STEM Programming Ideas at the Library.pdf

STEM Programming Ideas
at the Library
BRIAN PICHMAN | Evolve Project

What Code Should I Learn?
Welcome
With all the latest gadgets, gizmos, and everything in between, what are the latest programming ideas within library spaces? How can we use AI in
different ways to engage our community? What about low costs or low-tech opportunities? Join Brian Pichman of the Evolve Project as he highlights
some awesome programming ideas that you can implement within your library spaces! Bring in more patrons, build more collaboration, and improve
your community outreach with some out-of-the-box STEM activities that really get your creative minds flowing.

How Do We Expand Services?
• Extending Physical Services
• Leverage Online Learning Tools
• Virtual Services
• Changing Landscapes

Extending Physical Services
• Checking Out Materials
• Maker Bags to Go
• Virtual Hangouts
• Sending 3D Prints To Library

Checking Out Materials
• Circulate Items – there are suggested guidelines to follow:
• Ozobot: https://ozobot.com/blog/covid-19-and-your-classroom-how-to-clean-
your-bots-and-keep-the-coding-going
• Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172
• Mobile Hotspots?
• E-rate funding available

Make And Take Kits:
• Check out BrownDogGadgets.com

Griddly Games
• https://www.griddlygames.com/

Squishy Circuits
https://squishycircuits.com/collections/kits

STEM Programming Ideas at the Library.pdf

Fully Engage An Audience (Extreme Level)
Source: https://www.upwvirtual.com/upw

Leverage Online Learning
• Canvas – Free on their site (or self host your own for free)
• Moodle – Host your own Moodle Site for free (need server space)

Course Ideas
• Teach Programming
• Have people code a game and share the link using Scratch
• Teach Robotics
• Video them building using a robotics kit

Virtual Services
We’ve been using AR/VR for a while now

Edu Tech Activities
• Which products do you have that you want to make into a virtual
program?
• What’s easy to wipe down, distribute, and set up?
• What’s low cost and can be done as a make and take activity?

Helpful Links for Tech You May Have
• https://sphero.com/pages/learning-at-home
• https://ozobot.com/educate/1-1program
• https://www.makewonder.com/toolkits/
• https://the3doodler.com/products/create-learn-from-home

Changing Landscapes – Digital Twins / AI
• More reliance and leveraging an
AI or Digital Twins – from
support, shopping, and home
interactions

Scratch
Games | Animations | Story Telling

Getting Started
• Remixed Template
• Pong: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/461613269
• Story Telling: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/461833045/

Resources
• https://day.scratch.mit.edu/static/files/resources/ScratchDayActivityId
eas.b0b4cb0d49e5.pdf
• List of Tutorials:
• https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/editor/?tutorial=all

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• SafeTo Fail
Environment
• GatewaysTo
New Ideas
• Provide New
Tools and
Resources
• The Next Big
Entrepreneurial
Startup
• In school, your
younger patrons
are not given
opportunities to
learn by failure
or
experimentation
• You can spark
interest into fields
such as engineering,
programming,
business
development…and
more
• Libraries are
about providing
access.These
tools are not
always easily
accessible for our
patrons.
• What if your
library helped
launch the next
big super star in
the competitive
tech community?
WHY HAVE THIS “STUFF”?

Bee Bots
MSRP: $89.95
Learn how to code without a computer.
Either using tactile squares or pressing the
buttons on the bot, program your robot to
move.
https://www.terrapinlogo.com/beebot.html

Blue-Bot
MSRP: $120
Code a robot with tiles

OZOBOT
MSRP
Learn how to program by drawing
https://ozobot.com/

Resources
• https://ozobot.com/stem-education their main education page
• https://portal.ozobot.com/lessons the lesson page
• Teachers Guide:
• https://files.ozobot.com/stem-education/ozobot-teachers-guide.pdf

Itty Bitty Buggy
MSRP: $59.99
The Itty Bitty Buggy kit comes with a base
Buggy plus four opportunities to build a
sloth, a ladybug, a dodo bird and an alien.
Learn to code, have your robot detect light,
lines, voice control, color, and more.
https://microduinoinc.com/itty-bitty-buggy/
https://idealab.microduinoinc.com/asset

Finch
MSRP: $140
The Finch was designed to allow students to
write richly interactive programs. On-board
features include:
Light, temperature, and obstacle sensors,
Accelerometers, Motors, Buzzer, Full-color
beak LED, Pen mount for drawing capability.
https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/finch/
US Educators – borrow a Finch for free
for 2 months! TRY A DEMO

Resources
• Loan Program:
• https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/finch-robot-loan-program/
• Curriculum Guides
• https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/finch/curriculum/scratch/

PiTop
MSRP: ~400
Advance coding robotics kit with
curriculum that guides you through
builds and coding
https://www.pi-top.com/education?hsLang=en

Phase Dock
Makes prototyping and lending of electronics
projects easier and more beautiful

Zumi
MSRP: $180
Zumi is the first educational self-driving car
kit that teaches artificial intelligence (AI) to
everyone, from beginner programmers to
robot enthusiasts. Build Zumi from the
ground-up to see how a self-driving car works
from the inside-out, then code in Blockly or
Python. This is the perfect way to hone your
coding skills.

