mysql lesson failure

Started the students on their mysql journey today. After a period of frustration when they tried logging into the server all at once and having the server lock them out for a minute or so. Once getting over that hurdle and getting them logged in, the next issue was getting them to change there password, as some of the passwords are dictionary terms or only 4 characters the server wouln't let them change, instead I have had to learn how to change the password configuration.

Once into the server, it was create a folder, public_html, seems that some students can't type properly and I have to them show them how to remove a directory.

I am starting to get frustrated by the classroom environment, the monitor is on a good resolution, yet the projector is on the same, which means it is difficult to view. I am starting to think why even have a teachers computer if it is not setup to be any use.

Now onto the mysql intro,

An absolute failure, I forgot what I set the students passwords to...

This has now been fixed and hopefully all things will be go tomorrow. I plan to use my laptop and change the external display to a better resolution. Though the laptop does have an issue with the pwer supply.

Knowledge Digital Media Standard

I am busy reading and developing my understanding around the Digital Media knowledge standard, and wondering of I could develop an assessment that got students to compare Content Management Systems, the resource talks of a gallery for a wordpage. I am wondering if I could take this further.

I am now busy looking at the previous levels to make sure that my ideas and understanding will work, this could be a good way to develop a better understanding of what is required.

Looking at further information I am still working out what is required to be be developed. Just been posted on the group is the indicators of progression what is being looked at level 1, 2 and 3. Though there are a number of examples, non relate to what I am thinking.

Digital Media Standard Level 3

The following are parts of the Digital media standard

Implement complex procedures to produce a specified digital media outcome involves:

• selecting software based on the features of the program(s) that enables the student to effectively demonstrate skills in creating, editing and integrating media types 
• applying a set of complex tools and techniques to present content in a media type 
• applying data integrity and testing procedures to ensure the outcome meets the specifications 
• following legal, ethical and/or moral requirements appropriate to the outcome. 

Skilfully implement complex procedures to produce a specified digital media outcome involves:

• showing accuracy in the application of complex tools, techniques and procedures 
• showing independence with regard to decision making in the selection of software and application of complex tools, techniques and testing procedures. 

Efficiently implement complex procedures to produce a specified digital media outcome involves:

• applying complex tools and techniques, and producing the outcome in a manner that economises the use of resources (eg optimised tool selection, batch processing images, use of master pages, use of libraries, timely production). 

3  Specified digital media outcome refers to a digital media outcome and its relevant specifications.  The specifications must be of sufficient rigour to allow the student to meet the standard.  The specifications need to be agreed prior to the outcome being made.  They may be teacher-given or developed in negotiation with the student.

4 Complex tools and techniques may include:
• Web page design: HyperText Markup Language / Cascading Style Sheets (HTML/CSS), scripting (manipulating content), dynamic data handling, interaction between user and content, multiple device outputs
• Print design: interactivity, form elements, chapters and sections, clipping paths, Extensible Markup Language (XML) content, pre-press, resolutions
• Audio: multiple tracks, manipulating multiple tracks, overlays, equalising
• Motion graphics: complex transitions, multiple tracks, post processing, compression and exporting, onion skinning, rendering
• Image manipulation: colour histograms and adjustments, non destructive editing, pen tools and paths, filter effects, graphic optimisations, colour management and printing, automation scripts.

5 Media types include: text, web languages, audio, video, graphics, animation or still images.

6 Data integrity procedures include checking for the relevance, accuracy, and reliability to ensure the outcome functions as intended.

Digital Media and wordpress

I think there is some confusion around the Level three media standard, especially if you are developing a php/mysql website. It is the link of the info and programming. Creating a dynamic website is one thing, but I don't think it is the answer. It is the design of the overall webpage and wether it will work for its audience. This was one thing that I learnt from the webmeets in Auckland, great programming behind the scenes doesn't mean anything if it doesn't look good. This is where Wordpress/Drupal/silver stripe cone into play. Why develop what already exists. You are developing your media experience, through how a webpage looks and interacts with the user.

