Information Technology Fluency II - CIT12

Weekly Schedule

Week Information
Assignments due in one week unless otherwise stated. I may add some things during the week, so double check the schedule each week!
Notes and assignments #5
Summer 2007
Part #1:
Please read this article: Alice and programming
Please read chapter #20. You should look at my PowerPoint presentations on functions and other aspects of JavaScript. It would be great if you give this Extra Credit JavaScript assignment a try. I will give some credit for a serious effort.
Assignments:
Portfolio Information:
Templates for portfolio (can make your own or modify these - extra credit if you make your own):
index.html
portfoliotablecontents.html
Then you should upload some samples of your work and have the table of contents above point to these examples. You can use Brinkster for your portfolio. Please do not put up identifying information.
I want you to write a short paper (about a page) on whether you enjoyed using Alice, whether you think it gets the idea of programming across, and what you learned about programming from experimenting with Alice.
I want you to develop a portfolio using HTML. It should include links to some of your work.
Extra Credit: JavaScript Problems

Part #2:
Please read the last two chapters in the book.
Assignments:
I would like you to develop a portfolio at: Digication Spotlight
Again, I want samples of your work and no identifying information.
I also want the portfolio you developed in HTML - I need two portfolio collections.
Extra credit: JavaScript write your own quiz assignment OR
Do a Alice project that is very active and involved following the module setup in assignment #10.
Note: If you decide to write your own JavaScript quiz it has to be your own work. If you check sites on line for ideas, please list the sites you used. You can certainly get ideas on doing the code from them, but it cannot be code you borrow and alter.

Part #3:
Let me know when you want me to send you the final. You will have one week to do it.
Notes and assignments #4
Summer 2007
Part #1:
I want to spend more time with Alice this week and I want to start looking at it as a a programming language. Please look at the PowerPoint example and the zipped examples of bouncing balls. I am going to be asking you to write an Alice that has housekeeping/processing/wrapup and other modules as I did in my examples. I just hope you are more creative!!!
ballsbounce examples zipped
Alice programming
If you go to presentations, you can get a zipped version of this presentation that might be easier to see.
Assignments:
Alice Assignment: I want you to write a program using modules, 2 kinds of loops, an if/else and an if/else with an embedded if/else. I want you to do a startup/housekeeping/initialize module, a process module that handles other modules and a wrapup module. Look at my examples (zipped copies of the programs) and PowerPoints on ballsbounce and randomnumber to help with this assignment.

Part #2:
Please read chapter #18 (Get with the program).
Please read chapter #19 (A JavaScript Program).
JavaScript is our latest topic. Please look at my PowerPoint presentations on JavaScript. This week you should focus on the presentation that covers events. You should also look at my examples. Again, focus on events.
Assignments:
I would like you to do some research on JavaScript and find a good tutorial. Post it on your blog (send me the address when you have done this).
I would also like you to post it on the new del.icio.us site that I have just put up at your web site.
Contact me for the password.
If you have problems with this, just post it on a del.icio.us site of your own and give me the link. JavaScript events assignment

Part #3:
The book goes much deepter into JavaScript then we will. Please skim, look over the remaining JavaScript chapters for hightlights and things you can use.
You should also look at the PowerPoint, examples and find a good tutorial on JavaScript to work with.
Looking ahead: We are going to start to put together an electronic portfolio for the next few weeks so think about some things you can put on line. The goal would be to gather some things you can use when job hunting, although at this point you should not put any identifying information that you do not want the world to have access to.
Assignments:
Basic JavaScript programs
Notes and assignments #3
Summer 2007
Part #1:
This week we will continue exploring with StarLogo. I also want you to make sure you are caught up on the reading in the text. You should have looked at all of the chapters dealing with Access. Focus on the parts that I am focusing on in your homework assignments.
Assignments:
Logo assignment #2
Please send me pictures of the screens showing the code or copy and paste the code you did into a word or text document and send it to me with the assignment.
If you have a site on the web that uses HTML, I would like you to send me the address.
Query student DB

Part #2:
I would like you to have read (skimmed the more advanced chapters), the chapters on databases in your text book. We are not covering some of the more advanced topics which is why I suggested you could skim them.
Look at the presentation on if statements and flowcharting if statements:
Presentation on logical if structures
    Separate speaker notes to accompany presentation on logical if structures
Looks for an interesting site to check out for students in health care: Healthcare Web Evaluation
Assignments:
Logic Flowcharts: Draw the logic flowcharts for the queries you have done: Queries for flowcharts
.
I want you to go to del.icio.us and set up an online bookmark storage area. Then please find and bookmark 3 tutorials on HTML and then send me the address of your bookmark site.

