Re: [seul-edu] Concepts and Curriculum

[jeff williams <cfiaime@mpks.net>]

On Fri, 30 Jun 2000, you wrote:
> OK,
> 
> Jeff and I have kicked back and forth twice about computer classes and I
> thought I should make this a new thread that made sense.

> Now the art raises my eyebrow.  I'm decent with image programs
> (Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro in windows, learning GIMP), but don't know
> where to begin teaching the students, and then letting them "do"
> something with it.  Who's done this before?  Where did you start and ask
> the students to go during the class?

This instant I am taking a course called "Graphic Design for Educators."  The
instructor is Dr. Teun Vedders who is in the states for the summer.  He can be
reached at 
	teun.vedders@uni.edu

You may wish to open a conversation with him and tap his brain for ideas.  If
you do, PLEASE MENTION MY NAME.  He started the class with the question of
layout, what to look for in art, etc.  It is a fantastic class, mostly done via
the web.

Can we take it further?  Use the computer as the medium to show good and bad
art.  Use the Gimp to manipulate images and to create things.  Maybe it isn't
"art" as we know it, ie. painting or sculpture, but rather developing an eye
for good graphic design.

> What about web design.  I've tried this two different years (with a
> poorly scheduled class, twice a week) and have not been able to motivate
> about 75% of the students to be creative.  How have some of you
> approached this kind of class?

If you can get something on an intranet you may pique their interest.  Don't
approach it as "design a web page," but rather, "Show others what you can do in
your biology class by showing the guts of a frog in 256 colors on the web."  A
lot of the problems come not from a desire to do the work, but from the topic
being too broad.  We need specific ideas, not a general command to create.

> Any one doing a database class?  I have a few students each year that
> want to work with databases in prep for business school.  I'll be
> honest, I'm still relearning databases (Access mostly) and get very
> frustrated that most of the instructional books have VERY poor exercises
> and project ideas.  What can some of you throw out?

I used to teach dBASE II, III, III+, and IV for AT&T Bell Laboratories.  Most
of the books and courses were pretty bogus.  Again, you've GOT to toss the
students a real project.  Design a database for club membership or course
roster or counting bugs.  Teach the database as the tool, not the end product.

The kids have an idea of a database.  Show them a telephone book, a card
catalog, or the parts catalog for your MGB.  These are all databases.  Ask them
to find databases in print.  Encourage hard copy stuff.  Once they find and
share something, then say, "Ok, how would you do this on a computer?"

Before long they will grasp the idea of the third normal form, of E. F. Codd's
twelve rules, and the like.  Don't worry if they know the name of Codd or
Bartlett, or anyone else.  Don't have them define "third normal form" or
"relational database" on a test.  Dump them into a real project that they,
themselves, have found.  Let's face it, a telephone book or a Moss Motors
catalog or a list of Barbie Doll accessories can all be used to teach database
concepts.

Later, then, you can say, "Susie, you remember your Barbie Doll database?  Did
you know that you did this according to these rules?  Isn't that cool!"  That
becomes the teachable moment for the names, dates, and formal concepts.  By
that point the kids have something upon which to hang the knowledge.

Thanks for letting me pontificate...
-- 
jeff williams - cfiaime@mpks.net
                    jbw9586@ksu.edu