Robert Albrecht

From IAE-Pedia

Contents 1 About Robert (Bob) Albrecht 1.1 Writing 1.2 Math Education 1.3 Starting A Variety of Periodicals 1.4 Involved with MECC 1.5 Some Vita Items 1.6 Role in Creation of ICCE and ISTE 1.7 Current Adventures 2 Bob's Responses to Reader-posed Questions 3 References 4 Author

Everything I have done is only practice for what I will do. -- Laran Stardrake

[edit] About Robert (Bob) Albrecht

Bob Albrecht (aka George Firedrake; aka the Dragon) has played a major role in the development of Information Age Education. This document contains a few of the major highlights of his areas of contributions. Notice that his early involvement dates back at least to the early 1960s and that he is still actively engaged in working to improve education.

[edit] Writing

Bob is a prolific writer. He has authored and/or coauthored a very large number of books. His first three published books are:

• Computer Methods in Mathematics (December, 1968)
• Teach Yourself BASIC (1970)
• My Computer Likes Me (1972)

Some others from his list of more than 30 books include:

• Adventurer’s Handbook: A Guide to Role-Playing Games (Albrecht and Stafford). Reston, 1984.
• Play Together, Learn Together (Albrecht, et al). Grolier, 1986
• Simply Excel (Zamora and Albrecht). Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1992.
• Teach Yourself Visual Basic (Albrecht and Albrecht). Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1996.

[edit] Math Education

Here is the list of members of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Computer-Oriented Mathematics Committee that wrote the 49 page booklet:

Introduction to an Algorithmic Language (BASIC). Copyright 1968. Publisher: NCTM.

Notice that Bob and three of the other members are currently in the list of Pioneers in the field of Computers in Education. In the early days of computers in precollege education, it was often math educators who were leading the way.

Robert L. Albrecht

Sylvia Charp

David C. Johnson

Bruce E. Merserve

John O. Parker

Dina Gladys S. Thompson

William F. Atchison (Chairman)

[edit] Starting A Variety of Periodicals

One of Bob's characteristics has been that when he sees a problem that interests him, he does something about it. Time after time this has involved a high level of creativity. For example,the following is quoted from The History and Philosophy of Dr. Dobb's Journal:

The history of Dr. Dobb's Journal goes back to the earliest days of the microcomputer industry. In 1975, MITS created the Altair, the first real microcomputer. One of the few people who realized the significance of this event was Bob Albrecht, an ardent supporter of computer education for the masses. Albrecht had always believed that the general public should have access to computers and knew that the Altair and similar machines could make this happen. He also realized that widespread use of microcomputers was unlikely as long as the only language in which they could be programmed was assembly language.

Albrecht concluded that what was needed was a public-domain version of BASIC that could be distributed to microcomputer enthusiasts everywhere. He persuaded his friend Dennis Allison, a member of the Computer Science faculty at Stanford, to write a version of BASIC that was small enough to fit within the limited memory of the new machines.

Dennis and Bob originally published the design of "Tiny" BASIC in a quarterly tabloid, called "People's Computer Company" (PCC), in three parts during early 1975. PCC, which was created in the early 1970's by Bob, was devoted to computer games, BASIC programming and computers for the masses.

This is information written by Bob Albrecht and quoted from Bob Albrecht—Past Adventures:

It happened on a nice day in the summer of 1972, probably while enjoying drinking beer with friends at Pete’s Harbor. An idea: Wouldn't it be nice to start a periodical about personal access to computers for learners, teachers, anyone? As the beer dwindled, the idea grew.

Leroy Finkel was the business brain of our company called Dymax. He said we could do it if we could do it cheaply. The cheapest way we knew was to publish it in newspaper format. Inspired by Big Brother and the Holding Company, we called it People's Computer Company.

The first issue (October 1972) was created by LeRoy Finkel, Mary Jo Albrecht (now Mary Jo Bajada), Jerry Brown, Marc LeBrun, Jane Wood, Tom Albrecht (my son), and me. I was PCC's editor until fall 1976, when Phyllis Cole and Marc LeBrun took over. As Dragon Emeritus, I wrote San Andreas Fault Caper, Don Quixote Starship, Tiny Basic for Beginners, Make-Believe Computers, and Games for You to Program.

Leroy and Jerry and I wrote books, lots of books. Don Inman, Ramon Zamora, and others joined our author team. I wrote or coauthored 30+ books, including many beginner’s books about Basic. My last book was Teach Yourself Visual Basic by me and son Karl Albrecht, published in 1996. Enough! I quit writing computer books and plunged full-time into my real love: writing math & science instructional stuff for learners and teachers.

…

Albrecht and Allison decided to publish Tiny BASIC as a three part document in newsletter format and "Dr. Dobb's Journal of Computer Calisthenics and Orthodontia" was born. [Bold added for emphasis.]

