1. Powerful Ideas Constructivist Educational Techniques in Computer Programming Instruction Using MswLOGO © Copyright 2002, Tony Gauvin, UMFK

2. Introduction Tony Gauvin, Instructor of Computer Applications, UMFK Developed an Interest in MswLOGO as a tool for exploration of advanced Computer Science Topics while a Graduate Student at UM Based on Draft copy of Discrete Logo written by Dr. George Markowsky, Chair, Computer Science Department, UM

3. What Is LOGO Logo is both an educational Philosophy and a programming language based on Constructivism Constructivism views knowledge as being created by learners in their own minds through interaction with other people and the world around them. This theory is most closely associated with Jean Piaget, the Swiss psychologist, who spent decades studying and documenting the learning processes of young children.

4. A Brief History of LOGO Seymour Papert and Marvin Minsky co-founded MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab in mid ’60s Seymour Papert Marvin Minsky Papert and others developed the LOGO programming language in 1967 In 1980 Papert published Mindstorms

5. LOGO Basics Turtle(s) moving in a world controlled by the user Turtle(s) act on and react to the World controlled by the User The only data structure is a list (LISP heritage) Commands are simple and intuitive “low threshold and NO ceiling”

6. LOGO Today StarLogo Massively Parallel Developed by Mitchel Resnick at MITMitchel Resnick Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds UCBLogo Unix, msDos, Mac Brian Harvey at UC at Berkeley Brian Harvey Computer Science Logo Style

7. LOGO Today MSWLogo Windows (GUI) version of UcbLOGO George Mills at Softronics, INC Has all the power of any windows programming Language Great tool for exploring Advanced Computer Topics

8. Today’s Topic Teaching programming concepts using MswLogo Two goals Using Iterative Constructs in Geometric Constructions Using recursion In Geomotric Constructions Methods of Instruction The audience experience is Totally Hands On Using Constructivism Educational Philosophy

9. MSWLogo Primer

10. Turtle commands

11. Draw a square

12. Create the program for Drawing a square

13. Drawing a fern

14. Create the program for Drawing a Fern

15. A Way Cool Fractal Fern