Click here to view a screencast video that includes directions for how to complete this module.

  The assignments below are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, April 2

• Emerging Technology project (including an extra credit option)
• Weebly portfolio – Emerging Technology Blog page, including Blog post that includes responses to the questions below

 Goals and Objectives

• Describe key terms and concepts associated with computers and software applications
• Discuss the theoretical background and practical application of a variety of software programs
• Analyze a variety of problems, select the appropriate software application to solve problems, and use software programs to find and/or present solutions
• Analyze and discuss social and ethical issues related to the increased use of technology in education, business, and society

Positive Thinking	Daily Tech Tip
Kindness is Never Wasted	You can use Google as a timer. Just type “set timer (x) minutes” into the search bar.

 Learning to code in school is becoming increasingly popular, an EMERGING TECHNOLOGY. In this activity, you are going to receive an overview of computer science, computational thinking, and programing basics. I know that this might be an intimidating topic for some of you so I am using a simple program to show you that even young children can learn to do this as well. I hope you have fun with it.

1. Start by reading through these two short articles to get an idea of the benefits that come along with working at a successful technology company, specifically, Google.
   • Inside Story at Google
   • Google’s 10 Best Perks
   • 7 Apps for Teaching Children Coding Skills
2. Watch Code Stars to get an introduction to Code.org.
3. Click here to watch a screencast that will show you how to create an account and navigate the Code.org website.PLEASE NOTE: Pay extra attention to creating your account putting your FIRST and LAST names in the appropriate fields. Not properly supplying that information makes tracking your progress difficult and may result in NO CREDIT for the assignment. When you log in after starting your account, use your email address or your user name (which is your FIRST_LAST name. Note the underscore between names) and the password you set.
   
4. If you are unsure at all about who your AA is, look at the bottom of the site navigation on the left OR go to your grades and the top item is Group and the ‘grade’ is the name of your AA. Now click on your AA’s name to join his/her section of Code.org. NOTE: If you do not create your account using one of these links, your AA will NOT be able to monitor your progress which means you will get a zero of the assignment.
   

   Gary Lewallen

   Jinnette Senecal

   Christopher Sheehan

   Paul Skiera

   Kyle Wright

5. Complete the Classic Maze and Star Wars activities in the Hour of Code section. This will give you a basic overview of how coding works.
6. When you complete a section you will have the opportunity to create a PDF certificate. That is a personal choice; there is nothing to turn in for this part of the assignment. Your AA and I have access to a report showing which puzzles you completed and those you skipped or gave up on completing. No matter if you completed a puzzle on the first attempt or the 5th, you get one point for every puzzle you complete and there are 35 total.
7. Once you have finished these two activities, you are going to BLOG about the experience in your Weebly portfolio. In your BLOG, please respond to the following questions in a coherent PARAGRAPH form (no bulleted lists):
   • Did you have any previous programming experiences before completing Stages 1 & 2? Explain
   • Do you think computer program/coding is an important skill for children to learn?
   • What was one statement or comment from the Code Stars video that stuck out to you? Why?
   • What are you overall thoughts on this topic?
8. EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: The Star Wars Hour of Code concludes with you creating your own game as do several other Hour of Code courses such as Minecraft and Flappy Code. This game is SHAREABLE with computers and mobile devices via a URL generated when you finish it. To earn up to 15 points in extra credit create your own game and post the link to it on the Discussion Board.
9. OPTIONAL: If you are a Teachers College student going into Education, I strongly encourage you to explore the other courses on Code.org geared towards K-12 students. I also encourage everyone, if you are interested in learning more about coding, please see the additional resources below.

NOTE: The AAs and I have access to your progress on Code.org consequently you will not submit anything through Blackboard for this assignment (but you will do a discussion board post on Blackboard if you choose to do the optional extra credit).

 Below is a list that includes information for further developing your programming skills:

• Code.org
• Harvard’s Free CS50x programming course
• Berkley’s Beauty and Joy of Computing Course

  For this module, you will be creating your EMERGING TECHNOLOGY BLOG page.

 Helpful reminders:

1. Check your grades weekly. Please let me know if you have any questions.
2. Technology Lab in Payne 213  – Just a reminder that you can go get technology help in Payne 213 on the Tempe campus or communicate with them electronically. You can also check out equipment, practice with Smartboards, work on group projects, and get help on assignments.
3. ASU Counseling Service is available to help you with anything you might need – no matter how small or large (notations of counseling are not part of your university record)
4. ASU Ethics and Compliance Hotline – The purpose of the hotline is to promote a safe, secure and ethical environment for all students, faculty, staff and guests of the University