CoDrone
Learn to program a drone with automatous
flying

More Screen Free Programming Tools

Thinkfun – Robot Turtles and Code Master

Hello Ruby: Adventures
in Coding

Cubetto
https://www.primotoys.com/

Incorporating Ideas Into Spaces
• Things to keep in mind:
• Don’t need to buy large kits – start off small and see what your patrons like
• Storage can be as easy as a clear bin – but you want to show case what you have
• Don’t hide the resources from your community, have staff using it, show its accessible.

Evolve Project | Brian Pichman
60
The importance of coding is everywhere
Why Code?
• Can help teach troubleshooting in a more
meaningful way
• Make a “computer” do what you want it
to do
• Job market opportunities
• Build something useful and start a
business
• Most of todays technological
advancements are through the use of
code
• Automation of repetitive tasks or
procedures

61
A set of commands that a computer can understand
So What Is Coding?
Coding is involved in almost every aspect of our lives. From posting on Facebook, to your smart phones, to games, to websites, to this very
webinar. Coding makes things happen, and they are simply instructions to make the “magic” happen.
Think of coding for computer programs as writing down the steps needed to do something.

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How Do Computers Work
Coding is made up of three things
Algorithm
An ordered set of steps to solve a
problem (not always a mathematical
problem)
Process
A series of actions/steps to
achieve an end result
(do THIS to get THAT)
Procedure
A series of actions performed in a specific order.
(Follow these STEPS to get THAT)

Peanut Butter and Jelly
Describe in “Natural Language” how to make a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich

64
To Get You Started
Resources
Codecademy is an online interactive platform that offers free
coding classes in 12 different programming languages
including Python, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, SQL, and Sass, as well
as markup languages HTML and CSS
The Open Education Consortium (OEC) is a non-profit,
global, members-based network of open education
institutions and organizations. OEC represents its members
and provides advocacy and leadership around
advancement of open education globally.

65
To Get You Started
Resources
Coursera is an online learning platform founded by Stanford
professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller that offers *free*
courses, specializations, and degrees.
Code Avengers is an online education company based out
of Hamilton, NZ and founded in 2012 by Dr Michael
Walmsley (PhD computer-assisted learning). It is
subscription based and is made to make coding fun and
engaging.

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To Get You Started
Resources
CoderDojo is a global volunteer-led community of free
programming workshops for young people between 7 and 17.
The movement is a grassroots organization with individual
clubs acting independently.
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization
created in 2008 by Salman Khan with the goal of creating a
set of online tools that help educate students. The
organization produces short lessons in the form of
YouTube videos. Its website also includes supplementary
practice exercises and materials for educators

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So Many Options!

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To Get You Started
There are even great apps
GetHopscotch.com – an app that teaches coding through
building games. Make your own Pokemon Go game, frogger,
and more.
LightBot is an app that teaches programming concepts
through solving puzzles.

69
Some Other Coding Resources
Code.org:
• Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in
schools and incr easing par tic ipation by w omen and under repr esented minorities.
Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn
computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org provides the
leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the
United S tates and Code.org also organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign
which has engaged 10% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by
generous donors including Amazon, Facebook, Google, the Infosys Foundation,
Microsoft, and many more.
• S cratch helps children create stories, games, animations, and also lets them share
these projects with others around the world. More info at http://scratch.mit.edu/.
• www.kodable.com gives children opportunities to program in order to solve puzzles.
Looking for inspiration: https://medium.freecodecamp.org/successfully-teaching-
yourself-how-to-code-f6aac23db44a

70
What is a programming language?
A programming language is set of rules that provide a way of telling a computer:
What operations to perform
Communicating an algorithm
Receives an input from the user and generates an output.
A programming language is a system for describing a computation (math) or algorithms (logic) in a machine-readable
and human-readable form.
Has words, symbols, and grammatical rules (natural language)
Grammatical rules = Syntax
Each language has a different set of syntax rules
Has semantics (meaning)

71
Few Basic Programming Terms
Coding Basics
Variables and Arrays Operators Flow Control Functions

72
A variable is a bucket that holds one piece of information. A variable
can change value when
• Specific conditions are met
• Based on user input
Variables & Arrays
Coding Basics
Examples (concept)
$string_myhomelibrary = “Montgomery
Library”;
$numeric_variable= 100;
$myname = “Brian”;

73
An array is a type of variable (or bucket) that holds many pieces of
information.
Variables and Arrays
Coding Basics
Example (language doesn’t matter here; the concept does):
$FavoriteCities = array(“Orlando”, “Boulder”, “Miami”)
$FavoriteCities[0] holds “Orlando”
$FavoriteCities [1] holds “Boulder”
$States = array(“1” => “Prime”; “FL”=> “Florida”, “CO” => “Colorado”)
$States[“FL”] holds “Florida”