I do wonder if people think that wordpress is just a blogging tool and do not realise the power that it has over developing and maintaining content. I for one have used it for portal pages, so it is easy for people to put up content, inform about house points, develop specific pages on teaching and learning. Looking at the showcase on wordpress gives students a idea on what the power of this platform has available. 

A number of years ago I attended a presentation on silverstripe and saw the development of the platform. One thing I think is people install it and see just a basic page, its not until you start working through the themes that you start seeing what can be done. I would love to find a resource on developing wordpress for high school students. 

Doing some research tonight, I found http://www.wpyogi.com/ which looks to have some good tutorials on it, free to download. It is in a git hub format, which is awesome, simple to download and get working.

Now moving into server environment at school, ready to download and see whats available

I found this thread on developing wordpress in schools, some good ideas http://wordpress.org/support/topic/teaching-wordpress-in-highschool

There is this curriculum pack for wordpress http://highschoolwebdesign.com/introduction-to-wordpress-course/

An interesting discussion on presenting wordpress to students http://tommcfarlin.com/wordpress-in-high-school/

But then is it worth going down the wordpress line, I realise that there are other CMS systems and that they should be explored for there advantages and disadvantages. 

Silverstripe - a New Zealand based CMS http://www.silverstripe.org/

Minecraft for RPi

The folks from Mojang have finished the Minecraft: Pi Edition port, and it’s available for download now. For free.

You can see a post from Mojang about the news on their main blog; they’ve also opened up a Pi Edition blog,where you can find download instructions. I know some of you have already downloaded the beta version that was released in December; if you have, you’ll want to replace it with today’s release, which fixes some bugs and has more features.

Athletics Day

Had a good athletics day today, being the person that I am I seem to be given the IT tasks to be completed. This involves calculating the points and results for the school house competition as well as organising who moves on. Normally this has been done in Microsoft Excel, with its limits on how many can open the document as well as getting information out of it has proved difficult, especially trying to get an up to date house points total.

Bring in Google Sheets, incorporating the existing spreadsheet in was pretty easy, however it turns out that there is over 50 sheets, and I found out that there is a limit on how many cells you can have.

We started development using the schools google docs account, however there seems to be a number of errors uploading, updating and downloading information. So back to a traditional google account, that seemed to work a treat.

We also this year had a live points update happening, as students entered the information that was given to us, the points updated through the use of a IF statement, the points then were updated through a SUM FILTER statement. The result was displayed up on a TV outside where it could be seen, though somewhat difficult with sun and cloud.

The students enjoyed developing the information and getting it in, almost all suggestions where acted upon, including giving a device through to the announer so he could give points update.

The House tutors where happy as they could see what was happening throughout the day.

The only person not happy was the event director, this was due to some of the results not being entered. Though in our defence, the information never reached us. Almost all results that were handed to us were processed with 5-10 minutes. Compared to last year we had so much time on our hands. It was a simple and easy to use solution.

We had a comment made to us, its about the results, not the house points, I agree, why waste time calculating points when results are the most needed. That is why we never touched the points all day. The power of the spreadsheet did all the work for us.

Now thursday, this will be a day of finals and some other events. A easy day we hope?

presenting - informing the community

With the changes around the new Zealand curriculum and the development of the digital technologies strands at ncea level 1, 2 and 3. We have a specific programming and computer science strand. With ncea level 2 and 3 looking at python as a preferred language.
The university of otago and the university of Canterbury have been helping provide resources. With the introduction of an online marking program called pycode as a moodle plugin to help students develop there understanding of python. How can the python community help us?

boarders dinner

Can boarders rate their dinner, how about crowdsourcing a rating. This is a project that I am working on giving a student.

The dinners at the boarding hostel are a six week rotation. With the work that was done by http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/ and her story about school dinners I have been thinking. I have a student who needs a project this year on databases, what would happen if he posted the school dinner up, what it was and got his fellow students to rate it. What else could we find out...

I understand there was an issue about the dinners last year, but it was handled the wrong way. This would be hosted on a server within the school, the student would have to create the software/website all by term 2 to get this working.

