Day 9: Cont. - Sending Binary Messages  (The Internet Simulator)

Purpose: Understanding How Information is sent Digitally From One Computer to Another.
Intro:
During the previous class, you and your partner used an internet simulator to communicate.
Class Review: Here are three terms we defined in the last class…

• What is the definition for Computer Science that we touched upon two days ago?
• Why do we use Binary questions when communicating between computers?
• What is a Bit?

Journal Entry: Please answer the following questions… (indv. Then with Partner.)
Yesterday you used the Internet Simulator. Answer the following questions with your partner.

• What were we suppose to learn by using it and
• What were the steps we were to follow in order to successfully use it?
• What are some of the problems you and your partner faced?
• What guidelines or procedures did your partner and you try to establish in order to have the Simulator work better for you? (Creating rules and procedures is also known as what?)

Reflection: I personally found this simulator hard to use. As I reflect on my experience I realize it doesn’t matter if my partner and I succeeded at Sending and Receiving Binary responses. I realized that the Designers of this activity had two goals in mind:
1. Have us understand how computers communicate back and forth using a binary language, and
2. They wanted us to STRUGGLE and then develop our own protocols that would help us succeed. The issues that were encumbering our success had to do with:

• The amount of time we allocated for each of us to Read and Send A Binary Code. We set it to 2 seconds and it still felt just too fast.
• We never seemed able to synchronize our actions. We kept sending information at the same time
• We never set a “Stop Activity” time.

I would like us to take a 2nd shot at successfully using the Internet Simulator. Below are the Protocols I am going to recommend my partner and I use:
Step #1: Write a Binary Question (one question with two answers) with my partner: Eg. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Step #2: The partners will send each other single Bit messages answering the Binary Question above. The Partners need to agree as to what A & B represent.  A = Cat  &  B = Dog.
The challenge in this activity is making sure that when the “Sender” puts out a message, the “Receiver” is listening.
Step #3: Partners need to agree to who is going first. That person can then send their answer. – They should talk out loud so that each partner knows when they need to act.
Step #4: Start this activity without the pressure of a Timer!

The Process: Partner X types in ‘AorB’ and selects “Send”. Partner Y clicks  “Read,” states the letter that they received and then then types in an answer and “clicks” now clicks “Send.”
After several successful rounds, regroup and try to increase the speed by eliminating the talking. The partners should edit the protocols so that this new goal is achievable (eventually try to Send 2 Bit and finally 3Bit answers – make sure you rewrite the protocols. You should factor in plenty of transition time – a timeline may help.).
Try for 15 min.

Regroup: What are some of the protocols you and your partner established that helped you communicate more easily on the simulator? (share with class).

Purpose: Students will have a better understanding as to how the Internet works.
Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhEf7e4kopM
 
As you watch the video, define the following:
Internet: A tangible physical system made to move information.

Bandwith: The maximum transmission capacity of a device.
Bitrate: The number of Bits per second that a system can transmit.

Latency: The amount of time it takes 1 Bit to travel from sender to receiver.

What are the three mediums by which we physically send Bits of information today?
What types cables do we send Bits over and what are the pros and cons for each

Video: The Internet – IP Addresses and DNS
An explanation on how computers/servers are able to find each other and connect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o8CwafCxnU
(Take a short break and show students how to connect from the class laptop to the class printer using the IP address and DNS protocols.