding experience teaching VB. I used a book “VB.NET Programming for the Absolute Beginners” by J. Harbour. All VB books get complicated after the first couple chapters and source codes for one assignment run through several pages. In my opinion, for 8-9th grade students, exercises should be short, simple, and producing “cool” projects. Students enjoy ActionScript and JavaScript (beginner to intermediate level). Thomson produces more college and high school level textbook. I’ve looked at your book “Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 BASICS” at course.com. It is probably more suitable for high school students. I was unable to find VB, Java or C++ textbooks for kids. I would appreciate if you could suggest a good programming book for MS students.

re: DigiGirlz - Getting Girls Interested in Science and Technology

Alfred Thompson — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 03:55:35 GMT

I think that we need to start introducing some programming concepts to middle school students, if not earlier. We need to get them to understand the fun and challenge (and let them have some sucess) before someone convinces them that they can't chouldn't be interested in computer programming.

re: DigiGirlz - Getting Girls Interested in Science and Technology

Maya Bentz — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:38:10 GMT

In the Upper School, we have only boys in AP (Java), Film and even Web Design classes.

Girls enjoy Digital Design class, but as soon as I mention programming, they consider dropping a class. I regret that I missed the DigiGirlz event in New York. Maybe next year…