From tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu Thu Mar 13 00:58:14 2008 From: tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu (Tucker Balch) Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:58:14 -0400 Subject: [ipre-announce] IPRE announces availability of instructional robot platform Message-ID: <47D8B466.9060605@cc.gatech.edu> http://www.roboteducation.org Dear Colleague, We're pleased to let you know that the robot platform we developed for CS-1 instruction is now available for purchase. The $149.95 platform includes a Parallax Scribbler robot, with an add on board developed at Georgia Tech. The complete diff-drive robot then includes: a color camera, bluetooth connectivity, a speaker, light sensors, and line sensors. The robot can be controlled and programmed from a PC in Python using the Myro package developed at Bryn Mawr (included with the robot). It is all part of our new curriculum for CS-1 centered on a robot context. The new textbook is also available online at our website. best regards, Tucker -- Tucker Balch, Associate Professor, Interactive Computing Director, Institute for Personal Robots in Education Georgia Institute of Technology phone: +1 404 385-2861 phax: +1 404 601-3185 http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~tucker From tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu Fri Mar 14 13:31:49 2008 From: tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu (Tucker Balch) Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:31:49 -0400 Subject: [ipre-announce] Summer Workshops for Faculty: Robots for Intro CS Message-ID: <47DAB685.6040202@cc.gatech.edu> Please share with colleagues who may be interested. We welcome university instructors, professors, high school teachers and home school teachers who are interested to try robots as a context for teaching introductory Computer Science. ------ http://www.roboteducation.org IPRE Summer Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop at Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia June 11, 12, 13 at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, July 7, 8, 9 Synopsis: The Institute for Personal Robots in Education is pleased to offer two workshops this summer for instructors interested in using robots as a context for CS education. In this workshop we will introduce you to a fresh approach to CS1 that uses personal robots. You will be provided with a personal robot kit and curricular materials and receive hands on training on how to teach CS1 with personal robots. The robots are programmed using Python. No prior knowledge of Python will be essential for attending this workshop. You will have an opportunity to become an integral member of the IPRE community that is actively developing this approach of teaching CS1. Audience: We encourage participation from instructors and professors who teach introductory computer science at the undergraduate level; we also welcome high school teachers. Costs: The registration fee is $30. IPRE is able to provide each participant with lodging, meals, and a scribbler robot kit to keep. We may be able to offer additional travel support to some participants. Please indicate your need for travel support on the reservation form. -- Tucker Balch, Associate Professor, Interactive Computing Director, Institute for Personal Robots in Education Georgia Institute of Technology phone: +1 404 385-2861 phax: +1 404 601-3185 http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~tucker From tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu Tue Mar 25 12:11:46 2008 From: tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu (Tucker Balch) Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:11:46 -0400 Subject: [ipre-announce] $10K awards available Message-ID: <47E92442.5040706@cc.gatech.edu> Dear Colleagues, Please share this announcement with those who may be interested in testing robots in the classroom. Thanks! Tucker Balch & Doug Blank Institute for Personal Robots in Education http://www.roboteducation.org ----------- Robots in the Classroom for Introductory CS Call for Proposals The Institute for Personal Robots in Education is pleased to announce an opportunity for professors, instructors and teachers of introductory Computer Science courses. This program is centered on an effort to deploy and assess the effectiveness of personal robots as a context for teaching introductory Computer Science. IPRE has developed robot hardware, currcula, a textbook, and software for classroom use: see http://www.roboteducation.org We expect to provide at least 10 gifts of $10K plus robot hardware (up to 20 robots) to proposers in support the establishment of trial curricula. It is expected that the funds would be used to support preparation for teaching using robots including: summer salary support, TA support, equipment or travel. Awards up to $20K are possible, provided there is sufficient justification. Funds may be used at the PI's discretion and there are no contractual deliverables. Award letters will stipulate that awards are not subject to overhead. Awardees will also be eligible for additional travel support to attend or lead workshops and to present research related to their curricular efforts. Awardees should plan to use IPRE developed assessment instruments (i.e. surveys of student