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Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

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A page about self driving cars

Starter – video about the DARPA self driving car challenge.

Research based lesson, including:

Potential benefits

Potential drawbacks

Implications for laws and society.

http://www.recode.net/2016/10/5/13167364/google-self-driving-cars-2-million-miles

Optical Characters is a technology that lets you convert different type of documents, such as a scanned printer documents, PDF files or images captured/taken by digital camera into editable and searchable. It is widely used for passports, bank statements, invoices, business cards, computerised receipt.

Advantages

• Cheaper than paying someone or a business to pay to manually enter large amounts of text for you.
• It’s generally faster than someone else manually entering all of the text.
• The latest software of Optical Character Reader can recreate tables and original layout.

Disadvantages

• Not 100% accurate, there are likely to be some mistakes made during the process.
• All documents need to be checked over carefully and then manually corrected.
• If the original documents is of poor quality or the handwriting may be difficult to read, more mistakes will occur.
• Not worth doing it for small amounts of text.

 Alternatives

The alternatives to an OCR or Optical Character Reader you can use your hand and hand write all of the text out, this will leave not as much mistakes as the actual software. People will usually use OCR if they have a lot of information to copy out, if not they will usually hand write it out.

What it is

A barcode reader or barcode scanner is an electronic device that reads printed barcodes to a computer, by translating optical impulses into electrical ones. It consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor.

Uses

They are used commercially in supermarkets for scanning items at the checkout. Other uses include for healthcare and in factories.

Advantages

• Reduces the chance of human error as all the employee has to do is scan an object’s barcode to get the information they need.
• They help keep track of inventory.
• They save time as simply scanning items is quicker than typing the information by hand.

Disadvantages

• They can break down, just like computers which would leave you without for doing inventory checks.
• They cost money – from £50 up to a few hundred pounds, but you get what you pay for.

Alternatives

QR code readers could be an alternative.

Max Newiss and Lloyd Thompson

A tracker ball is computer cursor control device. The user can roll the ball to navigate around the screen.

The uses are:

• Controls the movement of a pointer on the screen.

Advantages are:

• They are ergonomic which makes them more comfortable to use.
• For people with wrist or forearm problems who can’t use a mouse.
• On smaller desk space.

Disadvantages are:

• Mainly moulded for right handed people.
• More expensive.

Alternatives are:

• Scroll wheel.
• Mouse.

A dot matrix is a type of printer that produces characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon to print closely spaced dots in the appropriate shape.

Advantages:

• They create carbon copies because the print head hits the paper with enough force that when carbonised paper is used the impact goes through to the second sheet.
• Low operating costs
• Will still work in harsh conditions such as factories or garages.

Disadvantages:

• No longer the cheapest printer
• Quality relatively poor and important documents are not suitable to give managers or customers
• Very slow- slowest out of all 3 printers
• Very noisy –you wouldn’t want this printing all day in the office

Alternatives:

These were the first type of printers to be used in schools or homes but nowadays they aren’t nearly as popular.

Instead of using these slow and noisy printers you could use laser printers to still print multiple pages.

Uses:

An input device consisting of a flat, pressure-sensitive pad which the user draws on or points at with a special stylus, to guide a pointer displayed on the screen. The graphics tablets are used to capture data or hand written signatures it can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper which is taped or secured to the tablet surface . Capturing data in this way, by tracing or entering the corners of liner poly-lines or shapes, its called digitizer. Graphics tablets are normally used by graphic designers to create their work; it can also be used by photographers to edit photos.

Advantages:

It’s portable which means it can be used in different places because it can be carried around in a bag; the weight is light in comparison to a laptop. Using a graphics tablet allows the person using it to create much more accurate drawing instead of using a mouse to create an image.

Disadvantages:

Not suitable for clicking and selecting menus, it is also much more expensive than a mouse. It can only be used for editing/creating images.

Alternatives:

A mouse could be alternative devices because it allows you draw an image in a piece of software. A keyboard could also be used because you can enter commands to edit a image.

What it is:

Plotters are a specialist kind of printer which are able to draw high quality images on very large pieces of paper (for example 3 foot wide, by 10 foot long).

Uses:

They’re used in architecture, engineering and map making to draw plans of buildings, diagrams of machines or large scale maps. They can also be used for many other similar tasks.

