[MWForum]MIA, Ask an Expert Question

Thu, 27 May 2004 20:11:04 -0400

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A nice feature in MWex is the touchedturtle reporter that is accessible in
the turtle backpack - and this gives you the opportunity of acting on any
turtle that is touched (for example making it disappear).
  -----Original Message-----
  From: mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com
[mailto:mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com]On Behalf Of Harvey Bornfield
  Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 4:40 AM
  To: mwforum@lists.mathcats.com
  Subject: Re: [MWForum]MIA, Ask an Expert Question

  In Microworlds, the current turtle answers to the name who. To control any
other turtle than the WHO, you need to know its name, and then you can issue
an ask command, which is like a radio broadcast only the "askee"
hears..................

  A simple implementation would be:
  1. ask "turtle1 [setsh "choice1]
  or
  2. ask [turtle1 turtle2 turtle3] [setsh "choice1]
  but usually, you'll be trying to change each into a different shape

  Which leads us to what I call the "flip-shape" magic trick

  at the command line type:
  ask "turtle1 [setsh [bird1 bird2]]
  ask "turtle2 [setsh [bee1 bee2]]

  any movement command, even fake movement such as fd 0 in a turtle's
instruction box, will cause a turtle set to a list of shapes to recycle to
the next shape. To get an instruction box, right click on a turtle.

  now type twice or more, observing:
  ask [turtle1 turtle2][fd 0]
  watch each change to the next shape

  then, repeat the above, but after each ask command,
  type ask "turtle1 [show shape]
  observe the result.

  AND NOW, A VOYAGE:

  If you

  1. Get to the shape editor, make two TV shapes, both 120 by 80 rectangles,
      fill the colors light red and light blue
      name them redTV and blueTV inside the shape editor
     Then hatch a turtle and name it "TV   (right click gets you dialog box
to do the renaming)
      while you've got the dialogue box open, set the instruction to,
(wouldn't_cha guess)  fd 0
      Close the dialogue box, hop down to the command line, and
      clothe your TV in the two shapes by typing in at the command line
      ask "TV [setsh [redTV blueTV]]

  then

  2. Hatch a second turtle,
      Rename it "Channel and set its shape to a list of assorted shapes, as
in:
      setsh [jeep car boat sun tree flower]

  3. Right click the Channel turtle and type in its instruction box  fd 0
  4. Now find another empty box in the shape section,
      and create a vertical rectangle that you'll in the shape editing
window tv_remote
  5. Drag the Channel turtle over the TV, and center it.
  6. Hatch a third turtle, right click on it, naming it "remote.
      At the command line,  set its shape by typing
      ask "remote [setsh "tv_remote]
  7. Right Click the remote and set its instruction to fd 0......
  8. FINALLY!
      click the remote and watch the channels recycle forward.

  What we didn't do, (tasks on credit!)
  Explain why you'd want two TV backgrounds, which would change by clicking
on the tv.
  Imagine: You could use the reporter that tells you the shape of a turtle
inside an ifelse command
  ifelse shape = "redTV [channelforward][channelbackward]

  which gives us some dramatic/traumatic tension, aka, "homework", in coming
up with routines for advancing and regressing the shapes, the as yet still
embryonic vaporware procedures
  channelforward and channelbackward. Of which the first is a piece of cake,
but the second is more interesting

  Why is this icon manipulation important?
  It's an elegant visual intelligence manifestion of a case statement which
Daniel presented to the forum a couple of months ago. By having a child
select a channel, you can bypass words, and set up a graphical environment
in which the student is not insulted with instructions, but honored by
discovering relationships...........

  Answers soon to come, if no one has time to collaborate.

  best regards,
  (Hope you got your money's worth   :-),  )

  Harvey

  At 07:06 PM 5/26/2004, you wrote:

    This is an automatic message sent from the web form at:
    http://mia.openworldlearning.org/howdoi.htm

    from: 07hassaa@mbc.qld.edu.au
    date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:25:25 -0600

    How do you make another tutle change it's shape through a different
turtle's procedure?

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  "Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge
which comprehends mankind, but mankind cannot comprehend."
  Ludwig van Beethoven

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<DIV><SPAN class=3D746010100-28052004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>A nice=20
feature in MWex is the touchedturtle reporter that is accessible in the =
turtle=20
backpack - and this gives you the opportunity of acting on any turtle =
that is=20
touched (for example making it disappear).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
  size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
  mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com=20
  [mailto:mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Harvey=20
  Bornfield<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 27, 2004 4:40 AM<BR><B>To:</B> =