attitudes) in their courses. IPRE will provide assistance and support in the administration of these assessments. Awardees should also contribute to the community, for instance by publishing research results and by sharing curricular ideas or other items such as example project assignments on the IPRE website. We anticipate awardees to begin teaching using these approaches in the the 2008-2009 academic year. The results of assessments and reports on progress should be provided as they become available, but at least twice during the 2008-2009 academic year. Proposal Content and Assessment: Please consult the proposal template available here: http://www.roboteducation.org/cfps We expect most awards to support a plan for testing robots using IPRE's existing suite of tools. However novel projects are also welcome. Example topics for novel projects include, but are not limited to: o Adding support for additional programming languages such as C#, Java, Occam, or C++. o Novel assignments for students. o Firmware that extends the capabilities of IPRE hardware. o Application of IPRE robots or curricula to new audiences such as K-12 or upper division undergraduate courses. The proposal should include a description of the proposer's experience in teaching the relevant subject matter; a description of how the proposer expects to use robots in the classroom, and a summary of how the provided funds might be expended. If the proposal is for a grant larger than $10K, sufficient justification should be provided. Proposals will be evaluated partly on the basis of the proposer's record of quality or innovation in teaching introductory computer science. This may be established by publications, innovative curricular materials, or both. Proposals from the broad community are welcome: We seek balance and diversity among public and private institutions, class size, and student background. With the exception of supporting materials, proposals are not expected to exceed 3 pages in length. Period of Award and Participation: Awardees will be announced in April 2008, with funds provided by June 2008. Deadline: Proposals should be sent by email in PDF format to tucker at cc.gatech.edu no later than April 15, 2008. Please use the subject line "IPRE CFP" in your message. The call will remain open after that date, but only those proposals arrive by the deadline are guaranteed to be reviewed. IPRE (the Institute for Personal Robots in Education), founded in July 2006 and hosted at Georgia Tech with Bryn Mawr College, is a research project funded by Microsoft Research, Georgia Tech and Bryn Mawr College. This particular opportunity is provided by IPRE thanks to a gift from Microsoft Research. From tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu Thu May 29 14:30:01 2008 From: tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu (Tucker Balch) Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:01 -0400 Subject: [ipre-announce] 5 seats remain open for IPRE Workshop in Atlanta July 7-9 Message-ID: <483EF629.9070107@cc.gatech.edu> Dear all, We still have 5 seats open for our July 7-9 workshop on using personal robots for introductory CS education. Attendees will receive a robot kit to take with them. There is also some funding available to support hotel costs. Information on the content of the workshop is available here: http://wiki.roboteducation.org/Summer_Workshops_2008 If you are interested, please register ASAP: ---Registration: Please visit this website to confirm your spot for the workshop: http://www.regonline.com/ipre-2 . There is a $25 fee (we'll use these funds for a group activity on July 7). We ask that you confirm soon. ---Hotel: Please reserve a room for July 7-9 at the Georgia Tech Hotel, 800-706-BUZZ (2899). Ask for the "College of Computing room block for July 7-9." The Georgia Tech rate is $141 per night. We are able to reimburse Georgia Tech Hotel costs for those who request lodging support during registration. Please request support only if you need it (our funds are limited). ---Transportation: We have applied for a grant from NSF to support transportation for workshop participants. If this is successful we'll be able to help with your transportation costs as well. We'll keep you posted. ---Food: We will provide all meals during the workshop. If you have special needs, let us know (on the registration site). ---Questions? Let me know. Tucker Balch From tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu Mon Oct 20 17:22:57 2008 From: tucker.balch at cc.gatech.edu (Tucker Balch) Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:22:57 -0400 Subject: [ipre-announce] "Learning Computing with Robots" available at amazon.com Message-ID: <48FCF6B1.1030105@cc.gatech.edu> www.roboteducation.org Dear all, I'm pleased to announce that our text for Computer Science 1 using robots as a context is available on amazon.com at $15.95 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1607028832 The text is edited by Deepak Kumar of Bryn Mawr, with multiple IPRE contributors. The text is sold at cost +$1 that goes to IPRE. Tucker -- Tucker Balch, Associate Professor, Interactive Computing Co-Director, Institute for Personal Robots in Education Georgia Institute of Technology phone: +1 404 385-2861 http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~tucker