P.S.
I vaguely recall that someone did an Etoy model of the Antikythera ... (might
be findable on the web somewhere)
Going a little deeper, it would be good for children to think about: Computing
is inventing a kind of machine that can
carry and manipulate representations of ideas.The machine can be made from
physical or symbolic
materials.
For example, the abacus -- which vastly predates the Antikythera -- is also a
computing machine. And so is Algebra ...
Cheers,
Alan
>________________________________
> From: Steve Thomas <[email protected]>
>To: squeakland <[email protected]>; iaep <[email protected]>
>Sent: Friday, July 6, 2012 2:22 PM
>Subject: [IAEP] Has anyone build a set of gears in Etoys or any other freely
>available program?
>
>
>I got I asked my class to play LightBot and then asked them:
>"How this is like and not like "programming"
>
>This lead into one kids responding its like "mabey small motors and gears"
>(wish I knew what was going on in her mind, I'll ask in the next class)
>
>
>So I responded:
>I was on the Battleship NJ (commissioned in 1943). They had a "computer" on
>board to calculate the angle and direction of the big guns and could hit a
>target miles away within a few yards!!! Pretty impressive when you have to
>consider they had to take into account the ships speed and direction, wind
>speed, waves and the recoil from the guns firing. The whole "computer" was
>built using gears which controlled BIG motors to move the gun.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Here's a pop quiz (you will be graded on this and it will go on your
>>PERMANENT record :)
>>What is the oldest computer we know about?
>>
>>I then asked them to think about and email me an answer to:
>What is a computer?
>I then added the caveat, non-biological computer, as a bunch came back with
>the answer "the brain".
>
>
>I found a nice video on a Lego version of the oldest know computer here.
>
>
>So I want to get them to try and build some adding machines (and I will see if
>we can find enough lego parts amonst us to do that as it would be best), but
>in case I can't, and just for fun.
>
>
>Has anyone build a set of gears in Etoys or any other freely available program?
>
>
>Thanks,
>Stephen
>_______________________________________________
>IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>[email protected]
>http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>
>
_______________________________________________
IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
[email protected]
http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