mwforum@lists.mathcats.com Subject: Re: [MWForum]MIA, Ask an =
Expert=20
 Question </DIV>In Microworlds, the current turtle =
answers to the=20
 name who. To control any other turtle than the WHO, you need to know =
its name,=20
 and then you can issue an ask command, which is like a radio broadcast =
only=20
 the "askee"&nbsp; hears.................. A simple =
implementation would=20
 be: 1. ask "turtle1 [setsh=20
 "choice1] or 2. ask [turtle1 =
turtle2 turtle3]=20
 [setsh "choice1] but usually, you'll be trying to change =
each into a=20
 different shape Which leads us to what I call the "flip-shape" =
magic=20
 trick at the command line type: ask =
"turtle1=20
 [setsh [bird1 bird2]] ask "turtle2 [setsh [bee1 =
bee2]] any=20
 movement command, even fake movement such as fd =
0=20
 in a turtle's instruction box, will cause a turtle set to a =
list of=20
 shapes to recycle to the next shape. To get an instruction box, right =
click on=20
 a turtle. now type twice or more, observing: <FONT=20
 color=3D#0000ff>ask [turtle1 turtle2][fd 0] watch each =
change to the=20
 next shape then, repeat the above, but after each ask =
command, <FONT=20
 color=3D#0000ff>type ask "turtle1 [show shape] observe the=20
 result. AND NOW, A VOYAGE: If you 1. Get to the =
shape=20
 editor, make two TV shapes, both 120 by 80 rectangles, =
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
 fill the colors light red and light blue &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; name =
them=20
 redTV and blueTV inside=20
 the shape editor &nbsp;&nbsp; Then hatch a turtle and name it=20
 "TV&nbsp;&nbsp; (right click gets you dialog box to do the=20
 renaming) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; while you've got the dialogue box =
open, set=20
 the instruction to, (wouldn't_cha guess)&nbsp; fd=20
 0 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Close the dialogue box, hop down to the =
command=20
 line, and &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; clothe your TV in the two shapes by =
typing in=20
 at the command line &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ask =
"TV [setsh=20
 [redTV blueTV]] then 2. Hatch a second =
turtle,&nbsp;=20
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rename it "Channel and set its shape to a list =
of=20
 assorted shapes, as in: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; setsh [jeep=20
 car boat sun tree flower] 3. Right click the Channel =
turtle and=20
 type in its instruction box&nbsp; fd =
0 4. Now=20
 find another empty box in the shape section, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and =
create=20
 a vertical rectangle that you'll in the shape editing window <FONT=20
 color=3D#ff0000>tv_remote 5. Drag the Channel turtle over =
the TV, and=20
 center it. 6. Hatch a third turtle, right click on it, naming it=20
 "remote. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At the command line,&nbsp; set its =
shape by=20
 typing &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ask "remote [setsh=20
 "tv_remote] 7. Right Click the remote and set its =
instruction to=20
 fd 0...... 8. =
FINALLY! &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
 click the remote and watch the channels recycle =
forward. What we=20
 didn't do, (tasks on credit!) Explain why you'd want two TV =
backgrounds,=20
 which would change by clicking on the tv. Imagine: You could use =
the=20
 reporter that tells you the shape of a turtle inside an <FONT=20
 color=3D#0000ff>ifelse command ifelse =
shape =3D=20
 "redTV [channelforward][channelbackward] which gives us =
some=20
 dramatic/traumatic tension, aka, "homework", in coming up with =
routines for=20
 advancing and regressing the shapes, the as yet still embryonic =
vaporware=20
 procedures channelforward and channelbackward. Of which the first =
is a=20
 piece of cake, but the second is more interesting Why is this =
icon=20
 manipulation important? It's an elegant visual intelligence =
manifestion of=20
 a case statement which Daniel presented to the forum a couple of =
months ago.=20
 By having a child select a channel, you can bypass words, and set up a =

  graphical environment in which the student is not insulted with =
instructions,=20
  but honored by discovering relationships...........<BR><BR>Answers =
soon to=20
  come, if no one has time to collaborate.<BR><BR>best regards,<BR>(Hope =
you got=20
  your money's worth&nbsp;&nbsp; :-),&nbsp;=20
  )<BR><BR>Harvey<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>At 07:06 PM 5/26/2004, you =
wrote:<BR>
  <BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite=3D"" type=3D"cite">This is an automatic =
message sent=20
    from the web form at:<BR><A=20
    href=3D"http://mia.openworldlearning.org/howdoi.htm"=20
    =
eudora=3D"autourl">http://mia.openworldlearning.org/howdoi.htm</A><BR><BR=
>from:=20
    07hassaa@mbc.qld.edu.au<BR>date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:25:25 =
-0600<BR><BR>How=20
    do you make another tutle change it's shape through a different =
turtle's=20
    =
procedure?<BR><BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________=
<BR>MWForum=20
    mailing list<BR>MWForum@lists.mathcats.com<BR><A=20
    href=3D"http://lists.mathcats.com/mailman/listinfo/mwforum"=20
    =
eudora=3D"autourl">http://lists.mathcats.com/mailman/listinfo/mwforum</A>=
<BR>Attachments=20
    archived at:<BR><A =
href=3D"http://www.mathcats.com/mwforum/attachments.html"=20
    =
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.mathcats.com/mwforum/attachments.html</A><B=
R>To=20
    unsubscribe or for administrative questions contact <BR><A=20
    href=3D"mailto:mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com"=20
    eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:mwforum-admin@lists.mathcats.com</A>=20
  </BLOCKQUOTE><X-SIGSEP>
  <P></X-SIGSEP><FONT face=3D"Bell MT">"Music is the one incorporeal =
entrance into=20
  the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind, but mankind =
cannot=20
  comprehend." <BR>Ludwig van Beethoven=20
<BR><BR><BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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