Problem solving

For Roger

2007-12-10T19:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071209/182926.shtml

Object Oriented....

2007-12-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

Click here.

Why did they write the paper?
What is the crisis in software?
What are 'mappers'? What are 'packers'?
What is the relationship between mapping and OO?
What the heck does this mean?

Nuke them. Twice.
Rip apart their rigid, predictable feudal society.
Tell them the invader will be coming around tomorrow.
Leave them nothing for supper.
What are the two main groups of programmers? Which do you think you'd be?
How do knowledge packets relate to software engineering?
According to the author (in Mappers and Packers) how has school changed in the past, sya, 100 years?
According to the author, how does not having a map affect your life?
How can 'packing' go terribly wrong?

Final exam! Due December 13th before 10 pm

2007-12-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

For your last assignment, you are going to get creative with ALICE!

First think of a theme and write it on your blog.

At startup of your world, you need a METHOD that begins when your world starts. (20 points). Next you will have another METHOD that runs (20 points) and finally the two will run concurrently (10 points).

You are going to have two EVENTS via keys on the computer which influence behavior in your world (20 points). Next you will have two EVENTS via the mouse clicks which influence behavior in your world (20 points). Write all four EVENTS on your blog.

Lastly you will write the psuedocode on your blog that would be necessary to achieve this effect if one was to code this outside of ALICE. (10 points)

(If you can't think of a unique theme, consider chapter 6, Fly Space Collision which is under the example worlds in the textbook. )

Blogging assignment!

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First you are going to find an article from today's slashdot.org and summarize it on your blog.

Continuing with the Zeus example...

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Today you will create two different EVENTS to go along with your Zeus example.
These EVENTS will utilize METHODS.

When you type "P" on the keyboard, Plato needs to respond with a dance.
When you click on Plato he needs to stand up and think something "deep".

When you type "S" on the keyboard, Socrates needs to respond with a dance.
When you click on Socrates he needs to stand up and think something "deep".

When you type "Z" on the keyboard, Zeus needs to respond with a stormy sky and thunderbolts.

There also needs to be an opening montage!

2007-11-23T09:37:00.001-08:00

Today's assignment!

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First you are going to open a "New World" and click on Textbook and Ch04BeatleBand. You are going to make the "Beatles" put on a show!!!!

Next you are going to open Chapter 5-6 Zeus and make an accurate Greek story!

This will be classwork. If you were absent please save your work and email the saved version (A2W) to me ASAP.

Test on Wednesday November 14th

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Take Home Test #3

(Emailed to me by Saturday November 17th, 2007...each day late is a letter grade down!)

What is an array?
Why would you need to declare an array?
How do arrays and loops work together?
Use pseudocode to define an array with 50 elements. Make each element equal to 0.
Use pseudocode to define an array of 10 elements. Put the names of three cities from Miami-Dade inside the first three positions of the array.
Use pseudocode to loop through an array of 10 elements and determine whether or not each position in the array is bigger than 5.
Arrays start at what position? (0? 1? 2? etc)
Use pseudocode to create an array with 10 elements. Put 2 in the first, 4 in the second element and so on. The array should only contain even numbers that are multiples of 2 (last number will be 20).
Use pseudocode to create an array with 5 student's scores on an exam. Using a loop and a logical comparison, sort the scores from smallest to largest.
Use pseudocode to create an array with 5 student's scores on an exam. Using a loop and a logical comparison, sort the scores from largest to smallest.

Assignment for November 7th 2007

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page 247 #7, #11

Don't forget about the assignments from Monday!

See you guys next class!

page 247 1-3

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page 246 -247 1-3

2nd half

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What is computer programming and how does the class "Problem Solving" relate to the act of programming a computer?

More about looping!!!

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page 209-210 #5-9

Here's the example we did in class:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc65q8nz_153g5jqbz

Slashdot.org article time summarized on your blog!

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Please read an article here:

http://slashdot.org/

and sum it up on your blog!

Classwork / Homework

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page 122 6,7 and 9

Due before Friday October 19, 2007

Take home test due Tuesday October 23

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First half of the test....second half when this is completed. Email me your answers. DO not put answer on blog.

10 points
Identify a common problem Jones college may encounter which could be solved by a computer program.

10 points
Write out what your program will do to fix the problem in plain English.

10 points
Design a class diagram for your program.