Notice the mention of the People's Computer Company, which Bob started in 1972. Quoting from The PCC Archive Project Project:

The People's Computer Company published a number of different periodicals and books during the 1970s and 1980s. The primary focus of the archive will be PCC's flagship publication which began as PCC Newspaper and changed names several times in the course of its existence:

1. PCC Newspaper
2. People's Computers
3. Recreational Computing

In addition, PCC started and published several journals and books including The Computer Music Journal and Dr. Dobb's Journal. The Computer Music Journal was collected archivally from the start. DDJ has excellent on-line archives constructed and maintained by the commercial publisher.

[edit] Involved with MECC

The following is quoted from a [http://special.lib.umn.edu/cbi/oh/pdf.phtml?id=177) 1995 interview with Dale LaFrenz, one of the founders of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium.

O'NEILL: Were you using them [computers] in the lab school?

LAFRENZ: No, but we were looking for some way to get computers and kids together in 1963. One activity certainly was an outgrowth of the environment because in working in the Twin Cities area it was impossible to be unfamiliar

with what was going on in the world of computing. We had the vision that computing was going to have something to do with education and we wanted to get involved.

…

We were about to buy a U 422 for the U-Hi School. We had an arrangement whereby we could get one at a reasonable rate and put it in the classroom when along came a person by the name of Bob Albrecht. Bob was a graduate student [at the University of Minnesota] and had worked at CDC and was interested in computers and interested in education. There were five of us at that time who were working on this project -- Pam Katzman, David Johnson, Larry Hatfield, Tom Kieran and myself. Bob said, "What you should do is you should look into this thing called time-sharing and BASIC language which has just been announced." Kemeny and Kurtz, two professors at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, had implemented time sharing. We called Dartmouth and said, "That sounds exactly like what we want to do." Bob had described how you'd have this little typewriter hooked by telephone to a very large computer. We called John Kemeny at Dartmouth who was the head of the project and later to become president of the University. …

[edit] Some Vita Items

Quoting from Bob's 2005 Vita, he:

• Worked with Dick Raymond to help start Portola Institute, a non-profit educational corporation.
• Is a founder of People’s Computer Company, a non-profit organization devoted to educational, recreational, personal, and public uses of computers.
• Was the editor of People's Computer Company (the periodical) 1972 – 1977.
• Was the founder of the Learning Fair and co-director of the first Learning Fair at Peninsula School, Menlo Park CA.
• Was co founder with Dennis Allison of Dr. Dobb’s Journal, a professional journal of software tools for advanced computer programmers. I'm the "ob" of "Dobb."
• Was co founder with Don Inman of Calculators/Computers Magazine, a resource for teachers.
• Was co founder with Ramon Zamora of ComputerTown, USA, a community computer literacy project funded by the National Science Foundation.
• Invented the HurkleQuest game and continues to work with a number of elementary school teachers and their students who participate in this educational game by email.

[edit] Role in Creation of ICCE and ISTE

In 1977, Bob co founded Calculators/Computers Magazine. He decided to "fold" this magazine in 1979. He offered its remaining store of submitted and/or accepted articles and its advertising base to the Oregon Computing Teacher. The Oregon Computing Teacher was a periodical started by David Moursund in Spring of 1974. Moursund accepted the gifts, created and incorporated the non-profit organization International Council for Computers In Education (ICCE), and changed the name of the Oregon Computing Teacher to The Computing Teacher.

Ten years later Moursund changed the name International Council for Computers in Education to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the International Association for Computers in Education was merged into the renamed company. Eventually, the name of the periodical was changed to Learning and Leading with Technology.

Thus, as you can see, Bob Albrecht played a key role in the creation of ISTE. Over the years, he has written a great many articles for The Computing Teacher and for Learning and Learning with Technology.

[edit] Current Adventures

Recently (January, 2008) one of Bob's Hurkle messages included a reference to the song, Funicula, Funicula. I thanked him for the nice reference, and he replied via email:

You are welcome. Funiculi, Funicula is one of Hurkle's favorite songs. Bob's too. And George's. And Laran's. Some teachers have reported that they all sing it in their classrooms, especially after a successful HurkleQuest.

Interesting that Funiculi, Funicula is on a National Institutes of Health web site. I attribute my good mental health to whistling, singing, and dancing through life. When I was a kid in a small town in Iowa, everyone in town knew me as the kid who whistled and sang as he walked about. Later I was a piano bar hero, but that's another story for another time.

Note that NIMH has a nice site for children.

Bob is currently involved in tutoring (algebra, calculus, and physics) and in developing curriculum materials, including:

• Math Backpacks (algebra and calculus)
• Physics Backpack
• Play Together, Learn Together (systems of math games, grades 1-6)
• Starship Gaia (Solar System Astronomy, Exploration of Mars)

As of 4/26/2008 Bob has posted more than 80 instructional files at Curriki.org, and is feverishly writing more stuff.

• Go to Curriki and search for:

albrecht hurklequest [play-by-email game, grades 1 - 6]

albrecht wordsworth [intertwingled math & words, grades 1 and up]

albrecht game

albrecht number

albrecht [all that he has published through Curriki].

