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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN
LIMA NEWSLETTER -- 1993
~~~~~ TI-101 ~~~~~
OUR 4/A UNIVERSITY
by Jack Sughrue
Box 459
E.Douglas MA 01516
#6 THE COURSE TEXTS
In order for you to pass this
course, Class, you have to have a
decent working knowledge of the
texts. Now, here is where we
practice lots of flexibility (which,
you may have noticed, abounds in this
classroom). There are so many
wonderful texts (and a few dogs)
available for our TI, even now, that
you should consider at least three
for essential reading and the final
projects. These will be worth
one-third of your entire grade.
By texts I mean textware: the
printed materials for your TI's.
These would include your very best
source, of course: the newsletters
that come with club membership. This
newsletter networking is THE BEST
SOURCE of all because you are part of
a group, even by long-distance mail.
Another essential source of
educational and survival materials is
the magazine devoted to your specific
computer. There have been many, but
there is only one
left: MICROpendium. It's the only
international source for all things
(including advertisements) TI or
Geneve. To own and use your computer
to the fullest extent and not
subscribe to MICROpendium is like
owning a marvelous pair of eyeglass
frames but not getting around to
putting the lenses in so you can see
properly. The subscription (from
P.O.^Box 1343, Round Rock, TX 78680)
is only $25 per year. Tiny price to
keep your great computer great.
The third source is what we're
discussing today, Class. And, yes,
Ms.^Bronte, this will include
references to adult learners as well
as to children.
The third source is the texts
available. Note the word
"available," Class. Availabilty of
text written a decade ago may seem
impossible, but not so. Most user
groups have extensive libraries of
texts for long-term loan.
Individuals within groups sell off
their text materials often. Such
text materials can be found very
inexpensively at every TI fair in
America and Canada. And, again,
MICROpendium lists agents and
individuals from whom you may
purchase lots of printed materials.
For example, if you all look up here
for a moment. I am holding the
latest copy of THE magazine. Those
up back can't see it, so I'll read it
to you. "99-cent Book Blowout!" It's
a publisher's clearance. You can buy
books at 99 cents each. These include
the following: THE ELEMENTARY TI,
GAMES TI's PLAY, COMPUTER PLAYGROUND,
PROGRAMS FOR THE TI COMPUTER, USING
&& PROGRAMMING THE TI, INTRO TO
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE, and Volumes I &&
II of GAME WRITERS PACK and STARTER
PACK, both packs from England. Some
come with disks and/or cassettes at
additional charges. But the point is
this: these are still new books that
cost on the average $12-plus when
they first came out. They are still
the same good books, still new to
anyone who has not read and used
them, and still available at almost
giveaway prices. Not all ten of
these books will suit every learner,
but there is certainly something for
everyone included in this collection.
And that's just from the TEXCOMP ad
(P.O.Box 33084, Granada Hills CA
91344; Phone: 818 366-6631). There
are other advertisers in classifieds
that also offer all kinds of text
materials. So, Class, the stuff is
available to anyone who wants it.
And did I mention Barry Traver?
No? Wow! How is it possible that we
are practically through this semester
on such an important topic as the
TI-99/4a computer and I did not
mention its greatest advocate, the
man who has done as much for the TI
as any spokesperson for any
organization that I know of. Rather
than list all Barry's writing and
speaking and programming efforts, his
work on BBS's and for various
magazines, his appearances at
numerous fairs, I will just mention
the relationship he has to the
present topic, though I'm not sure it
might be better saved until we
discuss things next class. Ah, well,
what the hell. Barry has a wonderful
educational tool in the form of a
diskazine. This diskazine is called
GENIAL TRAVELER. The "zines" have
been nothing short of remarkable.
Volume after volume have been rich
with educational wonders and
remarkable, big bonuses. You have to
experience GT to appreciate the
jam-packed series. There's nothing
like it.
Though I've given you Barry's
address in a previous class, I'm well
aware that some of you have not taken
careful notes. Barry can be reached
at 835 Green Valley Drive,
Philadelphia PA 19128. I think when
you send off for your magazine
subscription today, you should also
send a note to Barry asking about the
cost of the numerous disks in his
volumes of great materials.
What made me think of Barry is
that one of the disks includes the
second most complete list of all TI
publications there ever was. A
little synopsis goes with each. The
first most complete list was in a
series called NEW-AGE/99 by some old
geezer from Massachusetts. I can't
think of his name now, but I'm sure
you can find references to him when
you go searching through newsletters.
He did a lot of reviews, too, but I
think he approached things more from
a visceral level than an intellectual
one. Anyway, Barry's your better
source here because of all the other
things contained in the GT disks.
Now where was I, Class? Oh, yes,
texts and tests. You'll be having
some of this on the final, so wake up
in the back, stick your gum behind
your ears, and listen up! With your
pencils.
