Paul Sutton

Paul Sutton – personal blog

Code Club 5/2/2022 – Write up

A real mixture today, before the session started I quickly put together a project for the Micro:bit, partly to make sure it was all working properly. The result is in the video below.

We are now working on several different projects / learning objectives.

A few of the younger members are on Scratch, others are on HTML / CSS and Python. I showed one of our new members the Lego WeDo, so hopefully we can get that up and running at the STEM group meeting on the 12th or almost certainly at the next Code Club session. It just needs someone who can sit down and put it together.

Moving between different groups of attendees, is quite a challenge, but one I am happy to accept and work with. This, of course, is all good practice for working in schools and supporting learners. Learners would, be at different ability levels at least. In the case of code club, I have children / young people aged 7 to 14.

I also had a chat with the staff at the Library, we need to work out what is now needed to be purchased to get the Lego Mind storms in a state where it can be used. Having the Raspberry Pi's + Brick Pi module is fine, but these are the original pis, with about 4gb cards, so there is no guarantee we can get these working properly with the Lego. So it may be easier to buy the new EV3 brick on it's own for use with the kit we do have.

Pi's can be repurposed.

So a good session, a few new attendees which is always good. More parent / guardians staying is very welcome. It is rather challenging getting things to work, note to self, Repl.it has a dedicated Python + turtle module.

I may in fact BIN all the code club printouts, they are for Scratch 2, so don't fully match up properly, and can cause confusion. All activities are online anyway.

Video

Links

Tags

#CodeClub,#FreeCodeCamp,#Microbit,#Scratch,#Python,#WebDesign, #Lego,#Coding,#Education,#LookingForWork

Next Code Club Saturday 19th Feb 2022

Code Club 5/2/2022

The next Club will be on Saturday 5th February 2022 @ Paignton Library. Please contact the library to book.

We will carry on with what we were doing last session, hopefully expand on what we were doing with the Micro:bit

Links

Tags

#CodeClub,#FreeCodeCamp,#Microbit,#Scratch

Next Code Club

Please contact Paignton Library.

RSC Activity – Toothpaste

I have moved the information on this activity to a new post as it was rapidly expanding. The original post was relating to Physics demonstrations

I have downloaded a worksheet to investigate neutralisation of toothpaste from the Royal Society of Chemistry education resources. Again this could be useful when working in a school.

With the above, I am trying to work out if using Clear (white) Vinegar ( still Ethanoic Acid) is going to be safer in primary schools than using 0.1 M of ethanoic acid.

So part of this I need the Safety data sheet

There is a guide to Carboxylic acid naming here not needed but including for reference.

Update 3/2/2022

I have asked on Science Forums if it is possible to substitute Ethanoic Acid with vinegar in a thread here

Introduction to Teaching Phonics

I have now completed 'Introduction to Teaching Phonics' with Prospero Teaching.

Phonics

Links

I have some really good resource to help with this, as per a previous article so just need a chance to work in a school and develop further.

Tags

#CPD,#Phonics,#Literacy,#Reading,#Writing

Introduction to the EYFS

I have now completed 'Introduction to the EYFS' with e-learning at work.

This course aims to provide a gentle introduction to the expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage and it can also act as a refresher for those wanting to update their knowledge.

It will introduce you to some of the key documents and legislation that relate to Early Years providers, the process for registering with Ofsted and the various policies and procedures that need to be in place.

It also covers learning and development requirements, how to observe and assess the progress of children in your care and the safeguarding and welfare requirements laid out in the EYFS Framework.

The course covers the following modules:

Introduction to EYFS Observations & Assessment Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements Ofsted

EYFS

Links

Tags

#CPD,#EYFS,#Introduction

I love free software day

I love fs image

February 14th is again the annual I love free software day a chance to celebrate free software.

Links

This year the fsfe are planning a gaming event with speakers and a chance to play some great games that are released under the gpl.

Game jam will take place on 14th of February 2022 at 18.00-20:00 CET

Please contact the fsfe for more info, you only need to register if you want to take part in the talks, you can still watch the talks and play the games.

Talks will be streamed and the interactive element of this will be via Big Blue Button.

