Code You Can Touch using laser cutter or vinyl cutter

 In this post I continue to advocate for creating using Code You Can Touch.  

In the previous post, we used Makey Makey and Scratch to make physical objects interactive by adding the ability to generate fun sounds when you interact with them.

In the next few posts, we will actually CREATE a design using ALGORITHMS and then use MAKER tools such as laser cutters, vinyl cutters, or 3D printers to MAKE a product that uses the design that we CODED. 

Let's start with  coding designs that you can use with cutting tools.  I happen to have a Cricut Maker and a Glowforge laser cutter in my maker-space, but you can use this workflow with any maker tool that imports SVG (vector files).  In the next post, we'll play with 3D printers.

Imagine wearing earrings that you created with code or sporting a shirt or some jeans that have a design that you created with code.  Could your night light include a design you created with code.  The possibilities are endless. 

But first let's  briefly examine WHY you would want to to CODE a DESIGN instead of draw one or download one from ETSY. 

Of course, one reason is to develop skills in computational thinking.  Others might find this approach an introduction to computer science or learning to code.  Each of these are different but related and all value the transferable skill of creating and understanding algorithms.  This brief video from Digital Promise does a great job describing the importance of computational thinking in our computational world.

I would also consider creating physical objects with code to be an inclusive pedagogical strategy.  Digital Promise describes inclusive pedagogy as  

"engaging all learners in computing, connecting applications to students’ interests and experiences, and providing opportunities to acknowledge, and combat biases and stereotypes within the computing field."

If we want to change the Dave to Girl Ratio we must create opportunities for under-represented populations to create confidence and interest in tech and computer science.  Creating beautiful and colorful objects that you can 'touch and feel' is one way to engage a broader audience with computer science.

The Cricut Maker was a popular choice during TechSavvy Girls Camp 2018

I would not advocate that Coding a Design is the only way  (or best way) to produce artifacts with maker tools.  It's just ONE way.  But it does provide a way that engages students in the learning process with HARD FUN. 

Engaging students with fun does not have to be 'make it easy".  Seymour Papert dedicated his career to creating environments that included hard fun.  

Once I was alerted to the concept of "hard fun" I began listening for it and heard it over and over. It is expressed in many different ways, all of which all boil down to the conclusion that everyone likes hard challenging things to do. But they have to be the right things matched to the individual and to the culture of the times. These rapidly changing times challenge educators to find areas of work that are hard in the right way: they must connect with the kids and also with the areas of knowledge, skills and (don't let us forget) ethic adults will need for the future world.   ~ Seymour Papert

Learning through Hard Fun while coding, creating and making is a great way to help students develop the growth mindset that can change the way they learn across all content areas. Carol Dweck and Jo Boaler offer some concrete research on this topic in this article. 

For additional research on Hard Fun, check out Nicole Lazzaro's  model Four Keys to Fun.  

In the workflow of CREATING  Code You Can Touch outlined below, students spend some time EXPLORING some FUN tools.  We start with a LOW FLOOR tool (like Scratch) which can quickly have students feeling CONFIDENT.  As students are MOTIVATED to  PRACTICE further we provide CHALLENGES which leads to OBSTACLES that can be overcome.  As MOTIVATION increases to further EXPLORE leads to new ORIGINAL DESIGNS leading to CREATIVE CONFIDENCE with CODE.   If this sounds a bit like game theory - it is!  The best games are HARD FUN.

Walking away with a Physical Artifact that you CODED is like giving birth to something that you will treasure and that object becomes a physical reminder of the GROWTH MINDSET and sense of MAKER EMPOWERMENT you gain during the process. 

Start by INSPIRING  students with some amazing examples from @CeMoCreates and @morrill_rob

Or why not create a few of your own examples to provide students some artifacts they can actually touch!

Although there are lots of great examples of ART created by CODE,  I would suggest starting with some unplugged activities to introduce your students to algorithms while moving and turning around a room using angles and degrees as units. 

To start CREATING CONFIDENCE with basic algorithms consider using SCRATCH by MIT and the PEN Extension

Consider printing out Challenge Cards like this for your students to explore.

