Alumni company shares $2 million grant from NSF to teach kids how to code

A company co-founded by two Jacobs School computer science alums is a partner in a $2 million grant to teach how to program inside of Minecraft to children in fifth- through eighth-grade throughout the state of Maine.

ThoughtSTEM is partnering with the University of Maine to run the grant. Students will be using LearnToMod, a software that teaches how to code inside of Minecraft. It all will be part of a program administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extensioin 4-H, which plans to reach more than 1,000 students. The grant specifically targets students in rural areas.

“The use of computer games as a mechanism for teaching computer science concepts while also improving the effectiveness of the core curriculum is incredibly exciting,” Bruce Segee, who also is the director of the Advanced Computing Group for the University of Maine System and the grant's principal investigator said in a statement. “We believe that we will see an improvement in student learning across multiple areas.”

ThoughtSTEM was co-founded by computer science Ph.D.s Sarah Guthals and Stephen Foster, with biochemistry Ph.D. Lindsey Handley. In addition to LearnToMod, the company provides classes to teach children how to code in San Diego and elsewhere.

Guthals, Foster and Handley also have co-authored "Modding for Minecraft for Kids" in the "For Dummies" series.

Read the full University of Maine press release here.

Alums publish second book teaching kids to program inside of Minecraft

A second book on Minecraft modding by UC San Diego engineering and biochemistry Ph.D.s is hitting the bookshelves this fall."Modding Minecraft" is part of the "For Dummies" book series. It is currently exclusively available at Barnes and Noble for $9.99.

The three authors are Sarah Guthals and Stephen Foster, two computer science Ph.D.s, and Lindsey Handley, a biochemistry Ph.D. The trio co-founded ThoughtSTEM, a company that teaches computer programming to kids in elementary, middle and high school. The company created LearnToMod, a sofware that allows kids to learn programming inside of Minecraft.

Earlier this year, they co-authored "Minecraft Modding for Kids." This latest book is aimed at a slightly younger audience, Guthals said.

According to the book's online marketing materials:

The projects in this book teach your player how to modify the game by using code blocks to create mini games. The projects use LearntoMod (provided as a 60-day trial download with the book), a platform designed specifically to teach young students how to modify Minecraft.
Projects include:
* Create a Spleef Game — get started with a single-player, single-level game
* Build a Monster Arena — moves readers on to multi-level game playing
* Capture That Flag — finishes with a multi-level, multi-player game based on the classic capture the flag' game

This book is designed to appeal to readers as young as seven who are interested in learning more about the technology topics they hear about every day. It applies the time-tested For Dummies approach of simplifying complicated topics with a light-hearted and non-intimidating tone and presents the information in a way that appeals to young readers. All three books in the series, Making YouTube Videos, Getting Started with Coding, and Modding Minecraft feature:

* A kid-friendly, expert-approved design - heavy on eye-popping graphics and filled with easy-to-follow steps to completing a project.
* The perfect-size, full-color, book gets your young coder up and coding with a proven mix of graphics and text instruction.
* Fun, basic projects that provide the building blocks (and excitement) for further computer/tech exploration.

Kids learn how to program while playing Minecraft at UC San Diego Bookstore event

Computer science alumna Sarah Guthals showed off LearnToMod, the software that she and fellow computer science Ph.D. Stephen Foster developed, today at the UC San Diego Bookstore. The software allows students to learn computer programming while playing Minecraft.
Guthals demonstrated how students could create wands that generate giant digital explosions inside of Minecraft and that allow players to teleport inside the game.
After the event, Guthals signed copies of "Minecraft Modding for Kids for Dummies," the book she co-wrote with Foster and Lindsey Handley, a biochemistry Ph.D. at UC San Diego. Guthals, Foster and Handley co-founded ThoughtSTEM, a company dedicated to teaching children how to code. It offers everything from summer camps, to after school programs.
Below are some tweets about the event:

It's happening! @ucsdbookstore @LearnToMod #MinecraftModdingForKids #ForDummies #booksigning @ 2pm! pic.twitter.com/TZuNQpO7rY

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) August 13, 2015

Here's a clip form today's Minecraft Modding for Kids author event https://t.co/UQv2ZeHk8l @sarahguthals @ucsdlibrary @UCSanDiego

— UCSDbookstore (@ucsdbookstore) August 13, 2015

UCSD Bookstore Author Event: Minecraft Modding for Kids for Dummies: http://t.co/BkDUafrpFf via @YouTube

— UCSDbookstore (@ucsdbookstore) August 13, 2015

1. UCSD Engineering ‏@UCSDJacobs  2h2 hours ago

   Learning to modify #minecraft with drag & drop code! @LearnToMOD @ucsdbookstore @LTM4Educators @sarahguthals

   1 retweet1 favorite
   
2. UCSD Engineering ‏@UCSDJacobs  2h2 hours ago

   These kids are smart! “Does anyone know the difference between a local and a global event in #minecraft?” They all do. @LearnToMOD

   0 retweets1 favorite
   
3. UCSD Engineering ‏@UCSDJacobs  2h2 hours ago

   .@LTM4Educators @LearnToMOD & @sarahguthals demo #minecraft modding for kids @UCSanDiego @ucsdbookstore!

