Typing Practice

Start with typing:
https://shaunwegs.github.io/2024/focs/typing/index.html

Add your screenshot to your slide for today, and keep your typing log updated.

Review Terms

• Algorithm: a complete, well-defined sequence of steps for completing a task or solving a problem.

• Program: a sequence of instructions or steps, written in a language that can be understood by a computer, that will be used by the computer to complete a task or solve a problem.

• Control Flow: How we can control the order in which the instructions of a program are executed; the three simplest forms of Control Flow are sequence, iteration, and selection.

• Sequence: completing steps within a specific order to achieve a specific desired result

• Iteration: repeating a step, or series of steps, multiple times

• Selection: performing a specific step, or series of steps, only if a certain condition is met

What is BBP?

Block-Based Programming, or BPP, is often thought to be just for kids. You have probrably seen Scratch or Code.org's block-based environments. While these specific programming environments were designed to help children learn Computer Science, the idea of an environment where you don't write raw code isn't specifically for children. There are a variety of tools where you design without ever touching the code. 

We call this types of programming 'visual scripting', and these languages are called 'visual programming languages'; not all of them are block-based. Even engineers use some visual programming environments. We'll talk more about some of these sorts of tools later.

Why Snap?

As this is a fundamentals class, we play with a lot of tools throughout the year. If you don't like one of the the tools we're using, wait a month and we'll probably be doing something else. So, we are only going to spend part of our time in Snap!- we'll do sort of a quick crash course through how to use it, and how to implement control flow methods like sequence, iteration, and selection in Snap.

There are other tools too, but there are a few aspects that I like about Snap. For one, there's actually an online (and in-person) inexpensive annual conference for Snap that you could participate in if you wanted to, check it out www.snapcon.org/

Conferences are an important part of many careers and fields, and its something many students don't get to participate in. When they are available to you, you should consider them, as its something that could help you stand out from your peers when applying for university or career opportunities.

Here's a few screengrab from previous conference sessions, 2024 on the left, and one from 2020 on the right.

What to Submit

After following aloing with the video, add a screenshot that shows both your 'code' and the canvas. 

Add this screenshot for your slide today, then go a bit further.

And then...

Experiment, add your own types of flowers, or decide not to even do flowers at all. Do something else. Make weird repeating shapes of chess pieces or your favorite food, or whatever. Use the techniques shown in the video to create something interesting. Screenshot your result, showing both your 'code' and the canvas, and add it to your slide today too.