Events New and Old
Teaching a Computer To See
June 16, 2018 at 12:30pm
Machine’s can learning amazing things when we train them. In this Hoist workshop, teens will will explore Artificial Intelligence by learning how to build a program that can guess what it sees in a picture. No coding experience? No worries. This fun introductory workshop is meant for the beginner. Using cutting edge machine learning tools, participants will learn how software is being used to create amazing programs that learn along the way.
Using DNA to Reverse-Engineer Your Family Tree
June 12, 2018 at 7:00pm
Recent advances in consumer genetics have enabled genealogists to solve mysteries in their family tree. Adoptees are finding their biological families by sharing the results of DNA tests with Websites that match millions of individuals.
Progeny Genealogy’s Charting Companion software displays the relationship distance of family members, as a number in an easy to understand chart. CC can also empirically find an adoptee’s family with an algorithm that simulates placement and compares theoretical to laboratory DNA results. Pierre will discuss how CC quickly runs through thousands of simulations, adds hypothetical mates, and tests unexpected configurations to explore all possible connections.
Hacking Hardware - Programming The Physical World
May 19, 2018 at 12:30pm
Interactive jewelry, DIY laser tag, robots you design and build. In this Hoist workshop, teens will explore electronics by learning how to build and program robots . No coding or electronics experience? No worries. This fun introductory workshop is meant for the beginner. Using the Circuit Playground, participants will learn how coding and circuits are being used to create amazing creations. This workshop is for teens with no prior experience with programming required.
Video Game Making and Circuitry
May 15, 2018 at 4:00pm
Building games is a great way to experience game play from the perspective of the creator. In this creative computing workshop, kids will learn how to program a computer to build their own games and build their own game controllers. Kids will learn basic coding and circuitry concepts in a fun beginner friendly environment. Using Scratch, a visual programming environment, kids will be exposed to an international community of coders making a wide range of games. This workshop is for kids as young as 8 with no prior experience with Scratch required. Registration is required.
Thinking About Design - Creative Strategies
May 8, 2018 at 7:00pm
Design Thinking is being used by large innovative companies to create exceptional products and experiences (think Google Glass, AirBnB, your arrival experience with major airlines, and, of course, toilet paper). It can also be applied at much smaller scales - in education, to find solutions for sustainability challenges, and of course in tech companies of any size. Join Anne Stieger for an introduction to this powerful toolbox, process and mindset for user-centered design.
Animating Stories - Interactive Stories with Scratch
May 8, 2018 at 4:00pm
Animating is a great way to bring a story to life. In this Creative Computing workshop, kids will learn how to program a computer to create animations for their own stories. Kids will learn basic coding concepts in a fun beginner friendly environment. Using Scratch, a visual programming environment, kids will be exposed to an international community of coders making a wide range of animation based projects. This intro workshop is for kids as young as 8 with no prior experience with Scratch required. Registration is required.
Art Making with Your Computer!
May 1, 2018 at 4:00pm
Art is made with a variety of media - even computers! In this Creative Computing workshop, kids will learn how to program a computer to make interactive artwork. Kids will learn basic coding concepts in a fun beginner friendly environment. Using Scratch, a visual programming environment, kids will be exposed to an international community of coders making a wide range of interactive art projects. This intro workshop is for kids as young as 8 with no prior experience with Scratch required. Registration is required.
Bring your Visual Art Alive with Computers - Intro to Processing
April 21, 2018 at 12:30pm
Do you enjoy painting or drawing? In this Hoist workshop, teens will learn how to program a computer to build generative art. We will learn how how simple math equations can be used to create beautiful and engaging outcomes. No coding experience? No worries. This fun introductory workshop is meant for the beginner coder with a visual arts interest. Using OpenProcessing, participants will be exposed to an international community of coder-artists making a wide range of digital creations.
Where Did All The Women Go? Retaining Women in Computer Science
April 10, 2018 at 7:00pm
Over the last 30 years, the number of women entering Computer Science university programs has dropped from 50% to around 10%. Once in the program, women have a higher drop out rate than men. And women graduating with Computer Science degrees often leave the field and pursue alternate careers. Dr Randy Newman and Cindy Trudel have been actively researching this phenomenon over the last few years. In this Refresh Annapolis Valley talk, Randy and Cindy will discuss the problem, the programs that Acadia has in place, and the needs for the future.
Creative Computing Course 2018
April 5, 2018 at 6:00pm
Creative Computing is a course developed by an international network of educators passionate about exposing kids to the computer sciences. Broken up into 7 units, this course uses the popular Scratch programming environment to aid young people (aged 8 to 13) in learning the basics of software development. Scratch is used over the world by students to easily create interactive artwork, interactive stories, and video games while acting as a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer science.