Teaching CS in Dallas

Education should be fun

Alfred has a good point at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alfredth/archive/2012/04/28/fun-is-to-entertainment-as-education-is-to-training .

A lot of CS teachers at both the high school and the college level don't see it.

They have the luxury of a captive audience.

I don't. I have to get kids in my door. We have two classes next year that promise some fun and some education and I can't wait!

Sent from my Windows Phone

Just finished my 20th year of testing....

Well probably not, we still have ACP's, STARR tests, and probably the odd field test.

But we did finish TAKS 11st Grade Exit test which is a big milestone.  We'll do our last one next year.

 

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via www.apple.com

Okay, this is fair.

Who owns your files on Google Drive? | Internet & Media - CNET News

A quick analysis of Google's terms of service shows how the search company owns the files you upload the minute they are submitted, and can in effect do anything it wants to your files -- and that's final. But there is a small catch.

via news.cnet.com

I knew there was a reason to hate Google.

Now I need to know about Apple's iCloud.

More on Educational Philosophy

Told principal today:

Would rather do work that would make my students lives better than work that would make my life better.

I’m going to try to set up a job’s type board, for Web Mastering students so when someone wants me to design a website, I can send them to former students.

Surveillance Camera Shopping List

This should give you everything you need except the installer.  Mine charges $75 a hour.  I pay him more.

Shopping list for a Video Surveillance System.

The main part is the vide switch / Digital Video Recorder. This model
has been proven to be a best bang for the buck performer

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16CH-CCTV-H-264-Real-Time-Record-Network-DVR-w-2TB-HDD-/390175057590?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ad83ee6b6

For cameras these have been proven to be an inexpensive workhorse.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180713987951?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

You will then need cable and connectors
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIAMESE-CABLE-500FT-RG59-95-BRAID-SECURITY-CAMERA-WIRE-CCTV-BULK-VIDEO-POWER-/310345915733?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item48420edd55

I like the twist on BNC connectors because they can be reused.
for each camera, you need 2 connectors.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Twist-BNC-Male-RG59-Connector-CCTV-cameras-/360451132913?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ec8fcdf1

You will also need a power pigtail
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-DC-Power-Lead-male-pigtail-CCTV-camera-power-/200431314331?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eaaa3259b

And a power supply.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-Power-Supply-Box-CCTV-Camera-18-Port-12V-Pigtail-bpx-/120896553961?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c25ff03e9

Donor’s Choose

Doing REALLY well, I have all my thank you packages in for all of my completed projects:  I have had 15 projects funded this year, and completed.

I’m ending the year with two open projects, one for game programming and one of the robotics club:  http://www.kweaver.org/

And I have 10 points for next year.  That means I can do at least one special project, two if these projects get funded.

Tutoring

Dallas News has an article about this: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20120414-studies-find-students-rarely-benefit-from-tutor-program.ece and it’s something I’ve been wondering about myself.

First, I want to know how the students are being tutoring – my theory is that the students don’t need another session of a teacher talking to them.  It didn’t work the first time.  However, I see a lot of these going on at my school.

My theory is that the students need extra time, supervised by someone who can actually tell when the student solved the problem the wrong way and guide them to solve the problem the wrong way.

In my experience as a math teacher, your not as abled students don’t practice enough.  They also don’t have access to someone who knows how to work the problems.

I will admit to tutoring the above way at AP Sessions but those are different students with a different goal.  If I was running the program, I would tutor my way – give the kids extra time to work problems, supervise them so I know they are on task, check their answers and answer questions.

Funny that’s the way I teach and it works pretty well.

So how did I pull the footage off the DVR?

It takes a regular thumb drive.  Plug it into the DVR and search for the footage.  Select it and click on backup.  Unfortunately, only the DVRCMS software can play it, but I can use Camtasia to screen capture and save it (like I did in a previous post and for the Farmers Branch police.

Survelliance Cameras Work!

So about 4:34, we hear crash, skid. We look at the cameras and see nothing.  No damage.  About to go back to bed, and husband thinks to look north of us.  Sure enough, stupid car is still on Josey and not moving.  Call cops, go pull fence cam footage:

We’ve got another good view of it, but I haven’t figured out how to retrieve it.

And boy were the cops glad to see the footage.

BTW: stupid driver has no license and claimed he was texting. At least this one was a neighbor.

And the street was still dry, we hadn’t had rain yet.