Advantages:

· Drawings are of the same quality as if an expert drew them

· Larger sizes of paper can be used unlike with most printers

Disadvantages:

· Plotters are slower than printers as each line is drawn separately

· They’re most expensive than printers

Alternatives:

· Printing

· Draw by hand

By 3ll!e and b3n

Video card

A video card connects to the motherboard of a computer system and generates output images to display. Video cards are also refereed to as graphic cards. Video cards include a processing unit, memory, a cooling mechanism

A sensor is a device that converts a real-world property (e.g. temperature) into data that a computer can process

Examples:

[WpProQuiz 1]

TBC

ICT Lounge

The ICT Lounge is a great site with lots of revision resources.

Click here to visit the site.

PIN Pad

What is it?

A PIN pad is a device which allows a debit/credit card owner to place their card into the device and enter the card’s PIN. Once the PIN is entered, money can be drawn from the account or be used to pay for items being purchased.

How does it work?

The card is placed into the PIN Pad which then accesses the card’s chip reader. Once the card has been accepted, the user enters their four-digit PIN. If the PIN is correct then money can be drawn from the account or pay for items being purchased.

Advantages:

• The time taken to pay is shortened as the exact amount needed is given
• Helps reduce robbery at tills as less money is in the till
• PIN numbers help prevent fraud involving lost and stolen cards

Disadvantages:

• Risk of others seeing the card’s PIN
• Those travelling in countries which don’t use Chip and PIN may have a problem accessing their money

Chip Reader

What it is?

Credit and Debit cards now include ‘Chip and PIN’ which include electrical connections the card makes with the reader. A chip reader is the actual place where you put your credit/debit card in order to pay for something.

How does it work?

When the card is swiped at the till, it picks up information from a microchip embedded within the card that can check if the PIN number you enter is correct. You can tell if a card is ‘Chip and Pin’ by looking for a small rectangle of gold contacts on its surface (this is what the chip reader is).

Advantages:

• PIN Pads have a special hardware and software security features to make sure your PIN is erased if someone tries to tamper with the devices
• You need both the chip and the PIN to make successful transactions in store

Disadvantages:

• Cards are easily cloned, and people can be careless when using their PIN

Jasmine Churms & Amy Davies

A printer which prints using powdered ink, called toner. Toner is fused onto paper by heat and pressure. They work through electronically charging a piece of paper with the digital images selected for printing.

Uses

• In workplaces
• Printing high quality
• Home printer

Advantages

• High quality printouts- better than ink jet or dot matrix printers
• Fast printouts- faster than ink jet or dot matrix printers
• Prints very quietly- quieter than ink jet or dot matrix printers
• Cost per page is low- cheaper than ink jet or dot matrix printers
• Much more efficient than ink jet printers- capable of producing several thousand prints from one toner cartridge

Disadvantages

• Most expensive printer to buy especially colour lasers
• Toner is more expensive than ink jet cartridges
• Expensive to repair- lots of complex equipment inside
• Fairly bulky- larger than ink jet printers
• Can’t use continuous or multi-part stationary to create carbon copies like you can with a dot-matrix printer
• They are more suited to printing text rather than graphics
• They tend to produce images that have a shiny, artificial look

Alternatives

• Ink jet printer
• Dot matrix printer

Challenge Interactive story

Bronze

Write a short interactive story with 3 screens and options to move between each screen

Silver

Your program should allow the users to enter either a full word or just the first letter for the location to go to

Gold

The program should validate the user’s input and ensure they only enter valid options.

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to Mr West. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Introduction

Welcome to the Turn the Worm Scratch 3 game tutorial. This game is easy to make and has very simple controls but it is quite addictive. I’m sure you’ll love it.

The object of the game is to dodge the purple lines and navigate your worm to the green dot which is the door the next level. Each level gets more and more difficult!

Demo Game

Have a go at a simple demo of the basic game that you are going to make!

Tutorial Video

Here is the tutorial video for you to follow.

YouTube blocked at school? Watch the Google Drive Version instead.

Worm Code

Here is the worm code if you need to it check your code as you follow along with the tutorial.

Moving Bar Code

Here is the code for the moving bar

Extension Challenges

If you have finished the tutorial video as want a few extra challenges, here are so ways you can improve your game:

• Add more levels
• Add power-up hearts
• Add sound effects / music to your video
• Keep track of the player’s score (time alive) and save it as a high score using cloud variables!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to Mr West. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

In this tutorial I show you how to create a working clock in MineCraft Education Edition using Blocks based coding. You can set the clock to display the In-game time or the real world time.

Video Tutorial

Here is the video tutorial for how to code a rainbow to appear in MineCraft Education Edition.

Tutorial

Rainbow Code Blocks

Here are the code blocks used to create the project.

