[Year 12 SofDev] SD U4O1 - ideas?

[Adrian Janson]

Hi Mark,

.... I thought the sample task in the advice for teachers was incredibly
insightful, interesting and relevant!  I'm sure the fact that I wrote it,
doesn’t make me biased AT ALL! :)

I do take your point that good RDBMS's can pretty much do what is required
(as any good ex-IPM / IT Apps teacher would argue) - but now that you have
'crossed-over' you will discover that programming a front end to a database
is many times more powerful....  A database fits into this SAC really well
as it can be located on a network server and accessed by many users, using
the same interface.

Your suggestions are all really good ones - however, in terms of the program
that students produce, I would want to stress a meaningful organisational
use.  

Cheers,
Adrian

Adrian Janson
VITTA President
Director of ICT
Melbourne High School
www.adrianjanson.com.au

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-----Original Message-----
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Mark Kelly
Sent: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 3:07 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] SD U4O1 - ideas?

Looking ahead to U4O1 - a program to be used on a network.  I am 
wondering what sort of tasks you guys and gals are considering for your 
tasks.

My kids are going to freak if they're expected to create something like 
the task in the 'Advice for teachers' in the study design (p.82) - 
programming databases in VB is not for the feint of heart (and frankly, 
the sample task is a bit redundant when real RDBMS can run over networks 
anyway...)

Tossing a few semi-useful ideas around, I considered:

- a program to send a file to a bunch of network directories (e.g. "send 
test.doc to FRE001, GEM002, TAS005")

- a centralised memo facility that people can go to and leave notes for 
each other

- a simple networked resource booking sheet

- a simple tool to log technical problems that need fixing

- a utility to recursively search multiple directories for certain types 
of banned files (a bit tricky, perhaps)

- a utility for dumb users which can automatically clean up network home 
directories by tossing files of given types into subfolders (e.g. all 
.jpg files in the root of the drive get tossed to the 'pictures' 
subdirectory)

- a simple encryption program to protect sensitive text data stored in a 
network drive.  (Maybe using a simple substitution or transposition 
algorithm) - or maybe a VB emulation of a 16-rotor Enigma machine?)

- a 'random joke of the day' dispenser

- a reverse-engineered version of Windows 2003 Server, crafted in VB.

Others?

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000
School Fax +613 95789253
kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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