Quest
Babbage University
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Babbage University
Metapolis' famed university. Named for the inventor of the computer, Charles Babbage: the first programmer.
Story Table of Contents
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Dijsktra Elementary
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Dijsktra Elementary
Named for a cool dude.Story Table of Contents
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Lovelace Elementary
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Lovelace Elementary
Named for Ada Lovelace, one of the world's first programmers. Her life was tragically short, but her legacy shall live forever.
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Margaret Hamilton Elementary
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Margaret Hamilton Elementary
Named for the an American computer scientist, systems engineer and business owner. She was director of the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which developed on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo space program.Story Table of Contents
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Pascal Elementary
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Pascal Elementary
Named for a cool dude.Story Table of Contents
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3 of 4
Bruce's House
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3 of 4
Bruce's House
Bruce is MetaCoder's newest Coding Coach in Metapolis; he was hired at the beginning of March. He lives here with his family.
Story Table of Contents
4 of 4
4 of 4Getting to Know Class Maps
As you approach Bruce's house, you hear a saw buzzing from the garage. You forgo ringing the bell at the front door, choosing to peep into the garage instead. You find Bruce bent over a table saw. When he sees you, he stops the saw and takes out his earplugs."Hi," he says. "Can I help you?"
"I'm from MetaCoders..." you say, confused that he doesn't recognize you. Then you remember that in the Metapolis timeline, he has not met you yet -- since you had previously seen him at his first class, which hasn't happened yet... You choose to ignore the confusing time nonsense and introduce yourself (again).
"I'm here to learn about classmaps," you continue.
"Of course, of course," he says, grinning and shaking your hand. "My name is Bruce; I'm fairly new to MetaCoders myself." He then leads you inside and shows you to his home office, where you take a seat in a chair beside his desk.
When he returns from washing his hands and boots up his computer, he says, "My first class is coming up a week from today. I am nervous if I'm being honest!" As he navigates to metacoders.org/coaches/maps, he tells you, "The nice thing, though, is that all classmaps for your first session are provided for you. Do you know what a classmap is?"
"Like a lesson plan," you say.
"Right," he says. "At MetaCoders we have these things called Story Mode and Game Mode. Have you learned about that yet?"
"Yeah," you say.
"Did they make you go meet with Professor Istoria too?" he asks. "Weird guy, right? Anyway, I was reviewing the Class Launch Map for my first class coming up. You can pull it up on your computer by going to metacoders.org/coaches/maps. It is the first map of that 8 Week Starter Set."
"The coach story," Bruce says, "is the most important part. You've probably written yours by now, right? I'm still working on mine. I'm trying to decide if it's worthwhile to tell the students about my background in carpentry."
"Why wouldn't it be?" you ask, surprised. You have vivid memories of the students at Lovelace murmuring in awe when Bruce told them that he can build an entire house with his hands.
"It's just..." he says, "It's not coding, you know?"
"It's still something you have learned. And it's about you."
"I just need to find a way to explain how it relates to coding."
"Well... code is a language," you say.
"Broca's region," he nods. "Yep."
"And languages aren't something you master overnight. Neither is carpentry. When you look at a blueprint for a house," you say, "do you understand it immediately?"
He nods, "Sure."
"That's fluency," you say. "You must have some stories about how your hard work earned you that fluency."
"A few, I suppose," he says. "I'll think about it. The nice thing, though, is that my coach story is the one thing I'm nervous about. These two parts, the first Code of Awesomeness Fable and the Code of Awesomeness Mottos Game are pretty straightfoward. I've already practiced telling the fable. And the code we start with is super easy; I already have it memorized."
"What about the second and third day?" you ask. "And the rest of the course? What classmaps do you use for those days?"
"For us novice coaches, MetaCoders gives us a starter collection of classmaps and tells us exactly which to do on each day," he says. "After that, you start choosing classmaps for your classes and eventually creating your own. My friend Ruby, who has been coaching for almost 2 years now, makes her own classmaps. There's a programming language you can use to construct your own and you can even push new maps to your repository so that MetaCoders can add it to their database of classmaps."
"But we learn all that in later Training Books." Bruce continues, "but even if you've only completed Book 1, there are enough maps for any coach to run a ton of classes without getting bored. I'm looking forward to making my own, but I'm also glad I don't have to worry about that yet."
