[Yr7-10it] Re : .. Programming for all levels

[Kent Beveridge]

Having just read about Kevork's 'how I got started', its like a trip down memory lane for me. I cut my teeth in this business on a good ol'  PDP11's, VAX/VMS and Data General AOS/VS systems - all of the 'super mini' class. My first computer experience was the CYBER at RMIT with punched cards in 1982...boy, what a shock if you dropped the punched cards going to the computer centre to compile your job! Graveyard shifts, Winchester drives and lots of noisy impact printers going for it!
Seems my background is not entirely dissimilar to Kevork!
This is an intrigueing thread and, I feel, can indicate perhaps how some of us are attempting to involve our students in this industry.
 
 
Kent Beveridge,
I.T. co-ordinator
St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
Horsham
email.. kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
 
|<3|\|7  b3\/3r1D93 ?  ;-)

Wishes and Eggs, one you make and one you break!  A bit like promises.....
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________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Kevork Krozian
Sent: Tue 9/18/2007 7:58 AM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] Re : .. Programming for all levels 



Hi Folks,

    There were no computers at school and I picked up Computer Science in
1980 at Monash Uni with punch cards programming in Fortran. I continued with
formal programming wiht the VAX mini system, majoring in Comp Sci having
covered C, Pascal, Assembly, Ada and a few other variations.
   The course was more than programming. It was numerical computations, data
structures and a lot of mathematical analysis such as depth of binary trees,
searching and sorting algorithms etc.
   I had a few years in industry ( Oil rigs, CSIRO ) and when I did start
teaching standalones ( Apple II ) were the order of the day until a few
years later when LANs made inroads. From there, scripting and other needs
could be satisfied with programming solutions of all kinds.
  Some examples of in house custom built programming solutions implemented
at my school include :

    1. A full roll marking system with swipe cards and readers in each room.
    2. A lateness module with a barcode reader for library cards.
    3. Online subject selections for students
    4. Resource bookings on line ( rooms, hardware, etc )
    5. Web based Password changing modules for teachers ( a teacher anywhere
can change any student's password(s) anywhere )
    6. Internet traffic and surfing historiy monitoring
    7. LDAP authentication scripts to allow access to resources
 ... and many more

 Programming is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Solutions are
demonstrated to students for inspiration/motivation.

  So now, the idea is here is a problem, what is the best way to solve it ?
Should we use a web based solution ?  The answer is almost always yes.
 Should we use PHP , VBScript or something else ?
 Can we use existing databases to access data rather than produce a new
database ? Eg. Can we extract timetabling data from the SQL server to use
for room bookings rather than importing these to a new database ?  Almost
always YES.
 We are now working on a Moodle/Intranet combination individualised for each
teacher and student to allow logging on to access personal timetable, class
content as well as attendance, work due, and reporting. We might call it our
ultranet ..... :)))

Take Care
Kevork Krozian
Edulists Creator and Administrator
www.edulists.com.au
kevork at edulists.com.au

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Forster" <forster at ozonline.com.au>
To: "Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List"
<yr7-10it at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] Re : .. Programming for all levels


>> Anyway
>> How did you all learn programming?
>
> Fortran, mainframe, punched card with paperclip, undergraduate 1972
> Data General Nova assembler, 8k core memory, postgraduate, paper tape,
> self taught 1975
> Varicomposer, word processor for printing industry, 8"floppy, self taught
> assembler 1980
> Fortran, PC, research project, 1986, self taught
> MS Quick C, self taught, hobby, 1990
> Gamemaker, 2002, self taught, saw educational potential :-)
>
>
>
>
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