Week 15 Comments


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Week 15 Comments

What do you think of JavaScript? Interesting and useful, or skip it next year?
What do you think of Squeak?
Do these languages look like something you could figure out, or still too confusing?

Comments? Questions?

When I look at the grade distributions it says there are only 55 grades for pre-quiz and 20 for the lab. I am guessing a lot of TA's have not put the grades up. One of those being mine.

javascript is neat... especially the colored text and stuff... i wish we had done more of this and less python

Serious question: Do you think you would have enjoyed JavaScript first? I think JavaScript is hard to start with. For example, that for loop is much harder to understand than the for loop in Python. I could imagine doing more JavaScript in future versions of the course, but my sense is that Python is still an easier language to start with – but I'd appreciate feedback from all of you. What do you think? Mark Guzdial

i really really like HTML - maybe in the fall that can be introduced earlier, because i think it is easier and more fun than python.:)

It is easier, but it's not programming, and it's hard to introduce ideas of conditionals and looping and data and algorithms in HTML. Mark Guzdial

I LOVE MARK GUZDIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Believe it or not, I didn't type that in! :-) Mark Guzdial

Question: A four point "leniency" fudge factor means four points added to the final average, correct??

yes

I can't believe I am saying this, but I will actually miss this class when its over...don't get me wrong, this last hw is wearing me thin, but I have really enjoyed myself this semester!

I'm very glad – thanks for letting us know! Mark Guzdial

On the Quizzes

The TA's and I met on Tuesday and decided to change the grading scale. So it's my fault that everything is late. I've asked the TA's to try to get all the updated grades out by Thursday recitation.

DO NOT FORGET THE FINAL EXAM REVIEW ON FRIDAY!!!

I really want everyone to do great on the final, so please do come to the review. Mark Guzdial

I don't think javascript would be good to do first. Stick with JES and python, but I think you could cut out some or all of the sound stuff and have more time at the end to do javascript, squeak, or more html. I actually enjoy this CS class.

THAT IS REALLY WIERD, BECAUSE I LOVE MARK GUZDIAL TOO. A WHOLE LOT. PROBABLY MORE THAN THE PERSON WHO WROTE THAT BEFORE ME!!!!

I think that it would be neat to introduce HTML, just a simple version of it early on in the semester. As the course goes on, students could learn to incorporate some of the python coding along with HTML. It's fun to have your own webpage, and this is one way to do it. I learned some basic HTML a few years ago and managed to build a lot off of it. You don't have to learn Python first in order to learn HTML. Just move a little bit of HTML earlier on in the semester to get everyone interested in learning more about computers. I do admit, I was unsure about this course at first especially after the hundreds of CS 1321 horror stories, but it has been really interesting and fun. I've had my trying times, but I have enjoyed it. I've learned a lot of practical stuff.

ps... I think that a lot of students are sad that their webpages are going away after this semester.... we'll all just have to learn how to do it in prism....

Who said that they're going away? We tend to leave CoWebs (and student pages in them) around for a long time – take a look at http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/cs2340. Mark Guzdial

That link takes you to a current class. I don't understand how that means it's been around for a while. Won't the next CS 1315 have the same URL. And, therefore, the "Who's Who" section will be modified to no longer include our pages.

Visit http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/cs2340/568. The URL's that those students created still work. Mark Guzdial

I still have 4 grades that are not available.... it is very very annoying.

I hotught we were supposed to get extra credit for inserting "print" in our code. the TA's know nothing about it.

I think there's been a miscommunication. I was asked if you would lose points for leaving "print" statements in your programs, and I said "Certainly not! In fact, I'm thinking about giving extra points for leaving them in there." But it was only a thought – we haven't agreed to do this. Mark Guzdial

We should get extra credit points for filling out the course survey since this is a pilot class; people want to know what it is like.

If it would do that, it would ruin the experiment. We're using nearly the same surveys in CS1321 and COE1361. We can't offer extra credit in those classes. If I offered extra credit in CS1315 for filling out the surveys, any positive responses could be chalked up to our "buying" good comments. I'm sorry – I know other classes offer credit for filling out surveys, but we can't, at least not this term. BTW, we're doing the final survey in CS1315 tomorrow!! Come in, please, and give us your final comments (and review for the final exam). One of the questions is whether you want a Media Computation II course – if you want one, fill out the survey and let us know. Thanks! Mark Guzdial

I think that a Media Computation II sounds GREAT!!!!!!!!!! For me though, I won't be able to take it b/c I'll have already graduate. I've only got one semester left...... I think that it's a great idea for those freshmen(an) in here. A lot of people have expressed their sorrows over this class's ending.

About those URL's for the "Who's Who", you gave a specific page to find them. How can we find ours when this class is over?

Whatever the current URL is will continue to work. Mark Guzdial

I would love to take a Media Computation II course...especially since I would like to do more computer classes and everything else here at Tech has the CS1321 class as a pre-requisite. I want to do more things like this class, not like Scheme or Java exactly.

!	Folks, I'd like to quote some of these comments about the course, especially about a second course. Please let me know if you are opposed to anonymous quoting of these pages in publications. Thank you! Mark Guzdial

I would really enjoy a Media Computation II. I think it is a great idea and I would definitely take it! And by the way, I think I love Mark too;)

Awwwhhhhhhhh, this class is so full of love!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, you may quote me, anonymously, of course. And, I commented about the second course....I'm the Senior who's graduating and frustrated about not being able to take a SECOND one!!!!!!!!!!