He shows you the third map in the sequence:
First Badges Awarded Map ~60 minutes
Award the first badge(s) of the session!
Badges Today!
~5min
Badges Today!
A reminder about badges, and what they mean, for days when some students will earn a badge.
Tips & Tricks:
- Make this exciting! It's your job, as Coach, to make it clear what these Badges mean and give them a high level of importance. Do this by creating a ritual, being consistant with the meaning of the Badges (learning!), and keeping the value of the Badges (only given when earned).
- If you have an alternative Badge Ceremony, be sure to describe that ritual instead!
Mode Summary & Goals
Summary: Review information about and importance of badges in prep for awarding them at the end of class.
Goals and Gains:- Explain what a badge is and why students are getting them
- Outline when students get badges/badge certificates
- At the end of class today, some of you will have earned a Badge!
- We earn Badges as we learn and become better coders and better learners.
- Everytime you are here, you are learning. We track your attendance and award Badges according to that.
- But it's not just about showing up, it's about learning.
- So, as a part of the Badge Ceremony, each of you must tell us X thing(s) you have learned since your last Badge/the start of class that have made you a better coder and learner.
- Start thinking now, [fill in names of Badge-Earning students]!
- At the end of class we will have our Ceremony for the following students...
- The first badge you earn, you will receive a badge certificate and the badge itself!
- For the 2nd and 3rd badges, you will receive a badge certificate, and will get the badge in the mail at then end of class.
- Students that have not earned this Badge yet -- you will be getting your next Badge [fill in number of attendances remain for said students].
At the end of class today, we will be having our Badge Ceremony where some of you will be earning your Badges! We talked briefly about Badges at the start of this session, does anyone remember anything about Badges?
Coach clarifies/fills in any of the information below that students do not mention:
The Badges are symbols of our knowledge and growth: both as coders and as learners! We earn Badges as we build skills and fluencies. Now, it's hard for me to go inside your brain and measure all the new growth and neural connections that happen as we learn. So, we track how many classes you attend and award you Badges when you reach the classes Badge Goals!
During the Badge Ceremony, I will ask each of the Badge-Earners to tell us [Coach fills in: chosen number, between 1 and # of class attendances] things you have learned since the beginning of this session/your last badge because this isn't just about showing up, right? This is about what you have learned that has made you a better coder and a better learner.
So start thinking of those things now! Especially the students earning their badge today: [Coach fills in: names of badge-earners]
You will recieve a Badge Certificate to show everyone that you have earned this badge. You will get (or already have gotten) the first badge with your first certificate. All other badges you earn this session will come in the mail, after the last class!
Those of you who haven't earned this badge yet, don't worry! You will soon. [Coach fills in: number of attendances remaining for students yet to earn this badge]
Coach clarifies/fills in any of the information below that students do not mention:
The Badges are symbols of our knowledge and growth: both as coders and as learners! We earn Badges as we build skills and fluencies. Now, it's hard for me to go inside your brain and measure all the new growth and neural connections that happen as we learn. So, we track how many classes you attend and award you Badges when you reach the classes Badge Goals!
During the Badge Ceremony, I will ask each of the Badge-Earners to tell us [Coach fills in: chosen number, between 1 and # of class attendances] things you have learned since the beginning of this session/your last badge because this isn't just about showing up, right? This is about what you have learned that has made you a better coder and a better learner.
So start thinking of those things now! Especially the students earning their badge today: [Coach fills in: names of badge-earners]
You will recieve a Badge Certificate to show everyone that you have earned this badge. You will get (or already have gotten) the first badge with your first certificate. All other badges you earn this session will come in the mail, after the last class!
Those of you who haven't earned this badge yet, don't worry! You will soon. [Coach fills in: number of attendances remaining for students yet to earn this badge]
How do you get the Badge as well as the Badge Certificate?
Get parent's help to follow instructions on the Badge Certificate.
What do you need to do in the Badge Ceremony before you earn your Badge Certificate?
Tell us X things you have learned that make you a better coder and/or learner.
How are these badges different than, say, a 1st place trophy? Or a runnersup ribbon?
You aren't competing against anyone but yourself to earn them. There is not a limit on how many of you can earn them.
- Where else do you earn badges/awards like badges for what you have achieved?
- Who has earned a Badge in a class with us before?