In this video tutorial I show you how to code an erupting volcano use blocks based coding.

Tutorial Video

Blocks Code

Here are the code blocks used to build the volcano if you need them for reference.

Click for full size image

In this tutorial for MineCraft Education Edition we look at how we can used code to create ourselves a house in Minecraft wherever we are!

Tutorial Video

In this  tutorial I show you how you can create your own moving platform game in Co Spaces Pro using beginner friendly block based coding. The game contains a number of great features, including:

• Moving Platforms
• Obstacles
• Multiple Levels
• A time limit for each level

Demo Project

Take a look at the demo project below to see the game in action. It uses normal FPS style controls (WASD and space bar)

Video Tutorial

Here is the video tutorial, It will take about an hour to follow all the instructions and complete the CoSpaces game tutorial. If YouTube is blocked in your school then you can also access the tutorial using Google Drive Here.

Extension Challenges

Finished the tutorial and want to do more?Here are some things that you can do to make your project even better:

• Add some sound effects and background music.
• Add more levels to your game.
• Add some of your own obstacles, such as platforms that fall when you stand on them, objects that send you back to the start if you touch them.
• Add some of your own custom designed 3D models using the free TinkerCAD online. Take a look at this tutorial on how to import TinketCAD models.

Tutorial 1 – Getting start with your first game

How to create your first game in RPG Maker VX Ace Lite. It’s a free piece of game making software available on Steam.

Tutorial 2 – Moving from map to map

How to add more maps to your game and change screens when you enter a building / dungeon etc.

Tutorial 3 – Making you first quest

How to make a simple quest where you talk to people and collect items.

Tutorial 4 – Customising your characters

How to change the appearance of your characters and edit their class.

Introduction

In this tutorial video we show you how to make a simple teleporter in Minecraft using Python coding. Your player will be able to walk on to a block and be instantly transported to a set location, and back again if needed!

Tutorial Video

Here is the tutorial video, as always make sure that you watch and listen to the video, rather than just copying the code, as you learn far more if you do!

Stretch Challenges

Finished your teleporter and want to make it even better? Here are some ideas!

• Code a for glass surround for each end of your teleporter so that it looks like something out of star trek.
• Create a teleporter that sends you between 3 locations, instead of 2, in a triangle.

Full Code

Here is the full code for the project. Make sure that you watch the video and work through, it’s far more effective than just copying the cod for helping you to learn!

Introduction

In this longer tutorial we walk through steps needed to recreate the Flappybird game using Minecraft and Python. A great project that can be achieved in about 60 lines of code!

Tutorial Video

Here is the full tutorial video. Make sure that you listen to the video as well as watching as I talk through all the steps and decisions I went through to code the project!

Full Code

Here is the full code I used in the Project. I have made a slight change to a couple of lines from what the original code was, just to iron out a couple of bugs!

Introduction

In this video tutorial you learn how to code a castle in Minecraft, using Python coding.

This tutorial shows you the power and simplicity of loops, as well as the the benefit of putting your code in to functions so that you do have to code the same thing over and over again.

In order to complete this tutorial you need to use either:

• Raspberry Pi with NOOBs installed (No extra things need installing)
• A Windows pc with Minecraft and Forge install. See this page for how to install forge.

Video Tutorial

Here is the full Minecraft Python tutorial. Make sure you watch and listen to the video as it explains quite a lot as well as just adding code!

Stretch Challenges

Finished the tutorial? Here are a few challenges to add to your project!

• Add a Keep in the centre of the castle
• Add a moat
• Add a working drawbridge
• Add some houses outside or inside your castle.

Subscribe

Like my tutorials? Make sure you click the subscribe link for more videos! 🙂

Full Code

Here is the full code below. Make sure that you watch the video, don’t just copy the code below, you will learn much much more!

Introduction

In this video tutorial we walk you through the process of creating a rainbow in the Minecraft world using a bit of maths(not much I promise!) and the MineCraft wool colours. A great beginner’s tutorial that helps demonstrate the power of for loops :-).

Video Tutorial

Full Code

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Two simple methods for how to calculate the area of a regular hexagon.

Translations Workbook

https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/transformation-games.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/math/transformation.html

Advanced worksheet take stuff from? 

Kahoot 1

Kahoot 2

Kahoot 3

Kahoot 4 (Non maths fun)

Interactive Sample Space Quiz

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Check out learnlearn’s new ChatGPT powered revision tool for Computer Science, ICT and more. You can find the link to the free resource generator here.