Before I go any further, TI-ing
or otherwising, I have to insist you
get your hands on a copy - any copy -
of THE SECRET GUIDE TO COMPUTERS by a
bizarre and hilarious genius by the
name of Russ Walter (22 Ashland
Street #2, Somerville MA 02144-3202).
This 8X11, 600-plus page,
mindbogglingly wonderful book for
layman or technowhiz is bursting at
the seams with all you'll ever need
to know about computers. Now in its
16th edition, it's a steal at $15,
but if you order two they are $12
each. Four or more are $9 each,
shipping and taxes (except
Massachusetts) included, so hook on
with some friends or your user group.
Once you have this remarkable and
remarkably readable book in your hand
(considered the world's top-rated
tutorial by a list of experts and
novices as long as your arm and a lot
longer than mine), you will never
again be the same; nor will your
computer. You simply have to
experience "Russy-poo" in order to
understand that his is THE essential
book for any person who owns a
computer.
That aside, let's look at some
very specific educational text
materials for our TI.
First, there's a problem. When
we talk educational text material, we
must eliminate the modules and
anything related to LOGO, as we will
deal with these educational items on
a particular basis in future classes.
Second, we must define
educational in the specific context
with which we have been structuring
these classes. That means we really
have to eliminate the "learning" that
comes only from learning about the
computer. Texts that teach us how to
write programs, for instance, or
texts that teach us how to balance a
budget using our wonderful machine,
are not really appropriate here, but
typing in programs that specifically
deal with education DO fit our class
requirements. For example, the
C.W.Engel book STIMULATING
SIMULATIONS FOR THE TI-99/4A
published in various forms from 1977
to 1984 by Hayden Publishers, was the
first important educational tool for
me. Not only did it have detailed
instructions and flowcharts for each
of the type-in programs, but it had
enough errors from translating the
programs from other computers to the
TI that the intellectual puzzles of
figuring out what went wrong and
correcting it were wonderful
educational opportunities. Many of
the programs were "intellectual"
games, rather than arcade. Later,
with toots and whistles, they became
more "arcadey" in other people's
books, including other Hayden books.
Hayden published the most TI-specific
books. I wish they still did.
Ah, well. STIMULATING
SIMULATIONS, though, is not the kind
of text we need to locate and use for
educating our youngsters and new
oldsters.
The best book of the learning to
program type is KIDS AND THE
TI-99/4A, which also leads to some
eduational programs, too. It's the
clearest, most direct, easiest
"programming" book. Done in 33
lessons, it is still used in many
classrooms today; not just with TI's
but with other computers, also, and
at very young grade levels. THE
ELEMENTARY TI, mentioned in that
TEXCOMP list earlier, is probably the
best of that sort for adults.
But the kind of books which best
exemplify the educational aspects of
the programs typed in - in other
words, the LEARNING FUNCTION - are
the ones I'll hold up now and give a
say a word or two about. Another one
from the TEXCOMP 99-cent list is
COMPUTER PLAYGROUND (Datamost's TI
version). Although this can be
classified as a beginner programming
book, it is so unusual that the logic
it teaches in an incredibly
entertaining way makes it a real
winner for any learner. (It's geared
for Grades 2-7.) The book is a
combination workbook/coloring book
and deals with BASIC in such a
puzzle-solving way that it becomes,
itself, a complete course in
thinking. It stands alone.
This is not to be confused with
TI PLAYGROUND by Fred D'Ignazio,
another Hayden book. Fred also wrote
a similar book called TI WONDERLAND.
Both books include programs written
by students, and ALL the 40-plus
programs are written FOR students.
Each chapter is an educational game
that is introduced with a section for
parents and teachers and another for
kids. Each game has one educational
feature (such as subtraction) and
follow-up activities that allow an
almost unlimited number of
modifications. The programs aren't
just alphabet and number programs.
Because it's a TI, the computer is
able to have programs that teach
color and music and drawing and
hand/eye coordination very readily
through these marvelously childlike
and truly sophisticated programs.
Very easy to type in and change all
along the way. Lots of very positive
rewarding, too.
Lest you think Hayden was the
only publisher for TI - though I'd
recommend you seek out their other
books - there were many others, as
you can see from these piles on my
desk. Take, for example, TI GAMES
FOR KIDS put out by COMPUTE!, one of
the very best publishers of TI stuff,
including Regena's two classics.
TI GAMES FOR KIDS proclaims its
purpose right on the cover here:
"Turn your TI into a teacher.
Thirty-two games that teach and
entertain, ready to type in and run."
This book takes the trouble to
identify each of its activities by
age level (3 to 17/adult) and
educational function and subject:
strategy, logic, memory,
coordination, language arts, social
studies, math, etc. (Strategy games
include an excellent version of Fox
and Geese, by the way.)