- What can you do with these Badges?
Disintegrating Code
~20min
Disintegrating Code
Write the code multiple times, but with fewer and fewer hints each time.
Need:
- computers - 1 per Player
- whiteboard and markers
- timer
- code & translation
How to Play:
- Coach writes the entire code & translation on the whiteboard
- Players type up code as Coach does so
- Players test their code
- Players erase their code
- Coach erases 1-4 words from the code on the whiteboard (leaving parens, hyphens, other symbols)
- Timer set for roughly 1 min per line of code
- Players type up code, remembering what goes into the blanks
- Round ends when timer goes off
- Repeat steps 4-9 until no words are left on the board, only symbols
- Last round, everything but the translation is erased from the board
Tips & Tricks:
- For Ratchet langs: create shorthand drawing for the symbols with the players. For example -- rather than trying to draw the knight icon as it looks in game, ask the players "What can I draw that means 'knight' to us?" Players suggest horse, sword, helmet, shield. You decide on a shield -- and draw that everytime you need a knight.
- Replace erased words with blanks (______) for extra clarity.
- For new coders, start by erasing one word that appears two or more times in the code.
- Tag in an advanced student to play the Coach role!
- For Ratchet code, draw symbols and erase those one at a time.
Pair Programming: Try It First
~15min
Pair Programming: Try It First
Try It First: now with more TEAMWORK
Need:
- See Below
How to Play:
Play the game below, but use pair programming techniques. Partner up the Players and have them play as a team, replacing every mention of a single Player in the game below with that partnership:
Try It First
Players try to figure out how to code a new specification with no hints before getting hints/the answer.
Need:
- computers - 1 per Player
- code card
- whiteboard/projector
- timer
How to Play:
- Coach announces the specification
- Coach sets timer for 1-5 minutes
- Players attempt to figure out how to code the specification
- When timer goes off, Coach writes the implementation on whiteboard/projected screen
- Coach resets timer
- Players try the code as shown
Tips & Tricks:
- Great for introducing new material once Players are getting comfortable with the code structures. Many Players will need a lot of coaching, cheerleading, and "just give it a shot!" encouragement to try something they don't know the answer to!
- When showing the correct answer, ask the Team to help you. If any Players figured it out, have them tell you what to write.
- Variation: Over the allotted time, slowly fill in the code. This works well for Players who are getting stuck -- at least they can add something.
- For the full effect, do not give any answers until the first timer goes off. Offer support but ask Players to try things out, without giving them the answers.
Market
~10min
Market
A chance to spend that MetaMoney and get cool prizes!
Need:
- A Market
- Market Cards
- MetaMoney (for change)
How to Play:
Set Up: Lay out Market Cards and put actual Market Stuff out of reach of Players
- Coach sets Market rules (see Suggestions below)
- Players visit Market in small groups
- One at a time, Players choose from Market Cards any purchases they wish to make
- Coach retrieves the purchase and exchanges for Player's MetaMoney
- Once a Player has finished at Market, they go back to their seat or to other set spot (ex. rug for Meta Story)
- Wait to be called over or released to come to Market.
- You must clean up your area/close your files/wrap up your mouse/etc before you are called over to Market.
- Only unfolded MetaMoney accepted at the Market
- Wait in line until your turn
- Market prizes must remain unopened until after class
Tips & Tricks:
- Market is a privilege, not a right (to quote everyone's parent) -- feel free to cancel Market if Players cannot follow Market Rules or other expectations of the day.
- Add any rules you need to keep the experience a positive, sane one for everyone (epecially you!)
- Note that time greatly depends on number of students, so plan accordingly.
- Think of Market like an arcade's ticket-shop -- all the merch is behind the glass and you only get it after you pay!
Meta Story: Badges
~10min
Meta Story: Badges
The Badge Ceremony!
Tips & Tricks:
- The exact ceremony outlined below is an example, you may create a unique ceremony as long as it connects the badge with what it means: the Student's growing knowledge and experience as a coder and learner.
- Whenever possible share the celebration with the parents: reminding students to share the certificate with their parents and proudly telling any parents of badger-earners that you interact with.
- Strive to make the badge ceremony a time to reflect on the personal growth that everyone has experienced. It's not about the badge; it's about what the badge represents. Only you -- the coach -- can help nurture this attitude.