Rating and a comment would do... though I am wondering if we record ip address just to stop multiple postings during the dinner

Simple enough? This can be a relational database? Based upon the information from the standard http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/nqfdocs/ncea-resource/achievements/2013/as91633.pdf it looks like it will be ok. There is going to be data updated from at least one table. There is going to have to be an edit based upon the information page if he enters something wrong.

How is he going to get access/information to what dinner is? Do we just do dinner or lunch as well?

Do we lock it down to a password or access time?

How the students feeling that day, their attitude, or do we just keep it simple.

Now I need to find out how to submit a photo...
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/php/article.php/3877766/Web-Developer-How-To-Upload-Images-Using-PHP.htm

Needs to average out the rating, use a star system, what rating, 1-10 or 1-5
http://coursesweb.net/php-mysql/rating-stars-script-ajax-php_s2

specifications, must work on a ipod touch
must be informative,
must be able to see previous meals, though cannot vote for them.
comments are hidden from view
only able to see the rating

'Major flaw' spurs call for IT course review

'Major flaw' spurs call for IT course review

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8192851/Major-flaw-spurs-call-for-IT-course-review

New secondary school computing courses designed to create more highly skilled workers are proving too hard for many students and teachers.

Now worried principals are calling for a review of the curriculum as IT experts predict a "major dilemma" ahead unless the training and recruiting of teachers are improved.

Computer course numbers have dropped since the new curriculum was introduced in 2011, mainly because earlier courses, which focused on basic skills, were considered a "bum class" for students wanting to pick up easy NCEA credits.

The new curriculum, which focuses on computer programming and web design, is much more advanced.

As a result, less able students are dropping out, while brighter ones are not signing up because the subject is still considered an easy option.

Secondary Principals' Association president Patrick Walsh backed the call for a curriculum review, saying the courses are too hard and there needs to be a wider range of standards available.

"One teacher in our school, who I would regard as being quite savvy in ICT, has said some of the standards are equivalent to a level 2 paper at university.

"So that's quite out of step with what we would normally expect year 13 students to have to do."

Waikato University computer science PhD student Michael Walmsley Jr said the idea that studying ICT was a "waste of time" or for "geeks and nerds" needed to change.

Students starting secondary school this year have not lived in a world without the internet. Most have been raised with laptops, smartphones, video games and social media.

And, according to Moore's Law, computer technology will quadruple in power by the time these students finish high school in 2017.

"We accept that it's an evolving area of technology, it's really important for our economy," Mr Walmsley said.

The Institute of IT Professionals New Zealand chief executive, Paul Matthews, was on the expert panel that developed the new curriculum.

He said ICT, which is a $19.3 billion industry in New Zealand, was expanding at a rapid rate and that it was essential schools were equipping students with the skills to fill the growing number of jobs.

"The technology industry as a whole is growing at a great pace and the export side of the industry has got massive potential.

"But the No 1 thing that's holding back industry is the fact that we just simply can't get enough people with the right skills."

A major flaw in the implementation of the new curriculum was the lack of resources provided by the Ministry of Education for training and recruiting capable teachers, he said.

Many schools had been unable to offer the new curriculum at all NCEA levels because of a shortage of staff with the skills to teach it.

"We see a major dilemma approaching in that there's not enough teachers now, a bunch of them are retiring and no effort's really gone in to finding more," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

minecraft in education

A school make minecraft compulsory in education 
http://www.gizmag.com/compulsory-minecraft-lessons/25781/

A Swedish school has made headlines, first at home and then abroad, by making super-popular build-em-up video game Minecraft compulsory for students aged 13.

Video games don't have to teach reading, writing or arithmetic to be educational. There's a strong argument that the best examples wear their educational merits lightly. Minecraft, which lets players share a procedurally generated world, and fill it with constructions built lovingly and painstakingly out of a variety of texture mapped cubes, is a stellar example. It inspires thought and creativity without repelling players with rote learning, rigid structure, or the fusty whiff of the classroom.

Minecraft's potential to inspire has been widely recognized, of course; not least by its makers, Mojang. Its commitment to a free edition of the game for the cheap-as-chips Raspberry Pi computer, itself an educational tool with enormous potential, has been rightly lauded.

