May 21, 2013
Updates and Comments
Good morning everyone,
There were some probelms with everyone getting books so I changed the due dates
of the quizzes for chapters 2 and 3. Please take the quizzes as soon as you can
to leave yourself time in case you want to take them over. Remember, you can take
quizzes as many times as you like until their due dates and I have set Sakai to
always keep the highest score.
We had a good class last night but I covered more than I normally would in the second
session because we don't have class next week and I wanted you to have a little
more exposure to the things you see as you work through the book. The book is very
good at walking you through the steps one at a time so just work through the chapters
and post any questions to the Forum.
If you're new to programming or if you just got lost in class do not panic. Everything
we covered last night is in the book and we will cover almost all of it again. The
purpose of last night's exercise was primarily to get you acquainted with the layout
of Visual Studio and how to work with the properties and menu panes. Don't forget,
there are some videos on our website that can be beneficial if given the time.
At our next meeting, we will work through the process of uploading your projects
to the Assignments page. I think the Syllabus has a pretty good description and
there's a video titled, "How to upload projects" on the "How to..." page of our
website. It uses an old naming convention but the process is the same. Post to
the Forum if you need help.
Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend and don't forget to pay homage to
those who gave us our freedom and built such a great nation.
I look forward to seeing you on June 3rd.
May 16, 2013
Maybe you're in the right place
Last night I attended a meeting of professional web developers and as I talked to
some of those present it made me think of your introductions. There was a young
man there who had just graduated from UCF with a degree in finance. He said he
had wanted to take more computer classes but they weren't part of his curriculum.
Now he is reading books, going to meetings, talking to other programmers, and taking
some courses online. He's really got the bug.
People who have designed and written a program will tell you about the sense of
euphoria they experience when it's finished. Watch for it. I hope you find it
this semester.
May 15, 2013
For your convenience
I added a link to Sakai so when you log into this course you will be able to see
the Announcements page of our website. You may have to select the Show All Content
button but after that the page should display.
When the page displays it may be too thin to be functional if you have a small monitor
and we'll talk about how to fix that in Chapter 7.
There have been reports of people having trouble downloading the software from MSDN
AA. So far, I think it has just been those using a Mac for which I posted a comment
yesterday. Either way, if you are having trouble downloading the software here
are the steps you should take:
Post in the Forum if you're still having trouble.
May 14, 2013
Mac Users
I spoke to an associate about using Macs with VB. He's a former Microsoft programmer
and database guy; very knowledgeable. A while back he recommended VMWare Fusion.
He thought it was better and easier to use than Parallel.
I haven't used a Mac in a long time so I can't help you at all... sorry.
May 14, 2013
Request
A good number of people have not added a photo to their profiles. It would be a
big help if you would so your classmates and I can put faces and names together
in the Forum and in class. Otherwise, I won't be able to remember your name until
the end of the semester.
May 13, 2013
First Night
It was an absolute pleasure to hear your introductions this evening. Please make
sure you post your bio to the Introductions forum so we may all get to know you
better. I read all introductions with great interest. There's no real time
to get acquainted so this is the next best thing.
Learning computer programming can complement most of the other courses on campus.
If you're majoring in math, science, business, or health you will find uses for
computer programming; it can truly enhance your career.
Most of all, I hope you enjoy the course. One way to do that is not sit back feeling
intimidated or lost. Ask questions in class and in the forum. Everyone wants you
to succeed.
Quizzes 1 & 2 have been posted. There is no grade associated with Quiz 1 and it
will remain open all semester just to make sure everyone is familiar with basic
computing equipment and terms.
Next Monday evening we will open Visual Basic and begin the process. I think you
will be surprised at how much fun programming can be.
See you then.
May 8, 2013
Welcome Everyone
This is the Announcements page mentioned in the Syllabus. New information will
be posted here frequently so please check it often.