Tags

#Software,#Freedom,#FreeSoftware,#fsf,#fsfe

Events 2022

February 2022

  • Stsci lecture From the Frontlines of the Exoplanet Revolution – 1st Feb
  • Code Club – 5th & 19th Feb
  • STEM Group – 12th Feb
  • FOSDEM 5th & 6th Feb

March 2022

  • Stsci lecture Hubble from Space and Integral-field Spectroscopy from the Ground: Seeing Both the Forests and the Trees – 1st March
  • Code Club 5th & 19th March
  • STEM Group 12th March
  • Libreplanet – March 19th & 20th

April 2022

May 2022

June 2022

  • STEM Group 11th June

July 2022

  • STEM Group 9th July

August 2022

  • STEM Group 13th August

September 2022

  • STEM Group 10th September

October 2022

  • STEM Group 8th October

November 2022

  • STEM Group 12th November

December 2022

  • STEM Group 10th December

Sending life to the stars

Reposting with an update

Interesting article from Science daily on Sending life to the stars. Looks like we are getting closer to being able to propel objects to near to the speed of light.

Granted this research they are looking at 20-30% but this is a big step forward.

Original Mastodon post

Happy do discuss on Mastodon, Discourse or at the Paignton Library STEM Group meetings.

Tags

#Space,#Travel,#ScienceDaily,#PaigntonLibrarySTEMGroup

Citation

University of California - Santa Barbara. "Sending life to the stars: Scientists contemplate launching tiny lifeforms into interstellar space." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 January 2022. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220106133257.htm>.

Related (or seems to be) article from Biorxiv – Nematodes can survive in a suspended form of life for indefinite time

Lots of life which can survive in very harsh conditions.

Trojans boot camp 6 2022

Fantastic work today week. Next session is on :-

Date : Sunday 6th Feb 2022 Time : 10 am —> 13:00

Location : Foxhole playing field, Bellfield Road, Paignton

2022 is here, so on with training and we are no upping the training to include contact football in preparation for the season ahead.

Mobile Devices

Mobile Devices

I decided to write this article after reading the Free Software Journey article. This is part of the wider FSF Freedom Ladder

This article cites several projects that address Mobile phone freedom. There are different hardware options here, from dedicated phones running a FreeOS or ways to flash / install an existing phone with a new freedom respecting OS (sorry if the terminology is wrong here).

Android Based

Other

As you can see from the above list there are quite a few options, some are forks of Android, so I assume that Free Software repositories such as F-droid works and can provide a good range of Apps for users. See below as I am trying to find out about this.

However my area of concern is things like the Mastodon Apps It seems the only Freedom respecting app for Mastodon is Tooter, which is available for another OS called SailfishOS, so yet another option, so we have a really good, powerful social media replacement, but it seems rather limited connectivity from mobile devices, (unless you are running IOS or Android).

I don't feel this is very helpful. Sailfish, to its credit does have what looks like a very good section on development. I feel that for these alternatives to really take off, the apps need to be there, and not just in the hands of developers, but end users such as myself. I am not interested in using mainstream social media.

Also we need to make it clear if an app works on other systems that are derived from Android for example. (see below)

So we need several things

  1. More developers for the actual operating systems
    • Help for people wanting to start with development
  2. More development for the hardware
    • Again help for those who want to get involved
  3. Testers, and help for testers
  4. End users to actually use the system
    • Provide a very easy way for non technical people to report problems
    • Community need to LISTEN to concerns, reports and take action
  5. Ensure ALL these apps are available on ALL the different mobile OSs or as many as possible.
    • This will need developers, testers and users being able to come together.

Links

Free Software and Hardware

Working on some ideas

I have created a thread here on Fediverse Town to try and ask for some information on which apps work on which mobile operating systems, so Android and importantly Android derived Operating systems.

I have also split the OS list up, so that the OS's derived from Android are clearly identified.

I am not making the assumption they just work or that they are in F-droid.

Updates

31-1-2022 – https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-fediverse-clients

TAGS

#Hardware,#Phones,#Free,#Open,#Privacy,#Mobile,#mobile

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