Now, according to Swedish news sources, the Viktor Rydberg school in Stockholm has put Minecraft on the curriculum for its 13-year-old students. "They learn about city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future," Viktor Rydberg teacher Monica Ekman told English-language The Local. "It's not any different from arts or woodcraft," she added.

It's not as if Minecraft has replaced one of the core subjects on the school's timetable. This is merely something the school's students will do for a while when they're 13. But it sounds like Minecraft lessons might be a long-term fixture. "It’s been a great success and we’ll definitely do it again," Ekman said, while also noting that some parents were initially troubled.

It may be an isolated example, but it's fascinating to see the benefits ofMinecraft, or indeed any commercially successful video game, recognized formally by a school – even one in progressive Scandinavia.

Source: The Local

editors comment: I wonder how this could be used in school, I would love to see a copy of what they have planned and how it works.

servers and content management systems

This has been something i have been looking at for a while,

http://codex.wordpress.org/Site_Design_and_Layout
http://codex.wordpress.org/Designing_Headers

I am now looking at this a lot more now as I have been watching a developer at work today while he has been fixing a mobile website that is using jquery mobile. He is using it to display results for a competition that I am currently at.

I think this would be a welcome addition to the media side of the course.

programming and moodle - coderunner

I am waiting for a new version of the programming compiler for moodle, we started using one last year with mixed results as it was for python 2.7.?, however we were programming in python 3.

There is a coding effort going on during these holidays to bring it up to python 3.

http://github.com/trampgeek

hackeducation

This is something that I would like to see more of, http://hackeducation.com/2012/11/27/top-ed-tech-trends-of-2012-learning-to-code/

This is one blog that I will have to follow more of

course confirmation

One of the things most schools do at the beginning of the year is to confirm the subjects that the students are wishing to take. This normally involves every senior student coming into school and saying yes, or ok, I did not get what I aimed for in my previous year and now need to look at an alternative course.

Why is this such a laboursome task. Schools get the results that same time students do, they see that students have obtained the requirements in the subjects, yet they are called in anyway to sign off there course. 

one thing I have worked on for the past two years is a simple course conformation app, it allows students to go in and say yes they have meet the requirements of the course, the students can make the choice and the school can check it against the information they have. You only have to deal with the students who have timetable issues and missed obtaining the grades required. Saves time and energy and you work with the students you need to.

Things I have notice with the schools that have done this. They have good timetable planning, they work as a team from teachers, deans and admin and work before school finishes to plan students courses. They have confidence in the idea. Be it that one of the schools I worked with last year now has removed course confirmation.

Schools that are starting to think outside the box and use technology.

 

challenge learning

I am a digital technologies teacher and always trying to figure out how to get my students out of the classroom. Over the years I have meet a lot of people in the industry, and yet they like the outdoors, not for the scenery but for the challenge. Whether it be mountain biking, or rock climbing. Which starts off todays post. I have been talking over the last couple of days with family and what there kids are getting up to. One is interested in computers, and yet spends a lot of time playing computer games on the xbox, why, problem solving, he also went on holidays and enjoyed the challenge of puzzle world in wanaka and the clip n climb. Why, because of the challenge. I have thought about this for a while, and it would be an interesting experience for my students to experience this type of problem and challenge based learning. So now I am on the lookout for a clip n climb in my city.
Location http://theroxx.co.nz/index.php?page=clipnclimb
What year level, my year 13 students :)

What can students learning from rock climbing about programming http://breckyunits.com/what_can_a_programmer_learn_from_rock_climbing

EOTC - online PD Modules

New online modules can help educators to further their professional learning development for EOTC.

Special online self-paced learning modules (SPLM) have been developed to help people further their professional learning development (PLD) for Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC).

The modules can be completed at the time and pace that suits each individual, free of charge.
Education Outdoors New Zealand (EONZ), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, has created 10 learning modules to develop and support the understanding and implementation of the EOTC Guidelines: Bringing the Curriculum Alive (Ministry of Education, 2009).

The modules are designed to lead participants through the EOTC Guidelines, providing examples and opportunities for self-review and planning.

They are suitable for all teachers and leaders of EOTC, sport and EOTC coordinators, school leaders, providers, and Board of Trustee members.