Bob and Brian Hanna write "Investigation Backpack," a column in The Oregon Mathematics Teacher (TOMT), the journal of the Oregon Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM).

• Go to Curriki and search for 'investigation'

Best and most fun current adventure: Bob & George (George Firedrake) run HurkleQuest play-by-email games for Oregon teachers and their students, grades 1-6.

• Search for 'hurkle' at IAE-Pedia
• Go to Curriki and search for 'hurklequest'

When tools become toys, then work becomes play. -- Bernie DeKoven

Reality expands to fill the available fantasies. -- Laran Stardrake

[edit] Bob's Responses to Reader-posed Questions

Q. I had read many of your writings over a period of years, when I first saw that you were co-authoring with George Firedrake. I had never hear of him. Considerably later, I learned that he was you. Can you tell me about the emergence of George Firedrake?

A. (This is a work in progress. Answer has not yet been provided.)

Q. Of all the many contributions you have made to the world of education, which ones are you most proud of?

A. (This is a work in progress. Answer has not yet been provided.)

Q. You have written an amazing number of books. Many of these books have been co-authored. It looks like you have helped many people get started in writing books. Can you tell us about why or how you have been so successful in this type of difficult collaboration?

A. I'm an only child. I meander through life looking for spirit brothers and sisters. Love working as a member of a team. Perhaps that is why I brought on George Firedrake. Bob and George – a team. Here we go.

It began with My Computer Likes Me (1972) by me. I wrote it, but much of the wonderment was created by Jerry Brown (Jerald R. Brown) and Mary Jo Albrecht. Their enhancement of what I wrote was a glimpse into the way to write stuff as part of a team. Thanks, Jerry. Thanks, Mary Jo, now Mary Jo Bajada.

Soon came BASIC (1973) and Atari Basic (1979) by Bob, LeRoy Finkel, and Jerald R. Brown, published in John Wiley & Son's new Self-Teaching Guide series. LeRoy's and Jerry's first books published by a major publisher. They were ready to be first authors.

LeRoy and Jerry wrote a bunch of Wiley Self-Teaching Guides:

Data File Programming in BASIC (LeRoy & Jerry)

Basic for the Apple II (Jerry & LeRoy)

Several more

And then Jerry wrote his tour de force, Instant BASIC in 1986. Jerry was a great graphics artist as well as a great writer. Jerry wrote Instant BASIC, laid it out graphically, and got it published.

Don Inman and Ramon Zamora joined the author team, and more books emerged, not necessarily in this order:

TRS-80 BASIC (Bob, Don, and Ramon)

More TRS-80 (Don, Ramon, and Bob)

Basic for Home Computers (Bob, LeRoy, and Jerry)

The Shareware Book (Ramon and Bob)

Simply Excel (Ramon and Bob)

Deskmate Made Easy (Ramon and Bob)

GW Basic Made Easy (Bob and Don)

QBasic Made Easy (Don and Bob)

Play Together, Learn Together (Bob, Ramon, Sheri Bakun, and Frona Kahn)

Et cetera, et cetera

Along the way Bob wrote a few solo books and a book about role-playing games with master game designer Greg Stafford:

TRS-80 Color Basic

Atari Basic XL Edition

Teach Yourself GW Basic

Adventurer's Handbook (Bob and Greg Stafford)

Bob's last computer book was Teach Yourself Visual Basic with son Karl as coauthor, published in 1996 by Osborne McGraw-Hill. Enough. Bob quit writing computer books and plunged full-time into his real love: writing math & science instructional stuff for learners and teachers.

A larger list of books authored or coauthored by Bob Albrecht is available at http://www.bookfinder.com/author/bob-albrecht/.

[edit] References

Albrecht, Bob and Firedrake, George (2004). DragonSmoke #01. Retrieved 7/17/07: http://www.starshipgaia.net/BobGeorge/DragonSmoke%5Cdragonmoke_01.pdf.

PCC (2001). The People's Computer Company Alumni Pages. Retrieved 7/17/07: http://www.svipx.com/pcc/.

Albrecht, Robert L. (1963). A modern-day medicine show. Reprinted from DATAMATION. Retrieved 8/24/07: http://www.rakahn.com/shared/medicine_show_1963.pdf. This article illustrates Albrecht's early involvement in the field of teaching precollege students to make use of computers. The work was done and the article was written while he was working for Control Data Corporation. Quoting from the article:

During the summer of 1962, the Denver, Colorado office of Control Data Corporation gave a course in the use of computers to a group of gifted mathematics students from Denver's George Washington High School (GWHS). Emphasis was placed on the use of a computer as a computational tool to assist students in solving mathematics problems. We had so much fun that we continued the course at GWHS through the 1962-63 school year, and extended the program to eight others schools in Denver and Jefferson counties. So far, more than 200 students have been introduced to the hardware as a handy device for getting answers to mathematical problems.

[edit] Author

The initial version of this page was written by David Moursund. Dave and Bob have been professional colleagues since about 1979.