Generate:

• Flashcards
• Loopcards
• Kahoots
• Presentations
• Quizzes
• wordsearches
• Crosswords
• and more!

It’s still very much in Beta so feedback is more than welcome, just pop a comment on my most recent video on my channel about teaching in the era of chatGPT

The rise and rise of Large Large Models have caught the education world largely by surprise and left teachers and exam boards scrambling to catch up. There are many uncertainties as to where the technology is going to lead us, but one thing is certain – it’s here to stay!

The biggest concern for many professionals is how to control the use of AI, so that we can be confident that a student’s work is there own. There’s no magic bullet for this, but here are a few tips to reduce the likelihood of plagiarism in students work and achieve successful assessment in the age of AI and ChatGPT.

Include reference to recent events when setting assignments

Most Large Language Models (LLMs) take a long time to train and so most don’t contain up to date information. This means that students are going to struggle to use ChatGPT and other models to copy their entire essay. You can take advantage of this by including essay titles that reference recent events.

Examples

• What were that causes and consequences of last week’s earthquake in New Guinea
• Compare yesterday’s vote in parliament with similar votes in the last 2 years

Make reference to events personal to the student/school

ChatGPT’s access to Social Media is severely restricted, since most this data is behind paywalls and sign-in walls. This means that it will most likely provide limited, incorrect or fabricated responses. When thinking of assignments try to bring in a personal element that reduces the chances of work being plagiarized. It’s also likely to make the assignment more fun and meaningful!

Examples

• Discuss how the laws of supply and demand affected you on a recent family trip

Make reference to local events, business and organisations

LLMs are great for well known, widely referenced topics, but when an assignment is based around a local business or organisation it will tend to struggle!

Examples

• Compare the marketing strategies of Peter’s Blinds with the local fish and chip shop

Use paper-based/online assignments for high stakes testing

LLMs currently can’t yet yet convincinly on paper and so students will have no choice but to write their answers! If you use a one shot approach to assignments, where students aren’t allowed to erase/alter their work then plagiarized work should be easy enough to spot and few students are able to write whole sides of A4 without making mistakes.

Example

• Write one side on A4 on the significance of AI in education. Do not use cross your work or use an eraser pen.

Use craft based assignments for added engagement

Another great strategy is to issue create craft or poster making assignments. These types of resources can’t be copied from ChatGPT and as an added bonus they are great fun and highly engaging for the students!

Example

• Create a poster demonstrating each of the steps in the product life cycle

Do you any tips of your own?

These are the top tips so far. Do you have any tips of your own that you would like me to add to the post? If so head over to my Youtube channel and add a comment on the video and I’ll get them added!

Running CPD at school?

Are you a teacher running CPD at school for other teachers? Feel free to use & adapt my Google slides presentation

Introduction

In this post we look at how you can combine ChatGPT and Python to create Powerpoint files automatically.

Getting Started

Before we can start coding we need to do a few things first:

1 Install the Python PPTX module

Install python-pptx (and dependencies)

2. Install the OpenAI Python Module

Install OpenAI Python module

3. Sign up for the API and generate an API Key

Sign up for the OpenAI API here

Tutorial Video

Project Source Code

Here is the full source code for reference as you follow along with the video.

import openai, json
from pptx import Presentation
openai.api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

presentation_title = input("What do you want to make a presentation about?")

query_json = """"{
    "input_text": "[[QUERY]]",
    "output_format": "json",
    "json_structure": {
        "slides":"{{presentation_slides}}"
       }
    }"""
       
question = "Generate a 10 slide presentation for the topic. Produce 50 to 60 words per slide. " + presentation_title + ".Each slide should have a  {{header}}, {{content}}. The final slide should be a list of discussion questions. Return as JSON."

prompt = query_json.replace("[[QUERY]]",question)
print(prompt)
completion = openai.ChatCompletion.create(model = "gpt-3.5-turbo", messages =[{"role":"user","content":prompt}])
response = completion.choices[0].message.content

print(response)

r = json.loads(response)

slide_data = r["slides"]

prs = Presentation()

for slide in slide_data:
    slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[1]
    new_slide = prs.slides.add_slide(slide_layout)
    
    if slide['header']:
        title = new_slide.shapes.title
        title.text = slide['header']
    
    if slide['content']:
       shapes = new_slide.shapes
       body_shape = shapes.placeholders[1]
       tf = body_shape.text_frame
       tf.text = slide['content']
       tf.fit_text(font_family="Calibri", max_size=18, bold=True)
       
prs.save("output.pptx")
    

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to My Blog. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!