What I do

I provide tutoring for elementary school math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and computer science. Contact TJ Leone at tj@tjleone.com or call 847-951-0127.

I teach courses throughout the year for the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University. See the Related Links section at right for more on gifted and talented programs, or check out my CTD page for info on other CTD courses I teach.

I spend as much time as I can working with the wonderful children and teachers at Chiaravalle Montessori School.

I'm currently working on some Mental Math pages.

Bits and Blocks

My Bits and Blocks classes (Levels 1 and 2) run each summer on the Northwestern campus. They are two of the many courses available for gifted and talented children through the Center for Talent Development.

Level 1 students will find course material on the Bits and Blocks page and at mywork.tjleone.com.

Level 2 course material is on the Bits and Blocks 2 page and the Bits and Block 2 Announcements page.

After Bits and Blocks

If your child took Bits and Blocks with me this summer and you'd like suggestions for what they can do next, here are some ideas:

Further CTD Courses

During the school year, CTD offers courses through three different programs, throughout Illinois and online. Suggested Bits and Blocks follow up courses are given below for each program.

Saturday Enrichment Program (morning or afternoon courses offered for 8 Saturdays in fall and winter, 6 Saturdays in spring)

Computer Gaming Academy I (offered in Evanston for students in grades 5 and 6. I recommend this one for students who have completed the first Bits and Blocks course. Might also be a nice review of Greenfoot for students who have taken Bits and Blocks Level 2)
Robotics I (for students in grades 5-7. Offered in Chicago, Evanston, Naperville, and Palatine)

Accelerated Weekend Experience (AWE) runs two day workshops on a range of topics for children in grades 5-8

Courses have not been posted yet. I'll probably do a Python course some time in the fall, and maybe a Scheme course. Either or both of these would be good for former Bits and Blocks student who will be in 7th or 8th grade in the fall. I'll post details on my web site (tjleone.com) when available.

Gifted Learning Links (nine week online courses)

Computer Gaming Academy (for students in grades 4-6. Game Academy II is available as an Independent Study)
Python I: Introduction to Computer Programming (for students in grades 6-8. Python II is available as an Independent Study)

Self-study

My favorite sites for MicroWorlds Logo are:

Microworlds.com, the website of the publishers of MicroWorlds Logo.
Logo Projects, a site by Cynthia Solomon, one of the founding mothers of Logo.
Rupert Russell's MicroWorlds Logo Links & Examples. This site has cool projects from kindergarten to university level.
Gary Stager's Logo Page. Gary Stager has been an author of documentation for MicroWorlds Logo for many years, is a former editor-in-chief of the Logo Exchange Journal and a Collaborator with the MIT Media Lab Future of Learning Group.

Advanced readers might enjoy the free, online three volume series by Brian Harvey called Computer Science Logo Style available at Brian Harvey's website. The text was based on a different version of Logo that can be downloaded from the web site. This text will be tough going for most students without help, but there are some interesting examples that your child might like to try out.

Bits and Blocks students might also enjoy the following sites, which include free, downloadable software and support: Scratch, Alice, and Greenfoot.

The standard text for Greenfoot is:

Michael Kolling, Introduction to Programming with Greenfoot: Object-Oriented Programming in Java with Games and Simulations. (Prentice Hall, 2009).

A cool book for Alice and Java is:

Wanda P. Dann, Stephen P. Cooper, and Barbara Ericson, Exploring Wonderland: Java Programming Using Alice and Media Computation. (Prentice Hall, 2009).

Private Lessons

In addition to my math tutoring (algebra through calculus), I also teach programming one on one. I have some slots available for private lessons in Scratch, MicroWorlds, Alice or Java beginning in the fall. My fee is $60 per hour.

Next Summer

If your child has completed the first Bits and Blocks course but will still be an Apogee student next year, I'm teaching Bits and Blocks Level 2, which I've designed as a bridge between the first Bits and Blocks course and the Java courses offered at the Spectrum level. Still lots of fun project work, but children will have the opportunity to build games and simulations in Java as well as MicroWorlds. You can also check out more details on the course at http://tjleone.com/bits-and-blocks2-logo-and-java.htm as I continue to review and work on ideas for next summer.

Site Map

Students

• Elementary
• Do online activities to learn about Turns and Sectors (elementary)
• Download Circular Reasoning to learn about angles, explain what you've learned, and create art (elementary)
• Learn to describe, measure and create angles and how they relate to turns and sectors
• Deepen your understanding of angles, shapes and rational numbers with Rational Numbers in Geometry online activities (elementary)
• Learn how to control turtle behavior, create cool patterns, and tell stories with MicroWorlds Logo
• Secondary
• Learn about algebra using the online textbook Beginning Algebra and MSWLogo or Berkeley Logo
• Use NetLogo to explore Statistical Research
• Get an introduction to trignometry by drawing triangles with Logo
• Use Logo to learn the basics of precalculus
• Explore visual art through programming

Parents

• Arrange private tutoring in math or computer science for your child in grades 1 through 12
• See the local and online classes I'm teaching through Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development
• Find out about ongoing and upcoming studios I teach at Chiaravalle Montessori School

Teachers

New information on my upcoming talks at NCTM conferences and a new article on introducing turtle geometry in the Montessori classroom.

• Read about an activity that helps young children distinguish the angle attribute from other attributes like area or length..
• Learn how to use Fraction Circles and Polygons. to help kids learn about external angles and prepares them to draw polygons in Logo.
• Understand the math behind the pattern found on the top of Montessori's binomial cube box.

Curriculum and educational software designers

• Mining Montessori Design Patterns
• Montessori Design Patterns
• Colored Sectors:  Applying a Montessori Design Pattern to the Problem of Angle Representation
• Circular Reasoning: Applying Montessori Design Patterns to Development of Software that Supports Explorations in Geometry for Elementary School Children

Researchers

• For my research, I start with the idea that Montessori's design principles can and should be used to develop educational software that helps kids understand geometry
• I'm planning a literature review of related background material.
• I'm also looking for ways to apply Contextual Inquiry in Montessori classrooms to educational curriculum, materials and software design.
• From a review of literature, Contextual Inquiry, and my own recollections and experiences, I'd like to collect a set of design patterns that others find useful.
• I also want to test out my designs, design process, and design patterns.
• Ultimately, this should help me refine and implement a number of lesson ideas.
• I'd also like to learn more about what other Montessorians are doing with computers.
• And I'd like to share outcomes of my own work, like my Thinking About Circles class.

Leone Learning Systems, Inc. (LLS) is a North Shore company that provides online courses for kids anywhere and local teaching and tutoring services for students in Chicago and the Northern Suburbs of Chicagoland. LLS also provides a free geometry software package for children age 6 and up, and free resources for teachers and parents. This site includes information about tutoring and classes provided, learning activities for kids, lesson plans, and ongoing software and curriculum research and development efforts.

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