Creating authentic learning experiences
The EOTC Guidelines: Bringing the Curriculum Alive is a foundation document, acknowledged as accepted best practice for schools and other educational organisations.

The EOTC Guidelines clarify schools’ legal responsibilities and provide guidance on the delivery of EOTC to meet safety and learning outcomes.

EOTC provides learners with authentic learning experiences, which bring learning alive. EOTC can enrich teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Learning beyond the classroom can develop a learner's sense of identity and connect them to the community, land and environment.

EOTC provides opportunities for learners to become lifelong learners and enhances the ability of all learners to realise their potential.

EOTC provides opportunities to develop positive relationships between teachers and learners – a key to engagement in learning and education.

When staff are confident and competent, EOTC opportunities are more likely to be positive, high quality, safe experiences for learners.

For more information http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleId=8719

One thing that I have found out when enrolling in the course is that the modules have yet to be finalised. 

I have found an pdf that was sent out to all schools that informed schools that the modules would be available from November...

The Ministry of Education is also creating online, self-paced learning modules to build understanding and use of the EOTC Guidelines. These modules will be available from November 2012.

Considering a number of teachers would use the time over the holidays to work through the modules and do some PD I thought would have been the perfect time.

projects for 2013

I would love for a student to develop the press cup competition that we started this year with the year 13 students.

Motion using kinect

Radio Station, design, software, the ability to play remote playlists and the website to display information about the project. Possibly remote radio station as well. SMS messages from students request back in.

stream monitoring program

aerial photography

ardunio design

school visual display - digital signage
From a tweet- Having heaps of fun with @xibosignage! Hacked together some widgets for a metro lo

ok. http://t.co/1fryhRDn

alternative
Raspberry PI and concerto 1.9.3 Digital Signage system

@xibosignage The python client is great. Definitely the best project I've found for the price!
Alternative http://www.concerto-signage.org/
source available at https://github.com/concerto/concerto_v1 though there is a v2 available

Html5 design for student info - mobile app
Daily prayer
Student info
Access to daily notices

MAME box

Minecraft server for nz school education

Inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy update

The finding of the submissions have been released

Government welcomes report on 21st century learning

Wednesday, 19 December 2012, 10:57 am
Press Release: New Zealand Government

http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/Documents/Reports/7/e/2/50DBSCH_SCR5695_1-Inquiry-into-21st-century-learning-environments.htm

19 December 2012

Media Statement

Government welcomes report on 21st century learning environments and digital literacy

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the Education and Science Select Committee’s report on the inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy.

“I recognise the changes happening in the education sector as a result of access to new technologies and greater access to online learning. The way our children learn today, let alone the classrooms children learn in, are very different to the classrooms many parents learnt in and they will continue to evolve and change. We want all our kids to be leaving school with the skills they need to reach their potential in a modern economy. 

“Our Government is aware of that and that’s why one of the first things we did when we came into Government was to invest in ultra-fast broadband infrastructure which will allow our schools to be connected to the best online resources in the world.

We are investing nearly $200 million over five years in connecting schools to ultra-fast broadband. By 2016, 97.7 per cent of schools will receive ultra-fast broadband connections enabling speeds of 100 Mbps. The remaining schools, which are in the most remote locations, will receive a high speed wireless or satellite connection.

“We have also set aside up to $400 million over the next eight years to support the Network for Learning, a dedicated managed network for schools, which will run over the ultra-fast broadband infrastructure. The intention of Network for Learning is to provide schools with affordable, safe, ultra-fast internet access as well as a range of online content and centrally-procured services.

“We recognise that parents want to be able to participate in their children’s learning using these technologies, that’s why in Christchurch we are in the process of setting up digital online communities so communities can be more involved in the education renewal programme there.

“I am keen that more work is done to ensure that our education system better reflects 21st century learning and that children and teachers take full advantage of the digital learning opportunities and resources available to them. 