Part #3:
If you do not remember how to develop a web page in HTML from the CIT11 course, please review the concepts. When we come to looking at JavaScript in a few weeks remembering HTML will be important.
I want you to look at this PowerPoint presentation on Alice: Using Alice
Zipped version of Using Alice for download
Then I want you to spend time with Alice experimenting with the different things that you can do and looking at the other tutorials etc.
Alice is available at Alice site
Assignments:
Using my Alice presentation as a guide, I want you to create something in Alice. You should have multiple objects (minimum 3). Your Alice code should have a sequence of 10 different methods or things that one of your objects does.
Notes and assignments #2
Summer 2007
Part #1:
Please read chapter #15 (Dabtabase Queries). In the old text, I believe this is chapter #14.
Continue to look at the things you can do with Access. Be sure to look at the presentation on if queries in Access (Presentation for if queries in Access).
You should be receiving or have received an invitation to join the MSDN Alliance at your BCC account - if you do not get it, let me know.
For information about software for this course: MSDN Alliance Software
I have put notes from a inclass session on the web under notes. The notes are mostly on Access but also have comments on one of the algorithms.
Assignments:
Query assignment

Part #2:
I want you to look at the presentations under Access and SQL because I want you to experiment with SQL this week.
I also want to start looking at the concepts of relational databases so I am going to ask you to set up two samples that I have created that will illustrate the set up of relational databases. I would also like you to read this very over simplified version of a database for a medical clinic: Medical clinic example
I would also like you to look at the two presentations under Access and SQL that deal with normalization and relational databases.
The presentations are:
Presentation on using SQL queries in Access
    Separate speaker notes to accompany fusing SQL queries in Access
Presentation on SQL in Access - a little more
    Speaker Notes to accompany SQL in Access - a little more
Normalization - information on third normal form
      Separate speaker notes to accompany normalization presentation
Relational database using donor
      Separate speaker notes to accompany relational databse using donors presentation
Look at the presentation on if statements:
Presentation on logical if structures
    Separate speaker notes to accompany presentation on logical if structures
Assignments:
Write the queries that you did last week using SQL. You should cut and paste the queries into a word document and send it to me. You should also test the queries in Access and send me the access database once more.
These two examples lead you through setting up a a set of tables that are related. Please do the exercise in Access and send them to me.
Student database
Payroll database example

Part #3:
I want you to continue reading about Access and about relational databases and normalization.
Now we are going to look at StarLogo. We have looked at the logic of queries, but now soon we are going to move on to writing a program involving the three major steps of programming: sequence, selection, repeating or looping. The turtle in StarLogo can do all three of these and you will see the basic stuctures as you experiment with the package.
You will find a presentation under presentations and you will find a list of StarLogo commands under notes.
You should also look at the information about StarLogo procedures which you will find under Notes.
If you do not want to work in the labs, you will need to download and install a version of StarLogo which is available at:
StarLogo
Assignments (related to LOGO):
Please read two articles about StarLogo from the MIT site - tutorials, information etc and send me a list of the two articles and a summary.
Logo assignment
Assignments (related to Access):
Using Access, I want you to create the following database:
More complex student database to design
Next week I will have you do queries on this database.
Notes and assignments #1
Summer 2007
The topics will be posted as five sets of notes and assignments, I will break each of the five sets into part #1, part #2 and part #3 to correspond better with the fifteen weeks of work during a normal semester.
There are really over 6 weeks in the course time frame (July 16th through August 28th) so this will give you some flexibility if you aim for doing one set of notes and assignments per week.
If you are in the Healthcare Information degree, then I am going to ask you to focus on that as you do the assignments throughout the course. In other words, when I ask you to do searches or make web pages or databases, please make anything that is open apply to your field of study. This will help to make this course even more relevant to what you are studying.
The Fluency with Information Technology text is required (it was the text used in CIT11). There is an optional Office XP bundle that should be purchased if you are not comfortable with Access as well as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Please read the pages under About This Course which include Introduction to CIT12 and the Syllabus.

