[Yr7-10it] Flash Actionscript

Sat Nov 14 07:10:25 EST 2009

Paul G, 

I'd have to agree with Rob and say that AS is probably not the best language
for the general student populace at Years 7 to 10. But if your school has
Flash, then it is still worthwhile exposing the students to how those
hundreds of .SWF games that they have on their USB sticks are actually made.

I tend to use an "IKEA flat pack" approach, where much of the project is
already coded, (eg. The main engine), and it is up to them to customize it
and put it all together. Some students get right into it (about 1 in 20?)
but the others are ok with just simple things like buttons, rollovers, drag
and drop, etc.  They all like doing matching games and jigsaw puzzles: 

http://tinyurl.com/FLmatchShapes  

http://tinyurl.com/ASmatching1 

http://tinyurl.com/ASjigsaw 

Actual Games making is too much work for the vast majority of them: 
(they want to play finished games, not make them) 

http://tinyurl.com/PassyAvoider 

http://tinyurl.com/ASsoccer1   

A really great book about Flash AS Games Programming is: 

ActionScript 3.0 Game Programming University by Gary Rosenzweig

Also if you get a chance go to any of Kevork's Actionscript PD's. 

Enjoy, 

Paul Pascoe 
ICT / Maths Teacher 
St Francis Xavier College Berwick 

mppascoe at tpg.com.au  

http://passyworldofict.blogspot.com  

-----Original Message-----
From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Costello, Rob R
Sent: Saturday, 14 November 2009 12:31 AM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] Flash

hi Paul

what can be done? 

:) 

everything.  

i came from a similar angle - VB ...happy to tinker ...  

 learning how to program in flash took a while though - i read some books
over a couple of hols - unusual for me, i usually jump in   -  (Colin Moock
is the author (x3)  i'd recommend there - takes you through in a thorough
way that worked for me anyway)

AS1 was kind of easier to learn (and you can still program in that style),
AS2 uses the same language elements but introduced a more object orientated
approach (classes etc),  AS3 has taken that further  ...  

i think i'd probably aim at the AS1 style with students   

what would i actually do with kids though ...

rollovers, mouseovers, follow the mouse games etc

some people on this list have been suggesting some templated games (AS3
style)   (ie copy most of the code in, tinker from there)  

i'm not sure ... it gets them started, but not sure well how it travels
beyond the samples...maybe someone can comment

a few of the yr 8 boys wanted to learn AS last year, and while we did a
little, - we decompiled some games and changed gravity values etc - but i'm
not sure its designed for teaching with  (as a first language anyway) 

some flash coders would probably disagree with me  - i'd be very interested
if anyone has kids fluently programming in flash 

(i have one student example  - self taught was well -
http://www.firoweb.com/simulations/
(AS1 approach)   - but he had learnt some logo before that  (check the frog
one!) 

i haven't really tried to teach actionscript as a course so can't be very
helpful - (Alice, Scratch, GameMaker, even VB, all seemed much easier to
start with) 

did do this for  the year 8s - but me, not them, so its not the best example
- though we did have some good class discussion around it
http://thinkingcurriculum.decenturl.com/linerider

along those lines, another thing i played with ... (for kids, not by them
... so i'm not sure about this)    
http://www.thinkingcurriculum.com/demos/widgets/logspiral

its sad if we can't get to this with kids by the end of school; but i'm not
sure flash coding is the starter 

no answers i'm afraid!

 scratch? Alice?

rob 

-----Original Message-----
From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Paul Golub
Sent: Fri 11/13/2009 4:30 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] Flash

Hi Rob,

I would be interested in doing more actionscript. I currently use Visual
Basic as my prgramming language but if I knew more actionscript I would use
Flash. I currently only know how to do scripts for buttons - move from one
scene to the next or stop or play a scene.

What I would like to know is, what else can be done with actionscript?
(Nothing complicated - aiming at year9 maybe 10)

Thanks.
Paul Golub
Santa Maria College
50 Separation Street
Northcote 3070
Ph: 9488 1674

-----Original message-----
From: "Costello, Rob R" Costello.Rob.R at edumail.vic.gov.au
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:01:14 +1100
To: "Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing
List"yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] Flash

hi karen

you might like this acrostic activity in flash
http://thinkingcurriculum.decenturl.com/acrostic

there is a programming language in flash (actionscript), but i probably
wouldn't go there unless you and/or the kids have done a little programming;
probably not the best place to start

probably enough design things to do to fill a course

cheers

rob

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Karen Webster
Sent: Thu 11/12/2009 8:16 PM
To: yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Yr7-10it] Flash

We have recently added Flash CS4 to the network. I am beginning lessons with
Year 9's. I have begun with the basics: workspace, drawing tools, basic
animation using classic tween.

I am not sure if I am heading in the right direction, maybe I am taking it
too slowly. I haven't used Flash before so I am not sure.
What do you do with Flash?
thanks in advance
Karen Webster
ICT Teacher
Alexandra SC
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representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender,
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Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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and
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