Survival in this Class

This is a survival guide. Here I will put all of the basic information about this class in one place so you know where to look for stuff and so you can keep up with what is going on in class. This will be done in a Q & A format.

Where is the syllabus? You are now looking at a part of it. The syllabus for this course consists of these documents.

• The Current Classes Page contains information pertaining to all of my classes, including grading policy. It also contains useful information on the school calendar.
• The 4280 Page contains particulars on this class.
• The Specifications Page and Canvas will have information on assignments. The Canvas page provides a portal for submission; details for each assignment will be present on the Specificiations Page.
• The Outline Page gives a course outline.

How do I arrange to see you? Schedule a ZOOM conference on my Google Calendar.

Do you have official office hours? These are listed on my Schedule Page.

Is there a textbook? I didn't see one in the bookroom. You will get a link to it the first day of class. Bookmark that link. The textbook is a live document and I maintain its manuscript in LaTeX (you might want to learn this; it's great for math and equations). If you see typos or problems, let me know and I can expunge them.

What is Canvas? It is not the back of a duck.

It is our content management system. I largely use it as a means of managing the collection of assignments. Most reading quizzes will be given on Canvas. Grades will be posted in the Canvas gradebook. Canvas works very nicely and most of your teachers will use it. It can do great stuff like remind you of upcoming assignments and test dates.

What is on Quiz 0, given the first week of class??? Quiz 0 is very easy; it's a gimme. To do it, you will print, sign, and date the academic honesty statement for CS. Make sure you read and understand it. You can ask questions about it at any time. The other part of Quiz 0 consists of making an tne-minute appointment with me on Google Calendar, visiting my office and showing me your lappy is ready for class (Bring it!). I will also activate a server account for you. The due date and particulars are visible on Canvas.

Where can I find CS classroom policy? Right here. Take some time to look at it. You are bound by its [eminently reasonable] rules.

What am I supposed to be reading or seeing? Look in the daily calendars which can be found in the directories with month hames. Each day there will be a reminder about reading and other related materials. I have selected some videos that you will find to be helpful. Most are short; you can watch them during free blocks, and view them more than once so you understand what is happening.

What is a text editor? How is it different from a word processor? A text editor edits plain text. Word processors have lots of formatting and style information lurking in their files. Word processor files do not work for this class. You will use a plain text editor for this class. Do not turn in any assignment in a .doc, .rtf, or .docx format. The index page for this class has a links for downloading one. All of the choices will work great for this class.

What pages on this site are important?

• The directories with month names contain the daily calendars for each month.
• specs contains information on grading and major assignments.
• pages contains some sample web apps. Take a look.
• You should log into Canvas and view this course's page. Quizzes will be given there. Canvas will also be used to collect work.

What is a saysquat? A saysquat is a student who sits in class and who doesn't say squat. Don't be one. If something is getting past you ask a question. It's an excellent bet you are not the only person in the class with precisely the same question. Saysquattery is strongly discouraged at NCSSM. For you juniors out there, this is one big difference between your old school and NCSSM.

Is this website visible outside of the school? Yes. It is live on the web. If your parents are curious about this class, they can go on this site and see what is happening. Your parents will be shown this site on Family Day.

Student Questions

Questions asked by youall will be posted right here along with answers. So if you have one, please ask and provide the benefit of its discussion to everyone. The only dumb question is the one you leave here wishing you had asked.