As I look over these other books,
it's hard for me to say which I would
recommend the most for educational
use. I have a public school teacher
friend who still uses the TI in his
class. His favorite educational book
is TERRIFIC GAMES FOR THE TI99/4A by
Hal Renko and Sam Edwards. Let's
see, this is published by
Addison-Wesley. It has small size
and type but is plenty thick. It
contains some neat little drawings,
to which you people up front can
attest, for the 30-plus games. There
are some unusual ones here: Genius at
Work, Escher, Rainbow Square Dance,
The Wolf and the Five Little Goats,
Shakespearian Shuffle, Mini Mancala,
and so on. Good stuff.
Remember, now, most of these are
not made to be super arcade games.
They are made to be typed in -
usually with lots of explanations and
helpful hints - and are meant to
teach something while entertaining.
And they do that well.
One of the most popular books
ever of this sort was (and is) Steve
Davis's PROGRAMS FOR THE TI HOME
COMPUTER, self published in large
8X11 format. Although the type-in
programs included many utility
programs, the majority were
educational or verging on the
educational (like "Bar Graph Printer"
and "Talking Calculator," for
examples). There are very few people
who did not get hung up on the
probabilty games like "Ten-Up" and
"Lucky Seven" or the maddening "Echo"
of Simon fame. He even has a "French
Teacher" program and a "Speed
Reader." One of the best.
Scholastic book publishers
released a pile of multi-computer
large format books, each containing
about 40 programs for elementary
school children to type in and use.
Here's an example: COMPUTER OLYMPICS.
Each of the books has a theme. This
one is all Olympics. It opens with
the torch that lights the Olympic
Flame. There are programs that teach
words in various languages; some that
let you recall other records; some
that require some math skill (like
the weightlifting one) or word skill
(like the rowing one). All are
simple to type in, no matter what
your computer, if you follow the
rules on the various basics, and all
are simple to execute. Actually, with
the built-in motivation of the
Olympics in Spain, this book on
summer Olympics is perfect for
teaching at home or school. Look
into the other Scholastic books, too.
They also teach you lots about the
various basics, if you want to do
some explorations. With the TI,
though, you can easily slip in some
color and sound not readily available
on other computers listed in these
books.
Because our time is running short
and we only have a couple more
classes this semester, I've got to
finish off with these last two books,
but, as you can see, I haven't even
been able to talk about all these
others in these piles. At the last
TI fair I went to, Ipicked up
additional copies of 19 different
titles of TI books! (And paid a grand
total of $15, by the way.) Now
everyone will be able to take two and
give a two-minute review of each next
time. You may come up and sign out
two (or three, if you're interested
in extra credit) to do for your
reviews and your end-of-term
projects.
Meanwhile, let me just mention
these last two books. If you can get
yourself a copy of Richard Mowe and
Ron Mummaw's ACADEMIC TI, do it; even
if you have to pay the full $12.95.
It's worth it. Published by Reston
in 1984 (one of the newer books
mentioned today), it was one of the
few books totally devoted to TI as an
educational tool. It told parents
and teachers how to get the very most
out of our computer EDUCATIONALLY.
When you read the articles and do the
worksheets and explore the options
from modules to disks to LOGO to word
processing and so on, you will be
astounded at how magnificent our
machine is and how out-of-date it
isn't. It still does all the
educational things it was geared up
to do better than any other machine
out there. Which is not to say it is
as sophisticated as some of the
biggies, but what it does
educationally it still does better
than anyone.
And the last book. Remember
this, anyone? Ah, it's good to see
so many hands up. THE BEST OF 99er
is still around a lot of fairs and
user groups. It's 368 8Xll pages are
jampacked with all the goodies that
made the 4a the prize goodie of all.
And Regena was really kicking up her
heels in this one. Do you recall
"Name That Bone" and all the Homework
Helpers? The Computer Assisted
Instruction was so popular with the
TI then, the term was simply CAI.
And everyone understood it. There
was so much of it around for parents,
teachers, and other kinds of humans.
The BEST OF 99er is one of the very
best.
So, Class, unless there are any
questions, come and sign up for your
books and ... Yes, Mr.^Shakespeare?
What do I consider the Mother of All
TI Books? Hmmm. Well, my personal
favorite for more reasons than I can
begin to list, including some super
educational reasons, has got to be
Paul Garrison's THE LAST WHOLE
TI99/4A BOOK: PROGRAMS AND
POSSIBILITIES, published by Wiley
Press in 1984. Even after all these
years it is still my preferred TI
piece of textware. It's 460 pages
are lucid, witty, intelligent,
relevant, and very worthwhile. The
tutorials and the programs are
excellent. They DO provide unlimited
possibilities for growth. I never
loan out my only copy of that one.
Sorry.
Until next time then. Don't
forget to bring your book reviews and
all of your modules.