I created a background on the CoWeb!!!!!!!!! YOu just have to put all your text inside a table. Check it out!
Rebecca Phillips

Becca, you rule! Thanks so much for helping everyone out on HW6!! Mark Guzdial

Is there any possibility of getting a Media Computation II course anytime soon? I will probably graduate in Spring 2004, but I don't want to miss out either.

I wish I ruled :(

Uhhhh, can the TAs PLEASE finish our grades for HW and LABs so that we can know what we're getting in this class?????

Why don't you email your TA?????????? Have you tried that? I mean, I do. If you want to find out why they haven't, send them an email.

Seriously, why is everyone spazzing out about grades? Is that so you can say, "gee, I have to make an 83 to make a B"?? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Just give the TA's a break, they are taking finals too!!!!

I don't care if they have finals. Some of the grades I havn't gotten are from 2 weeks ago. They are paid to do this. If they can't manage there time they shouldn't be TA. And I don't want my grades to calculate what I need on the final. I want to know if I did it right so that I can determine If I need extra help in thpse areas.

wow, be a little more mean about it.

when are we going to find out who the TA's for fall are? :)

The 4 point leniency applies in all cases, correct? So essentially an 86 is an A?

I don't know when the TA decisions will be made. I'm submitting my requested names today, then grades are checked and I'm told whom I can hire. Yes, 4 points for all. There are no alternate exam times without good cause. ("I don't want to wait until Friday night." is not good cause.) You can skip the final, but you'll be out 1/3 (one of three exams) of 35% (exam percentage) of your total grade. For Seniors (who have a graduation event at 4 pm on Friday) and athletes who have an event Friday afternoon, I'm offering the final at my office at 9:30 on Friday morning. (Directions to my office can be found on my name page here in the CoWeb.) Mark Guzdial

Why can't an alternate 9:30am exam be offered to anyone who can take it? I have a 6-hour drive home on Friday and I would really love to get it over with in the morning so that I don't have to drive at night.

Because I can't get a 100+ person lecture hall for a three hour block during finals week for any time I want. I have a room where I can have five people take the exam early, and I have about that many people with significant job and athletic committments. Mark Guzdial

So, the final is worth just as much as the two in class midterms, correct? Which is approximately 11.67%. So if I have an 86 with getting a zero on the final, what is the point of coming and taking an afternoon final?

there isnt one!!!

You might want to make sure you don't have to just put your name on the paper.

Is there still a final review session thursday night at 6pm in CoC building? just making sure the one today wasnt' the only one....let me know, thanks!

Do you have to get an 86 or does an 85.5 round up to an A ?

homework6 was interesting, but doing it during dead week was a terrible thing to do. Please don't do it to the next class.it crippled some of us who were confident about doing it, with computer crashing and all that.... especially others who also had finals at the same time..you can imagine.

Bob McMath sent a note to all of the faculty making clear the Dead Week rules. Exams and quizzes are discouraged, but allowed. Project work and homework is completely allowed. The term is 15 weeks long, not 14 weeks. Mark Guzdial

It's not about the rules, it's about what you think is appropriate for your students as long as it does not violate the "rules". as much as the rules allowed it, Do you think, you could rethink this next time?

I really really really will be glad when this class is over. Yeah, it has been fun, but its hard and tedious and I just want to get to laying on the beach!!

Of course you're right. (About the rules...and about the beach! :-) I will be re-thinking the order of homeworks in the Fall. In particular, there was a long stretch of about three weeks where no one did ANY programming. The result was it was hard for people to get back into it, and people hadn't learned lots of things I expected them to know for Midterm #2. I'll probably juggle things to make sure that that gap doesn't happen next time, and I'll try not to have anything due during Dead Week. Mark Guzdial

Thanks.

This rapid pace of question-response in the CoWeb right now is fun – it's like IM-ing with lots of people at once. BTW, I don't get to rest until late Friday. Several of the TA's are leaving town Saturday, so we're going to start grading at 6 pm and keep going until we're done. Then there's entering grades into Oscar and... Probably Monday at noon, I'll be done. :-) Mark Guzdial

Is an 85.5 an A?

Depends on where the "natural breaks" are, but I wouldn't count on it. Mark Guzdial

What are "natural breaks"? I'm not counting on it. But what's that supposed to mean????

Dr. Guzdial explained several times in lecture that he usually divides up A, B, and C grades by the natural groups in the end grade distribution of our class. If there is a significant gap at 85.5, then its an A, but like he said, don't count on it.

Thank you, whoever answered. I should be in my office until noon tomorrow (proctoring the special cases) for last minute questions and CoWeb queries, and then in meetings until exam time at 2:50. Be there or be square. Mark Guzdial

HINT! Do look at the Sp2003 Midterm Review 2 questions that I pointed out, post answers, and make sure that you understand them. (I also changed the address book problem a bit to make it easier.) Seriously. Do. Mark Guzdial

Thanks for the hint!! I really appreciate it. I wonder if anyone will even notice that:)

Are we going to have to code on the exam? I know that's a weird question, but nothing on the final review is asking us to... it just seems like you're looking for english explanations... just curious.

Read earlier hint. Mark Guzdial

Exam was great!

Yeah, I had thought it would be impossible, especially after all the reviews. However, it turned out to be easier than hard. =) THANKS!!!!

i don't know if you are still reading this prof. guzdial, but if you are, have the decisions been made for next term's ta positions?

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Announcements-Spring 2003 last edited on 5 August 2003 at 2:28 pm by user-1120spk.dsl.mindspring.com