- Coach describes the Badge Ceremony:
- When student name called, come up
- Student tells Coach X things they have learned
- Student receives Badge Certificate, takes a seat
- Coach goes through the Ceremony for each student who has earned the badge
- Team applauds for all students at the end
- If needed, Coach reminds other students how many more attendances until their next badge
It's time for the badge ceremony! When I call your name, I want you to come to the front. I'm going to ask to name three things you have learned over your time here so far -- and the things you have learned must be related to making you a better coder and/or a better learner. If you can give me an answer, I'll give you this badge certificate and you will recieve a physical badge through the mail!
First up is, [Coach fills in: name of badge-earning student from roster]!
First up is, [Coach fills in: name of badge-earning student from roster]!
"Here," he says, "this is the classmap for the third day of the course. You can see just by glancing at the colors that it's a map with a higher proportion of Game Modes than Story Modes. And then there's this map, for Day Five..."
All About Bugs ~60 minutes
Get to know BUGS and a different way of thinking about them.
The Mars Orbiter Bug
~10min
The Mars Orbiter Bug
A mission to Mars is several miles (or kilometers) off track -- leading to disaster.
Mode Summary & Goals
Summary: A true story about a famous bug that caused the loss of a Mars Orbiter -- when some coders wrote the code thinking in Metric kilometers while others were thinking and writing in Imperial miles!
Goals and Gains:- Rethinking Bugs practice -- was the bug in the computer? or in the coders?
- Learning some cool computer science history
- Seeing BUGS in the "real world" -- something that even pros deal with
Tips & Tricks:
- Don't forget ask questions throughout and at the end! (see suggestions at the end)
- The Mars Climate Orbiter was sent to Mars in 1998.
- The hopes for the mission was to study the atmosphere and climate of Mars and learn more about why the planet, which once was covered in water, became a desert.
- After 286 days of space travel, the Orbiter got to Mars!
- But something went wrong -- it entered orbit too close to the atmosphere.
- We lost contact and lost the Orbiter -- either to the surface of Mars or the depths of space. We don't know!
- What happened?
- A bug in the code written to control the Orbiter
- The code was written by many people in many places -- some of are used to the Metric system (kilometers, meters, liters, grams....) and others, the Imperial system (miles, inches, pounds...)
- What would happen if I told you to 'go forward 5' and I meant steps, but you thought I meant city blocks?
- That's what happened with the Orbiter!
Mars was once covered with water. Ever since we discovered the evidence of this, the question on everyone's mind has been: Where did Mars' water go?
In 1998, scientists launched the Mars Climate Orbiter on an unmanned mission: to study the atmosphere and climate of the red planet. Using this new information, scientists hoped to figure out where the water had gone, and what had turned that red planet from an ocean world into a desert.
The Mars Climate Orbiter flew toward Mars for 286 days. As it approached the planet, the computer began to fire its thrusters to establish an orbit around the planet. But something went wrong.
The Orbiter was too close to the atmosphere! Its engines began to fail, and communication with that $200 million dollar spaceship was lost. To this day, we don't know where it is. It may have been destroyed in the Martian atmosphere, or it may have continued onward, exiting the planet's orbit. It may be circling the sun to this day -- a tiny scrap of metal compared to the giant planets of the solar system.
Although we don't know what happened after contact was lost -- scientists and engineers back on Earth do know why the ship malfunctioned when it drew near its final destination.
The software written to control the ship from Earth was enormous -- many million lines of code. To get a feel for how big the source code for a space mission can be, here's a picture of a coder named Margaret Hamilton standing next to a printout of code she and her team wrote for a different spaceship:
As you might expect, any giant piece of text written by human beings is going to have some mistakes in it. The code that controlled communication with the Mars Climate Orbiter had one nasty bug that doomed its mission -- going entirely unnoticed until it was too late.
The bug was simply this:
So the numbers transmitted by one piece of software to the other were interpreted incorrectly, causing a message to be sent to the Orbiter that (accidentally) told the Orbiter to fly too close to the Martian atmosphere. An analogy: suppose you told someone to run for 5 -- if they assumed you meant 5 miles they would run much farther than if they assumed you meant 5 kilometers.
Millions of dollars were lost, and a scientific mission doomed. Most people say it happened because of a software bug. But at MetaCoders, we know that the stories behind software bugs is more complex. The bug caused the crash. But what caused the bug?
