McMaster Computing and Software (@MacCASOutreach) is running Software: Tool for Change workshops for local schools in May and June. Workshop lengths range from all-day workshops to 20 minute workshops.

Contact anandc@mcmaster.ca if you would like your school to participate, or would like to arrange a school visit.

Example workshop

Our first workshop was held at Parkway Public School on May 5th with Grade 7 and 8 students in the Enrichment Program! They were introduced to the functional programming language ELM where they created shapes with colours and eventually animations of a heart and beyond. The students also beta tested our teaching apps; Image 2 Bits, which was developed to teach the concept of binary bits using simple user created images, a graph based text adventure game designer, as well as a coconut cracking game, designed to introduce students to the most efficient search strategy.

Image 2 Bits

Our first outreach iPad app, Image 2 Bits, is also available for download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/image-2-bits/id967807383?ls=1&mt=8

Image 2 Bits teaches binary encoding using black and white images.

Coded images are shared with classmates wirelessly even if you do not have access to a network, and after decoding images, children can like them and then keep them in their picture gallery. Likes appear on the creator’s screen while they are decoding others’ images.

Basic help screens explain how everything in our digital world depends on binary encoding, and interactively demonstrates one method of decoding.

Bonus screens demonstrate addition and multiplication of binary numbers.

If you share iPads in your class, there is a restart button to enable a second child to create and share their own picture.

Troubleshooting: To enable sharing, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi should be turned on, but, for the unlikely case that an iPad will not talk to its peers, there are a few coded images built in.

Privacy: names, titles and images are transmitted to neighbouring iPads and may be intercepted by other network users. Quit the app to erase all stored information.

Screenshots