   
   

   

Alumni from computer science research group wrote two For Dummies books

Bill Griswold during a talk.

The research group of William Griswold now boasts two alumni who have written For Dummies books. We're ready to bet that's a pretty unique occurrence.

The most recent tome, "Minecraft Modding for Kids" was co-authored by two Ph.D.s in Griswold's group, Sarah Guthals and Stephen Foster, as well as biochemistry Ph.D. Lindsey Handley. The book was released July 13, 2015.  In 2013, the trio co-founded ThoughtSTEM, a company dedicated to teaching students in elementary, middle and high schools how to program. Last year, they launched LearnToMod, a software package that teaches users how to program while playing Minecraft.

After an introductory chapter about creating modifications, or “mods,” within Minecraft, the majority of their book focuses on learning programming concepts by building games inside of Minecraft, including:

• Spleef: build an arena paved with blocks, which disappear every time every time players step on them. The goal is not to fall. Players can add other challenges to the game, such as creatures blocking their way.
• Monster Arena: build an arena full of monsters. Players need to avoid the monsters to get through to the other side of the arena, where they break a block. They are then sent back to the starting point of the game, which gets even harder.
• Capture the flag: create magic wands that can emit exploding projectiles. Players then need to use the wands to destroy their adversaries’ flags, while protecting their own.

While they create the mini-games, players learn computer science concepts such as functions, variables, lists, parameters and libraries. The book also includes information about game design and game mechanics.

More info here. 

 Meanwhile, "Android App Development" is in its third edition. The book's author, Michael Burton, earned a bachelor's in electrical engineering and a master's in computer science at UC San Diego--also in Griswold's research group. He is now director of mobile engineering at Groupon. His book includes easy-to-follow access to the latest programming techniques that take advantage of the new features of the Android operating system. Plus, two programs are provided: a simple program to get you started and an intermediate program that uses more advanced aspects of the Android platform.

Learn more about Burton in this Q&A. 

Jacobs School alum teaches how to program inside of Minecraft at Minecon 2015

About to teach in the #Glassroom #Minecon2015 #Minecraft in #Education #TNTCanon pic.twitter.com/ULHp6GpYT3

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 5, 2015

Sarah Guthals, a postdoctoral researchers in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, got to teach at Minecon 2015, the all-things-Minecraft convention that took place in London July 4 and 5.

She was at the event with fellow ThoughtSTEM co-founders Stephen Foster, a computer science Ph.D. student, and Lindsey Handley, a biology Ph.D. student.

ThoughtSTEM developed LearntoMod, a software package that teachers how to program inside of Minecraft. At Minecon, Guthals trained teachers to do the same. Event recap in Tweets below.

#Minecon2015 #Minecraft #Educators selfie!!!!! Competing with the one we did in #ISTE2015 pic.twitter.com/tEkbsv075q

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 5, 2015

Learning minecraft round 2 with the infectiously smiley @sarahguthals. #msminecon15

— Danny (@118perdoni) July 5, 2015

Just started 2nd talk STEM Focused with @sarahguthals #msminecon15 pic.twitter.com/wmQMyJQeK7

— Nic Hughes (@duck_star) July 5, 2015

@sarahguthals teaching fractions & logic gates with #Minecraft - totally engaging & inspiring #girlsinSTEM #STEAM pic.twitter.com/h3fBoeHuOU

— Louise Harris (@Louiseharris33) July 5, 2015

One of the #Educators made a half adder with logic gates in #Minecraft! #teachcs #teachstem #Minecon2015 pic.twitter.com/gyuCw79hFM

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 5, 2015

#Minecon2015 @LindseyDHandley pic.twitter.com/2GFpDFuFmo

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 5, 2015

After the last 2 weeks I can't wait to see what http://t.co/tTvt2svrlA turns into This is going to be a great time for #Minecraft #Education

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 6, 2015

Love the dedication to solving circuitry challenges with #redstone in #Minecraft! https://t.co/FgFStSMudR

— Sarah Guthals (@sarahguthals) July 6, 2015

Why Minecraft is good for teaching computer science

Minecraft enthusiasts in San Diego will be able to take a unique inside look into their favorite game during a class taught by Jacobs School computer science Ph.D. student Stephen Foster at UC San Diego Extension.

Students will learn how to set up Minecraft servers and build Minecraft mods. In the process, they will learn about client/server architectures, network security, operating systems and computer programming. The class will be taught in a project-based style.

Heads-up: the class, which starts March 1, is full. But Foster says it'll be offered again soon.

In this video, Foster explains why the video game is a great tool to teach computer science. In the process, he makes some interesting connections between Alan Turning, one of the fathers of computer science, and Minecraft.

Note: Foster is one of three co-founders of ThoughtSTEM, a company that teaches students ages 8 to 18 how to program. He is also one of two creators of CodeSpells, a first-player video game that teaches children (and adults too) how to program in Java.

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