In 1998, scientists launched the Mars Climate Orbiter on an unmanned mission: to study the atmosphere and climate of the red planet. Using this new information, scientists hoped to figure out where the water had gone, and what had turned that red planet from an ocean world into a desert.
The Mars Climate Orbiter flew toward Mars for 286 days. As it approached the planet, the computer began to fire its thrusters to establish an orbit around the planet. But something went wrong.
The Orbiter was too close to the atmosphere! Its engines began to fail, and communication with that $200 million dollar spaceship was lost. To this day, we don't know where it is. It may have been destroyed in the Martian atmosphere, or it may have continued onward, exiting the planet's orbit. It may be circling the sun to this day -- a tiny scrap of metal compared to the giant planets of the solar system.
Although we don't know what happened after contact was lost -- scientists and engineers back on Earth do know why the ship malfunctioned when it drew near its final destination.
The software written to control the ship from Earth was enormous -- many million lines of code. To get a feel for how big the source code for a space mission can be, here's a picture of a coder named Margaret Hamilton standing next to a printout of code she and her team wrote for a different spaceship:
As you might expect, any giant piece of text written by human beings is going to have some mistakes in it. The code that controlled communication with the Mars Climate Orbiter had one nasty bug that doomed its mission -- going entirely unnoticed until it was too late.
The bug was simply this:
One piece of software for controlling the Orbiter was designed to use metric units -- like the ones used everywhere except America. You know: kilometers, meters, liters, grams, etc.
Another piece of software was designed to use the other kind of units. You know: miles, inches, pounds, etc.
So the numbers transmitted by one piece of software to the other were interpreted incorrectly, causing a message to be sent to the Orbiter that (accidentally) told the Orbiter to fly too close to the Martian atmosphere. An analogy: suppose you told someone to run for 5 -- if they assumed you meant 5 miles they would run much farther than if they assumed you meant 5 kilometers.
Millions of dollars were lost, and a scientific mission doomed. Most people say it happened because of a software bug. But at MetaCoders, we know that the stories behind software bugs is more complex. The bug caused the crash. But what caused the bug?
- Why was the Orbiter launched?
- Did anyone die on the Orbiter?
What caused the Mars Orbiter bug? Whose fault is it?
There's no clear answer to this question. You could say that the programmer who wrote the faulty line caused the bug. But then, the question is -- why did that programmer think they were supposed to be using non-metric units? Why didn't the teams who wrote the two pieces of software communicate better about the units they were supposed to use? Why does our society use two different kinds of units in the first place? When discussing this it's mainly important to leave students with the understanding that things are more complex than they first thought.
- How do you make sure there are no bugs in your code?
- How do you think programmers make sure there are no bugs in gigantic, complicated pieces of code?
Build a Bug Workshop
~25min
Build a Bug Workshop
Players purposely break and debug code in this partnered game.
Need:
- computers - 1 per Player
How to Play:
Set Up: Each Player needs complete, working code on their computer to start this game. Either tack it on to a game like Disintegrating Code, or preface the game by typing up code from reference, specification, or each Player's own imagination! Just be sure all code works before starting this game.
- Players pair up
- Players swap computers, each with complete working code
- Players put a bug in their partner's code -- causing an error
- Players swap back computers and debug their now-broken code
Tips & Tricks:
- Players can swap seats instead of computers to prevent dropping of computers.
- For some friendly competition, turn the game into a race: who can debug their code faster?
- Start this game with a discussion about the bugs they have come across so far -- spelling errors, missing paretheses, wrong keywords -- to spark creativity about the kind of errors to plant in their partner's code.
Bugs in the brain
~15min
Bugs in the brain
Many young coders (all the way through college and their first few years on the job) seem to think that bugs happen by magic. In reality, they happen because coders are not self-aware enough.
If you debug one bug, you've just debugged one bug. If you debug your thinking, you've debugged a thousand bugs. If you've debugged someone else's thinking, please tell me how you did it -- because I never can. ~Stephen R. Foster, MetaCoders Founding Member- What is the difference between a bug and a mistake?
- What causes bugs?
- What causes mistakes?
- Why is it often hard for people to admit their mistakes?
- What are some ways you can reduce the number of mistakes you make?
