Posts about hardwarehttp://cestlaz.github.io/categories/hardware.atom2018-09-19T23:47:52ZMike ZamanskyNikolaChromebooks in K12http://cestlaz.github.io/posts/chromebooks/2016-10-06T19:49:04-04:002016-10-06T19:49:04-04:00Mike Zamansky<p>
The discussion today over on <a href="http://avc.com">AVC</a> was <a href="http://avc.com/2016/10/chromebooks-in-k12/">Chromebooks in K12</a>, a title I
conveniently lifted.
</p>
<p>
In the comments, I was asked my thoughts on chromebooks vs Linux on
low end hardware so, here they are.
</p>
<p>
Chromebooks are cheap, near instant on, and, if you're using Google
Apps for education, little to no administration necessary.
</p>
<p>
This is a HUGE win for schools.
</p>
<p>
There are some issues. School WiFi, for example, is frequently
insufficient which can be a problem for a device that's meant to be
connected to the cloud. People might think that schools are well
connected but I know multiple schools that keep kids off the WiFi to
keep it from being overloaded. This is a problem and I don't know if
it's really being addressed.
</p>
<p>
It's also worth noting that DOE pricing is also a far cry from "lowest
bidder." We keep seeing sub $200 chromebooks on the market but buying
through the DOE approved vendor looks to cost about $300 per unit or
more. Of course this is better than the equally inflated PC/Mac
prices.
</p>
<p>
Still, the price and easy of deployment and administration seem to
make chromebooks the way to go.
</p>
<p>
As to other issues, first, you have to buy in to the Google platform
– email, docs, classroom, etc. This isn't necessarily a problem. I
personally like most of Google's offerings. My big concern is giving
away student data. I have mixed feelings on the whole privacy thing
but it's more clear cut when it comes to minors in public schools -
schools shouldn't be sharing their data and schools shouldn't be
forcing them to share their data. Google Suite for Education is FERPA
compliant but what about all the other Google services the kids might
be using? I haven't looked at this carefully but we've already given
too much power to private interests over education (see the College
Board or Pearsons) so, at least to me, this is a concern.
</p>
<p>
My only other issue is a selfish one. As a CS educator, I look to
coding tools and environments. While there are online platforms like
cloud9 or <a href="http://repl.it">repl.it</a>, they don't have the same power and flexibility of
using local installs. I've been using repl.it and it's a great tool
but I think it's best used as a stepping stone to a local install and
then afterwards for some of it's specific value added features. I'm
also a big believer in teaching <a href="http://cestlaz.github.io/categories/shell/">operating system as tool box</a>,
something you can't currently do with a chromebook.
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/willykaram">Willy Karam</a> commented over at AVC about using cheap hardware running
Linux. This is something I've done for years and it's been a
lifesaver. CSTUY's entire laptop collection consists of really old
laptops running Linux.
</p>
<p>
For a CS class, this works well. Even for a non CS class it can work
well. Modern Linux distributions run pretty much the same as Windows
and MacOS. Use the mouse to click on menus and icons. It doesn't give
you the power of the command line but it means it's a suitable
alternative for the masses that use the operating system as a program loader..
</p>
<p>
The downside of Linux for the general population is the administration
and maintenance. At Stuy, we set up NIS and NFS. Both horrible but
probably easier and better than most alternatives. I was never able to
come up with a better way to do authentication and file sharing and
the NFS stuff would have killed our wifi (we only used it in wired
labs). Customizing software installs is also a real problem. We made
it work but it took far too much time and effort.
</p>
<p>
If you're in a situation where you can do a stock install and then
give the machine to the student for the semester, then Linux can work
really well. If you're talking about shared machines with custom
installs, it's harder to justify over chromebooks.
</p>
<p>
A final note on chromebooks is that last year, I played with putting Linux on a
chromebook. It worked pretty well. Almost the best of both worlds. Low
end hardware with good battery life and a full operating system. This
is something I have to play with on the current generation of chromebooks.
</p>
<p>
So, where do I stand on this? The cloud isn't there yet in terms of
teaching computer science. It's fine for a gentle introduction but
eventually, you'll need the power of a full blown OS and local
installs. We may very well get to where a cloud OS is just as
expressive, we're just not there yet. On the other hand, for general
computing in schools, chromebooks are a big win.
</p>
<p>
It would be wonderful if schools had sufficient infrastructure,
support staff and training so that technology was just there and just
worked and we didn't have to make these sort of decisions and
compromises. Somehow I don't thing that will be happening any time soon.
</p>Robots platforms and practicalitieshttp://cestlaz.github.io/posts/robot-survey/2016-06-15T09:08:28-04:002016-06-15T09:08:28-04:00Mike Zamansky<p>
I received an email from a friend the other day asking me about a
particular robotics platform she recently saw.
</p>
<p>
I've played with robotics on and off over the years ranging from
building them from (not using) scratch using Atmel chips and programming them in
assembly to using Arduino based platforms to using pre-built robot
platforms. They're really cool and since they interact with the real
world you can do all sorts of interesting and motivational things with students.
</p>
<p>
I've done these on my own as a hobbyist and also with students either
individually or in small groups, but never as part of a class I had
been teaching.
</p>
<p>
Why not?
</p>
<p>
The biggest reason is that the classes I've taught are already so
packed full of CS goodness that we can't even get everything done
that's theoretically on the syllabi.
</p>
<p>
The other has to do with practical concerns.
</p>
<p>
Equipment costs - Let's say we can get our platform at $100 a pop. I
just can't see a public school with 34 kids in a class getting one per
student or one for every two.
</p>
<p>
So, what's the robot to student ratio and how much actual access do
the kids get? If they're designing building, do they all get to
design and build? Same question with coding and operating.
</p>
<p>
Then there's space – if we're talking about a mobile platform as
opposed to something that sits on the desk and is near stationary, we
have a problem. The classrooms I've taught in can barely hold the
students.
</p>
<p>
There are also issues with breakage, loss, theft and long term
maintainability - will we be able to or even want to fill in with
compatible units in a few years as needed or will we have to reboot
the program from scratch.
</p>
<p>
All that to deal with before we even get to the fun of teaching and learning.
</p>
<p>
I'm really curious about the experiences of those of you who do teach
using robots and similar platforms.
</p>
<p>
If you are such a teacher, could you please fill out this form or
leave a comment for anything that the form doesn't cover?
</p>
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FlppDbeiK8uPxh_RkXoCbbdE_UDY_4qXmZWbXlZ0gGg/viewform?embedded=true" width="760" height="500" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe>