#Lego

We’ve been doing some Lego workshops at Gold Coast TechSpace lately and with the older kids we’ve been spending a lot of time on Lego Mindstorms. I quite like the Lego NXT software that comes with the kits for a simple introduction, it’s easy to teach and there are plenty of resources available to help. However 2 things really irk me a bit about it: It’s a bit limiting at times, I start the workshop talking about programming and what I and others do for a job - but when students ask me about how to do more advanced things I’m sometimes stumped on how to do it in the GUI - even sometimes quite simple things that would be ridiculously easy in REAL code. [Read More]

I am running the Lego workshops again at Gold Coast TechSpace during the school holidays. They were a huge success last time and I am following through on my promise to Parents to continue with them. There’s a more details post on the Gold Coast TechSpace Blog So, if you’re a Gold Coast parent with a Lego obsessed child like mine - send them my way! I’ve now introduced an additional “Machines” class for younger kids that doesn’t involve the programming or mindstorms, but does teach them a thing or 2 about Physics and Mechanics in a fun way. [Read More]

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at the E.X.I.T.E camp for girls at Bond University. Exite is a programme organised by IBM and has the aim of encouraging girls to pursue careers in engineering and technology. Our local event is organised by Carol Woodhouse at the Gold Coast IBM Lab. I was going to do a programming exercise, but in the end I chose something more hands on a did " [Read More]