“I appreciate the time spent by the Select Committee in preparing this report, and the work and energy that has gone into it over the last eight months. I will now consider the report and the contribution it can make to our digital literacy work and respond in due course.’’

ends

bugs in programming

I have decided to try something different next year and also take a leaf out of the software industry. I am going to pay for bugs in the programming textbook that we use. I am going to use the bug Bounty guidelines that Firefox have put in place http://www.mozilla.org/security/bug-bounty.html
This will be my own bug bounty, but instead of money, I will be offering the rare chocolate fish as payment.
I have been working on twitter to find a supplier of chocolate fish, and the best I have so far is 40 for $25.

General Bounty Guidelines

Head Geek will pay a bounty for certain bugs, as detailed below. All bugs must follow the following general criteria to be eligible:

• Bug must be original and previously unreported.
• Submitter must not be the author of the buggy code nor otherwise involved in its contribution to the DTG project (such as by providing check-in reviews).
• Students of the DTG course and its subsidiaries are ineligible.

Head Geek reserves the right to not give a bounty payment if we believe the actions of the reporter have endangered the security of the DTG.

If two or more people report the bug together the reward will be divided among them.

Payment will be a chocolate fish.

Process

Please file a bug describing the bug. We encourage you to attach a "proof of concept" testcase or link to the bug that demonstrates the code fail. While not required, such a testcase will help us judge submissions more quickly and accurately.

git and ncea

I have been thinking about this for a while and this year proved an issue when students were doing

there python assessment. Some students could have been using a versioning tool to help assist there development. When something went wrong it went wrong and the students were modifying the master file.

I get my students to save versions as they code, test and debug as a matter of course. I have tried to train them in this from level 1 through level2 and hoprfully they have the message in level3. Get a small part of program coded, tested and debugged and saved as version 1. Then save same code as version 2, and add in next bit. When debugged, save as version 3 and then add in next new bit. Means they always a good version to fall back on, if added bits crash their program. It''s just a technique I have tried to train them in.
have not used any specific software for version control.
I also try and get them to save on the school system as well as their USB so have a backup.... not always done though.....They learn the hard way.

Could something linke github be a good way for students to develop and get used to developing programming.
https://github.com/edu
Now github has organisation accounts that we can apply for under our school login, this allows for 2 year accounts where students can develop and handin what they are doing. This would be long enough for students doing level 1 and level 2.
The micro accounts allow for 5 repositories, will this be enough for my students, through thinking about it, one for the tutorials and one for assessment each year only really looks at 4 repositories required in the mean time and one for them.

update: looks like i am ready for 2013, thank you github.
Hi *****,

I've gone ahead and upgraded your organization account to our Gold plan, giving you 50 private repositories for your students.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

Spread the word -- We love giving free Micro accounts to students! Send them to:
https://github.com/edu

update 2:
i have also been and applied to wingware to have there ide, they were a main sponsor of the pycon conference in dunedin. I found out that they have an education http://wingware.com/store/free

Classroom Use

Wingware provides free licenses for students when Wing IDE Professional is being used to teach a course at a non-profit educational institution. For professional and corporate training courses, we can offer discount codes for attendees but not free licenses.

So i now have a number of licenses for the school and 6 month licenses for the students own BYOD so they can use it ask well.

I am also looking at wingware because it supports git, this is something that I want students to become familiar with. I just need to find out how to use git with github and private repositories based in a organisation.

cs4hs christchurch

I have been lucky enough to spend time for the second year with a great bunch of teachers looking at the emerging new standards around computer science in New Zealand. With the new Level 3 standards being made available in 2013 it is a chance to get together and talk about the new standard and what it means as well as looking more indepth at the topics that students can investigate.

Computer Science at year 13/level 3 looks at

• Graphics and Visual Computing
• Formal Languages
• Intelligent Systems
• Network Communication
• Software Engineering
• Complexability and Tractability 

Students need to be given a broad introduction to all of these areas, we will then investigate three of these and students can choose two of these to delve into and provide evidence for. this should provide a good avenue for students to get when looking at possible courses to do at University.

There are a number of videos that will be made available when they get them online. This will provide other teachers a way of seeing what we have. Though there are some which were not recorded. I would like to say a huge thank you to Jack for organising such a wonderful event.

There is the beginnings of a field guide being created to assist both students and teachers. Also it may look that I may have to delve into maths a bit more looking at matrixs.