Part #1:
Read/review chapter #10 (Algorithmic Thinking) and chapter #11 (Representing Multimedia Digitally).
You should also check this site for a definition of algorithm and more explanation. Algorithm at Answers.com
We are going to start the semester by solving some Sudoku puzzles.
You will find explanations on the web - when I checked for sudoku and kids I came up with some basic explanations, when I checked for sudoku and algorithm I found some more complex explanations. Do some research if you would like help doing a sudoku puzzle.
In the assignments below, I ask you to get a google account and start using the product that allows you to create documents and spreadsheets on line. Information about Goggle documents and spreadsheets is available at: Google Docs & Spreadsheets
You need to get the address to use in submitting assignments from me by emailing me at pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu or from your teacher if you are taking it through your high school. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about the work that I assign.
Assignments:
Assignment #1:This is a check off assignment. I want you to do two sudoko puzzles. You should take pictures of your successful completion and send them to me. The puzzles you do should not be classified as easy, pick medium or hard. The site I am sending you to: Suduko web site to use
Assignment #2:I want you to go to Google and get an account (if you do not already have one) and use the feature that lets you create online documents and spreadsheets. If you have problems figuring out how to do this, let me know. If you have already done this in CIT11, the account will still work.
Assignment #3: Do the following assignment and put your answers up as a document on the google online document site you just created. Algorithm Assignment #1
When you do this assignment online at google, you need to make me a collaborator so I can grade. The email address you should use when you make me a collaborator is pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu.

Part #2:
Please read/review chapter #12 (Social Implications of IT) and Chapter #13 (The Basics of Spreadsheets) in the text.
We will be starting Access next. If you do not have Access available you can download it using the MSDN Alliance. You should be getting your invitation soon.
I would like you to do some reading about copyright and fair use. Some suggested sites are:
University of Maryland Copyright and Fair Use
Stanford Copyright and Fair Use
Copyright crash course
If you are in HealthCare Information, please read the following:
Medical Library Association on copyright and fair use
Assignments:
First: If you do not have a blog established for use in your fluency courses, I want you to set up one now. You can go to Blogger to get information and help setting up a free blog. If you did a blog for CIT11, you may continue with that blog and do your posting there - again, send me the address. This blog should be dedicated to the work you are doing in the fluency course.
Second:Please take this quiz using a document at googles docs & spreadsheets. Enter your answers and then correct yourself. This is a check off assignment and not a graded assignment so be honest and test yourself. Quiz on copyright and fair use
Third: Developing a spreadsheet using Docs & Spreadsheets

Part #3:
Please read chapter #14 (Introduction to Database Concepts -I think it is #13 in the old book). If you are not comfortable with Access, you have several resources you can use. There are a series of PowerPoint presentations that will take you through the basics for this assignment. You will find them under presentations - look for the one about asgn #1 and if statements. There is also a sample database that you can download under examples. You can also choose to buy the optional Office XP bundle set of books. Finally, there are many tutorials on line - some of which are listed under links.
Practice exercise The solution to the database is on the web - the queries in the solution on the web are not the same - if you have questions on the queries, contact me and I will send you the solution. Again this is a practice exercise that you can choose to do to develop comfort with Access - you should definately go over the solution and make sure you are comfortable with it.
Assignments:
Develop a table that would be useful to you in your professional or personal life. I want you to define a table and enter data into the table (should be a mixture of text and numeric data). Explain why you made each field the type and size you decided on. Populate the table. The next set of notes and assignments will have you query the table you created. If you are in Healthcare Information, you should design a table related to your area of study.
In developing your database please note the following guidelines: (1) field names should not have embedded spaces and special characters other than Underscore (most database systems are very strict about this and I want you to be aware of this), (2) use appropriate types of data (text vs numbers) and be sure to pick appropriate sizes, (3) designate a key that uniquely identifies each record.

Google
WWW www.pgrocer.net

Send e-mail to Mrs. Grocer:
pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu

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