- What might constitute a bug in an English essay?
- What's the difference between a bug and a mistake in an English essay??
Meta Story: Deep Reflection
~10min
Meta Story: Deep Reflection
A deeper dive into the subjects, challenges, and skill-building that happened in today's class.
Tips & Tricks:
- Start with a Think/Pair/Share model before a group conversation to get all students thinking and talking the topic, even if they don't all participate in the big dicussion.
- Ask follow up questions from the students to encourage deeper understanding. Can be as simple as "Why?"
- Other great questions: Who also felt that way? Who also faced that challenge? Who has advice for that?
- This is a deep reflection, so feel free to encourage students to raise their hands to respond to each other.
- Moderate to keep the conversation respectful and productive at all times.
We have a little extra time today to discuss today's class, specifically:
what we learned about bugs today.
Before we get started as a big group, I would like you to turn to the person next to you and take turns sharing on this topic. I'll set the timer for 2 minutes for you to do that. Ready, set, go!
Students discuss for 2 minutes before Coach regains focus.
Now, as we dive deeper into our thoughts and experiences, it is important that we respect each other and have a productive conversation by:
[Coach fills in: any rules or guidelines for the Team (see below).]
Who would like to start us off?
Depending on the age, maturity and size of the Team, you may want to set some guidelines to help promote a positive and productive discussion. Such as:
- Raised hands
- A "talking stick"
- You must continue the conversation, not just blurt out a random, unrelated thought
- We can only speak to our own experience, no one else's
"... which flips the ratio -- more Story Mode time than Game Mode time."
"Wait, what was that about badges in the last map?" you ask.
"Hold on..." Bruce steps out of the room and returns a moment later carrying a black MetaCoders hoodie. He has already sewn three colorful badges onto it.
"MetaCoders Head Quarters," he says, "sent me these badges after I completed my training on the 'adventure' language, which I'll be teaching in the class starting next week. Throughout the course, students earn the same badges. It's one of the gamification elements that MetaCoders uses."
"So all students earn their first badge on the third day?"
"It depends on the course," says Bruce. "Most courses award badges based on student attendance; so if a kid misses a class, they won't get a badge on the third day. But they will the next class, when they have attended three classes. Not to mention, if the class goes on for more weeks, it might not be the third class, but the fourth or fifth... MetaCoders HQ helps you keep track. So I am not worried about that! Actually, I have a card with that information on it and some other useful stuff..."
He finds the following in a stack of papers on his desk and hands it to you:
No matter the age group and no matter the programming language, there a MetaCoders class has a few structures that don't change.
- Class Launch. The first day of a class. It's a chance for students to hear the coach's story. It's a chance to welcome returning students. It's a chance for students to get to know each other and to be introduced to critical metacognitive values.
- The Final Jam. The last day of class. It's a chance for students to do an extended Game Mode in which they code a sizeable game or system. Often this will involve coding a video game with multiple features in under an hour.
- The Growth in Between. In between the first and last days of class, coaches:
- Lead Game Modes in which students sharpen their skills and fluencies in some language.
- Lead Story Modes in which students learn new concepts and how to organize old ones.
- Use gamification tools to help students stay aware of their hard work and progress. In most courses, badges are given every few classes and are based on attendance. MetaCoders Head Quarters will help coaches keep track of when badges should be awarded and to whom.
"So," you say, "you always start the course with the Class Launch map. And you always end with a Final Jam. And in between, you run Story and Game Modes and give out badges whenever HQ says to?"
"You got it," he says.
"So this is pretty straight forward." You say.
"Exactly. You just need to understand the big picture, and then be able to execute on the details -- like running effective Story Modes, Game Modes, and transitions between them."
After a few more minutes of small talk with Bruce, you stand up to leave, feeling confident that you can do this -- inspired in part by Bruce's own confidence. Before you leave the room, another question pops into your mind.
"Ruby's classes at Turing Rec Center are one and a half hours long -- and she has ten weeks of them. Your class at Lovelace Elementary is one hour long and you said you have eight weeks..." you say. "Plus, you're teaching #lang adventure and she's teaching #lang survival. Are you using different classmaps?"
"Classes aren't always the same length of time. Every classmap is designed to accomodate shorter or longer classes; you can just adapt the times a bit." he says.