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• Arithmetic
• +, -, *, / (add, subtract, multiply, divide)
• Assignment
• = (assign the value of 2 to the variable called v)
• $v = 2;
• += (“Add the value of 3 to the variable that
already holds 1”)
• $v += 3; // $a now holds 5
Operators
Coding Basics

75
Flow Control – Readable Programming Languages
Coding Basics
Sequence
Reads like a book, the instructions are executed
in the same order they where given.
OPEN the door
WALK inside the room
SIT on a chair
PICKUP a book
READ the book.
Choice
With choice, instructions are executed based on
variables, commands, outputs, etc.
Continual
With continual, instructions are executed based
on variables, commands, outputs, etc … as they
remain true

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Flow Control – Readable Programming Languages
Coding Basics
Sequence
OPEN the door
WALK inside the room
SIT on a chair
PICKUP a book
READ the book.
Choice
If Then
if (something is true/conditions are met) {
then do this
}
If Then Else
Else: XYZ
Starts the same as “If Then” but allows a
result if condition is false
Else If
if (something is true/conditions are met) {
then do this
} elseif (another something is
true/conditions are met) {
then do this instead
}
Continual
While (or repeat)
while (something is true) {
do something here
}
for
for (something is true) {
do something here
}

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Putting Flow Control Together
1) Sequence
Go to the library
Check out a book
Read the book
Return the book
2) Choice
If you have a library card, you can check out books.
Otherwise open a library card account.
3) Repeat
Continue to read the book till there are no more pages.

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A function is type of procedure or routine
• A function usually returns a value
• A procedure preforms an operation but typically doesn’t provide a
value
Most languages have pre-built or pre-defined functions in its library.
• For instance, the “delete” function means to “remove”. You don’t
have to code what “remove” does; only what to remove.
Functions
Coding Basics

What could you “code” for
79
Coding Platforms
With coding websites and web
apps; there are front end (what
users see) and back end (what
admins see) that have to be
considered
Websites and Web
Apps
Web Based
You may not realize it, but the
servers and databases that run
the things you use every day
also has a level of coding
involved
Infrastructure
Databases / Servers
As more new technology for
self-driving cars and digital
assistants grows, there will be a
need for these kinds of
engineers
The Hottest Trend
Machine Learning / AI
Often referred to as “thick”
clients, applications that can be
installed are coded – and each
different operating systems
requires different code
Software
Applications

What could you “code” for
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Coding Platforms
Video Gaming
Video games is much more
than great graphics, every
character interaction, move,
and story has to be coded
Make Games Work
Apps that run on mobile
devices need specialized coders
as well!
There’s an app for that
Mobile Apps

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Flash Light Examples
Understanding AI
If an ML algorithm makes an
inaccurate prediction, then the
engineer needs to correct. In DL,
the algorithms can determine on
their own if a prediction is accurate
or not.
Deep Learning
Allow machines to make to
their own accurate decisions
without intervention from
engineer
Neural Networks
If detects {dark} turn on {light}
Logic Rules
it’s performing a function with the
data given and gets progressively
better at that function
Machine Learning
Eventually, the system can
turn on the light with other
queues such as “I can’t see”
DL “Code”
Flashlight will turn on
automatically as it learns other
words for “dark” picking up on
phrases that contains the word
ML “Code”:

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Coding for Websites

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Create AI Art – Lensa App

85
There are many ways to program
Requirements
Getting Started
If you’re programming, you’ll need a spot to “host” your code. If its web facing, you could
use sites like Blue Host or Google Cloud computing. For internal applications, you can set
up a “LAMP” stack, and often be able to host everything off a single computer. Lastly,
you’ll need to run software to actually code
There are are also different ways to code:
These would be often hardware specific applications that allow the
creation or customization of physical hardware, drivers, or firmware.
Machine Languages
Operating Systems like Mac, Windows, and Linux can be given commands
to do things. Job Control, Shell Scripting, Text Processing
Scripting
Use a computer screen to do most of the coding for you. For example, you don’t
need to code the dimensions of a “text box” just put one in and resize it to what you
need
GUI – Graphical User Interface

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Software to code: Microsoft Visual Studio

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Software to code: Dreamweaver

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Software to code: Notepad++

Source: https://www.udemy.com/

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No Coding Tools
Luka!
The company's core product, Luka, empowers education
with artificial intelligence technologies, such as computer
vision and natural language interaction, and realizes multisensory
and multi-modal interaction with functions as
point and read, follow reading

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Tonies
• The Toniebox is a screen-free
digital listening device that plays
stories, songs and more

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Flycatcher Smart Sketcher 2.0

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SquareOff

98

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Feel free to reach out!
Questions / Contacts
815-534-0403
www.evolveproject.org
bpichman@evolveproject.org
Twitter: @bpichman
linkedin.com/in/bpichman
slideshare.net/bpichman

STEM Programming Ideas at the Library.pdf

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STEM Programming Ideas at the Library.pdf