10 points
Write out the methods needed to complete your program.

10 points
Write out the complete pseudocode for your program.

EMail me at david.freer@gmail.com

Next assignment

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page 78 2 - 7 on blog.

Due before next class. You may email me with questions!

Check out my comment on Slashdot.org

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http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=312533&cid=20818397

Read the comments

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Next assignment.
Read the comments here:

http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot/07/09/29/2027210.shtml

Create a slashdot account and leave your two cents. Then leave a link to your comment on your blog.

What to know for the first test:

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Understand the following terms:

Logic
Programming language
Pseudocode
object-oriented programming
methods
coding
variable
class
data types
Be able to write out the pseudocode for simple applications like a tax bracket calculator, a price-comparison program, and a credit card balance calculator (problem 8 on page 29).
objects
inheritance
polymorphism
encapsulation
Know how to do CLASS DIAGRAMS.
protected variables
private variables
Review the "REVIEW QUESTIONS" at the end of chapter 1 and 2.

Good luck!!

Google Sets

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Check it out!

http://labs.google.com/sets

First test September 26th

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Chapter 1 and 2 Test on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007!

Next assignment

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You are to complete exercises 1-5 on page 52 on your blog.

DF

Today's assignments!

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Each of the following four questions will need to be in their own posts:

First you will write out the pseudocode to make a BK Whopper.
Next you will take the pseudocode and give proper variable names to all variables needed for the program.
Next you will create the necessary methods for the BK Whopper program.
Lastly you will document the BK Whopper program. What is it for? Why would anyone ever need to SIMULATE the creation of a BK Whopper?

Next you will create a post answering questions 2, 3, 6 from page 28-29. Each answer should be in a separate post!

#2. In your own words, describe the steps to writing a computer program.

#3. Lakeview Towers is being constructed as a high-rise apartment building in a downtown urban district. The managers of the building want to create a simulation of daily elevator use to plan for the optimum number of elevators so that elevators are neither idle too frequently nor cause more than a one-minute wait for any resident. What sorts of objects should be created to use in a simulation of potential elevator activity?

#6. Write the pseudocode for an application that allows a user to enter the price of an item and computes 5% sales tax on the item.

First assignment at home!

2007-09-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

First homework assignment is to download Alice from here:

http://www.alice.org/

and install it on your computer at home. Then you are to run the very first tutorial.

Email me at david.freer@gmail.com when you are finished! Let me know how the first tutorial went.

Lawsuit against Google Second article from slashdot.org

2007-09-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/accc-in-court-over-google-search-results/20070410-y7p.html

This article describes the lawsuit against Google which is a bit confusing at first. Google allowed Trading Post to include advertisements for which they paid Google. People would click on the Trading Post ads, which Australia claims does not give consumers enough information to conclude they are actually advertisements!

This is a problem for consumers. People unknowingly click on ads all the time on the Internet without even knowing they are ads. I don't think this deserves a lawsuit however. Google runs a free service. If you don't like the quality of their searches, don't click on it.

But I'm disappointed a bit with Google as well. This Trading Post business seems like bad policy and while I don't believe it deserves a lawsuit, I do believe that Google should reconsider. Remember there was a time when Google allowed no advertising at all. Obviously those days are gone forever and Adwords is here to stay. But Google should make it abundantly clear when people are clicking on a paid link!

First article summary

2007-09-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/0,39029477,49292669-1,00.htm

This article, written by a British author, obviously suffers from every cliche in the book. The narcissistic myspace user, the geeky slashdot reader, the wikipedian who can't get it right.

Did this article even need to be written? What is this, an introduction to the Internet for those who have been asleep for the past decade? Guess what! There's more to online life than just AOL these days!

But seriously, someone who doesn't do more than check their yahoo mail might get a lot out of the article. It might even get someone to check out some of the earth-shattering work going on at some of the sites. Wikipedia IS a cultural phenom. Myspace has changed relationships for young people and Flickr has some kick-ass pictures. Web 2.0 is here to stay, where you visit DOES say something about you.

Day 1, Day 2

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Day 1: Introductions to programming, algorithms, and the course.

Day 2: Creating class blog and student blogs. Review three articles and the following definitions:

Java, C++, FORTRAN, COBOL, C, algorithm, object oriented.

Students now have logins and teacher has a login. Excellent progress.