Having students share and compare their code is a great way to look for patterns and understanding that there are more than one way to create similar designs.

Once your students feel confident with the PEN tool, 

let's start to develop an understanding ANGLES and  DEGREES 

Depending on the age of your students, you might use resources like this introduction  from MATH IS FUN  or this Khan Academy Lesson along with some unplugged activities where students move around the room or create dances using degrees and angles to describe movement. 

You might want to pass out some of these Printable Protractors(pdf)

Now its time for the students to explore using two different types of commands when creating their algorithms in SCRATCH 

Let's start by pointing the cat in a certain direction. 

Pointing your Sprite in a direction has very predictable results.

Once you feel confident with predicting what direction your sprite will move next using the POINT in DIRECTION block, it's time to start playing with the TURN DEGREES block.

Point in Direction Block

The blocks points the sprite in a specified direction and moves within 360 degree angle.

Example; pointing the cars  towards their destination.

Turn Degrees Block

These block turn the sprite in specified amount of degrees , it can be either clock wise or counter-clock wise. It can change the direction where the sprite is facing towards.

• Experiment with these two commands until you truly understand these.
• Try different numbers. 
• Use the protractors to predict what will happen.

This is a great time to introduce the GREEN FLAG event command and the ERASE ALL command.

Here are a couple of challenge cards you can use with your students.

Did you know that you can change the background in SCRATCH.
Try adding the X,Y coordinate grid background

Here's a new challenge card that for your students once they understand the coordinate grid.

By this time, your students should be prime to learn how to use LOOPS in their algorithms

I like to wait to introduce LOOPS until you actually NEED them to solve the problem of 'having too many tedious repetitious commands that seem to form a pattern".  This develops the computational thinking skills of pattern recognition.

Here's a great video to introduce the concept of using REPEAT (LOOPS) when drawing POLYGONS

Explore! How many degrees would you need to turn to create 

3 sided polygon?

8 sided polygon?

A circle?

Here are two more challenge cards you can try with your new skills.

Your new confidence with drawing polygons is about to get SO FUN!

How might we create some cool designs by arranging several polygons near each other?

Let's add a NEW Event "When M Key Pressed" that slightly moves the cat and gets it ready to draw another polygon from a slightly different perspective.

Then lets' use the EVENT "When S key pressed" to draw a Polygon.

Keep doing that over and over again and (count) the number of REPEATS you need.

How might adding a WAIT command help you understand what is happening?

Where would you want the drawing to pause to allow you to see EACH segment being drawn?

Notice that the commands that only happen ONCE at the beginning of the program are still under the green flag event. 

NOW for the Final Performance.
Can we MERGE all the pieces of code so that we

 NEST the two commands into ONE ADDITIONAL BIG REPEAT LOOP.

We'll use the number of REPEATS you kept track of manually.

See if you can explain what's happening in the code above. 

Now see if you can create your own original designs
using different polygons and different values for the TURNS.

Here is a challenge card you can use. 

I like to create STUDIOS in SCRATCH to collect student designs. 

Once you have a gallery of original designs that you coded to pick from,
 it's time to create your physical artifact.  

You'll need to save your SCRATCH design.
I would suggest making sure the pen color is BLACK and the background is WHITE.
This provides a contrast that will lead to the best outcome.
You'll need to delete or hide the BACKGROUND if you used the XY Grid.

To save your design, RIGHT CLICK on your design and SAVE. 

Once you have the DESIGN saved as a PNG on your computer
you can IMPORT it into an SVG FILE CONVERTER like www.picsvg.com

You'll get different results depending on the filters you use.
You might not get the EXACT replica of your design, but I know it will be a fun and beautiful design that you will feel proud to have coded. 

Your final step is to Download your SVG file and

Import it into your favorite MAKER Tools to MAKE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL to YOU! 

Will you add your design to a T-shirt with IRON ON Vinyl?

or LASER CUT some earrings?

or 3D print a keychain?

The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see what you CREATE. 

I'd love it if you would share your designs to this Scratch Studio

or share picture of the physical artifacts you made to this PADLET.