"For small variations in class length, the overall structure doesn't need to change." Bruce continues. "If it were a 3 hour class, of course, you might want to make a new map with an extra Story Mode or an extra Game Mode. But again, that's for advanced coaches to decide. If they can use the extra time in meaningful, non-boring ways... that's their call."
"What about a ten-week class? You only showed me eight classmaps for your first session."
"There are a couple options for starter collections depending on how many weeks you have," Bruce says.
"And the language," you say. "If I'm teaching #lang survival, do I need to use a special map?"
Bruce clicks into the Disintegrating Code Game Mode in the class launch map. "Many of these Game Modes are written independently of a specific language. Notice how this game doesn't say ehat code to use. If you were teaching #lang survival, you would select a card from that deck and use that as your code. If you were teaching #lang 3d-exploration, you would select one of those. The idea is that languages are languages -- and fluency is fluency. It doesn't matter if it's #lang survival, Java, Racket, Spanish, or Chinese -- there are certain activities that have language learning benefits. Classmaps that include these kinds of Game Modes have reusability across classes."
"And," you observe, "the returning students already know the Game Modes, so classes run more and more smoothly."
"Exactly," he says, "they already have practice getting their brains into a flow state. We usually switch the Story Modes from class to class, though -- just to keep things interesting."
Your last questions answered, you are ready to head out. Bruce walks you out through the garage. You shake hands. "Nice to see you again," you say.
"Again?" he asks.
"I meant, see you again soon." You smile and wave. Bruce looks a little puzzled as he waves back, before turning back to his project in the garage.
Getting to Know Class Maps
Thu, March 18 10:00 AM
Read the full story to the right:
Jack's House
There are no stories here for your current quest
Jack's House
Jack's place has an extra room that is used as an office space, this is where he will keep all the equipment.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
John's House
There are no stories here for your current quest
John's House
John lives in a condo that has a side gate with easy access to his back door, inside he has a small room inside where he keeps all the equipment.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Joseph's House
There are no stories here for your current quest
Joseph's House
This is where Joseph lives. Or so he tells us.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Kate's House
There are no stories here for your current quest
Kate's House
Kate's house has a driveway and a garage where she keeps all the equipment.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Ruby's House
There are no stories here for your current quest
Ruby's House
This is where Ruby lives.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Coder Cafe
There are no stories here for your current quest
Coder Cafe
A quaint coffee shop frequented by coders of all sorts.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Hopper Library
There are no stories here for your current quest
Hopper Library
Named after Grace Hopper, who created the first computer language compiler, which led to the COBOL programming language.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
MetaCoders HQ
There are no stories here for your current quest
MetaCoders HQ
The mothership hovers benevolently over the city of Metapolis. The population thrives in the cool shade beneath.Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Kick Butt Martial Arts
There are no stories here for your current quest
Kick Butt Martial Arts
A local business owned by Johnny Lawrence.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
1 of 4
Metapolis Welcome Center
There are stories here for your current quest
1 of 4
Metapolis Welcome Center
Where all vistors to Metapolis are encouraged to begin their journey.Hint: Most quests will start here...
Story Table of Contents
2 of 4
2 of 4Chapter 7: Intro
Welcome back to Metapolis!In this chapter we will focus on classmaps. You'll learn how to find and read the classmaps that we provide. This will immediately enable you to run a smooth coding class -- and it will begin to prepare you to create your own classmaps in the future.
There's only one stop: Bruce's House.
We are visiting Bruce before his first day at Lovelace Elementary (which we saw in Chapter 3!). This puts us back in mid March in Metapolis, so bring a jacket to fend off the last of the winter chill!
Chapter 7: Intro
Thu, March 18 9:00 AM
Read the full story to the right:
TechSquared
There are no stories here for your current quest
TechSquared
A big business that does big, big things.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Turing Recreational Center
There are no stories here for your current quest
Turing Recreational Center
Named after Alan Turing -- considered the father of theoretical computer science and A.I.
Story Table of Contents
No stories here at this time. Look elsewhere!
Assess
#lang mc-coach-assess
(view-deck (chapter-7))
(test-with-deck (chapter-7))Hints
- Start at the Metapolis Welcome Center
- Find the green icons in order: 1 of 4
- There are 2 stories to find in this Chapter.
- Stories without these icons will not be on the test.