Re: [school-discuss] grade book project

[Jeff <tackweed@whidbey.net>]

As I watch this topic bounce back and forth between the people who like 
to write gui apps from the command line and the teachers who use them, I'd
like to add my commments to the mix.

There don't seem to be any statements giverning why there should be a
new/different/better gradebook other than ease of use.

Here is my description of how I would like my "gradebook" to operate. (this 
is based on things that I already do - with bits and pieces of code cobbled 
together -- as well as where I would like it to go...)

1) I would like to  be able to input lesson plan ideas for the next week that
would in turn a) generate a skeleton for an assignment web page to which 
I can add various links , graphics, etc, as appropriate.

e.g. http://www2.whidbey.net/ohmsmath/math8lp.htm   and 
http://www2.whidbey.net/ohmsmath/math6lp.htm

in addition, it would b) preload the gradebook for the entry of grades.

2) I would like to be able to simultaneously (without changing the input page)
  a) record grades for the items listed in 1 including multiple subjects
  b) record attendance
  c) include comments from a standard list, i.e., 'homework not received',
'good paper', 'no textbook', etc.
   c) be able to include individual and extra credit assignments 'on the fly'
so to speak
   d) be able to include anecdotal comments which will be part of the report
   e) be able to access a separate behavioral anecdotal file
   f) be able to edit/change grades/ etc. as appropriate

3) I would like to be able to 
  a) view individual progress reports  by grading period, by two week span
or as a summary - to include attendance with the option of showin all work
or just missing work
  b) print individual progress reports and individual progress reports for
a whole class
   c) have the option to include a message with the progress report run
   d) be able to export to a file which will allow online viiewing of a 
students progress  with a password

http://syzygy.virtualave.net/askfor.htm

(type in your name and one of the following passwords  txqcty  or  akcexz)
These are actual reports - notice there is no student or location identifying data
Passwords are geenrated/changed with each grading period in this case.

    e) export appropriate grade data for use by a spreadsheet for analysis
    f) export summary date for grading period class reports, e.g. a spreasheet 
format for  attendance and grades
    g) input data with a minimum of keystrokes and no mouse requirement,
e.g. the student name appears, 1 keystroke for attendance, 1 keystroke 
to select the first assignment, two keystokes for the grade (1 for 0), 1 
keystroke for the next assignment, etc.,  a keystroke to invoke the generic 
comment list, two key strokes to select a comment.

a keystroke to invoke the behavioral record input; another to add an 
anecdotal comment, extra credit----carriage return to move to the next record

4) Wish list

To be able to store the data file on the internet in such a manner that the 
student names and personal data are NOT on the internet.  Me personal feeling
is that  uploading and downloading the file to work on it would be the best method 
to deal with this - but it would have to be a rather seamless part of the machine 
program.

I don't have a product - just a kluge - mostly PDS Basic/visual basic and Perl on
windows machines

I toss thes ideas out as ideas - they work for me - especially the part about the 
assignment pages as a pre-loader - when you can get the assignments on the 
web - with supplemental materials, javascript etc. It becomes a useful tool - 
the next step is probably to incorporate the text materials and make it the lesson 
for the week - not just the lesson plan.

http://syzygy.virtualave.net/lparchiv.htm

Other lesson plans if you are curius.....

I am willing to share any code snippets and or ideas.

thanks for the opportunity to input

Jeff LeMieux