*sigh*
Well, here we are approaching the middle of the month of October, which is going to be quite a busy one for me. This weekend I get to travel with roughly 10 other companions to Melbourne, FL for the ACM programming competition, so wish us luck that we don't totally embarass ourselves. We get to supply our own vehicles for the trip and we have yet to receive word if we will be compensated for the fuel cost.
We are all but finalized about moving into the house across the road, again during this month of October. So, it looks like we may plan a pre-Dwyer-party moving party, which could extend for the entire weekend of the 28th, making it a pre/post Dwyer party moving party.
In other news, I have a breakfast thingie with Dean Feinstein and other student representatives for 'the deans council' or something like that. Basically, we get treated to a free breakfast and 'supposedly' talk with the uppity dean about what could be done better in our department. That could take a LONG time to go over. Our big rubber stamp on degrees needs to stop, even if we have a 'problem' with retention. A) the entire school is having the same problem, B) the nation is having the same problem in our discipline. The use of Extreme Programming in the freshmen 120/121 introductory programming and problem solving courses, IMO, is causing a lot of this. If a new kid doesn't learn to properly solve a problem and design his implementation then, sure your not going to get far in this discipline (unless your an IT or IS major). That last part there needs to be qualified too, i'm not a CS major, and they are not IT and IS majors either. We are all three CIS majors with concentrations in CS, IT or IS. So all of our diplomas say the same thing, bachelors of science in Computer and Information Science. So, out in the work force all they see is "BS of CIS from USA". Same way with the masters program, except currently there is no IT masters program but if some of the faculty have their way its coming.
What is IT, all the students can tell me is "we are tool users....we use tools". Great, let the flood gates open and all who can use tools get a degree. Help water the degrees that me and those before me worked hard (some not so hard) for. Wish I had went through this department a couple years ago when it was 'better'. Lets hope that something changes, but don't hold your breath.
Enough rant, time for some shut eye...
~Kisea
We are all but finalized about moving into the house across the road, again during this month of October. So, it looks like we may plan a pre-Dwyer-party moving party, which could extend for the entire weekend of the 28th, making it a pre/post Dwyer party moving party.
In other news, I have a breakfast thingie with Dean Feinstein and other student representatives for 'the deans council' or something like that. Basically, we get treated to a free breakfast and 'supposedly' talk with the uppity dean about what could be done better in our department. That could take a LONG time to go over. Our big rubber stamp on degrees needs to stop, even if we have a 'problem' with retention. A) the entire school is having the same problem, B) the nation is having the same problem in our discipline. The use of Extreme Programming in the freshmen 120/121 introductory programming and problem solving courses, IMO, is causing a lot of this. If a new kid doesn't learn to properly solve a problem and design his implementation then, sure your not going to get far in this discipline (unless your an IT or IS major). That last part there needs to be qualified too, i'm not a CS major, and they are not IT and IS majors either. We are all three CIS majors with concentrations in CS, IT or IS. So all of our diplomas say the same thing, bachelors of science in Computer and Information Science. So, out in the work force all they see is "BS of CIS from USA". Same way with the masters program, except currently there is no IT masters program but if some of the faculty have their way its coming.
What is IT, all the students can tell me is "we are tool users....we use tools". Great, let the flood gates open and all who can use tools get a degree. Help water the degrees that me and those before me worked hard (some not so hard) for. Wish I had went through this department a couple years ago when it was 'better'. Lets hope that something changes, but don't hold your breath.
Enough rant, time for some shut eye...
~Kisea
posted by Brian Wright at 10:00 PM
1 Comments:
fyi, the breakfest could last several hours and do allow us to talk. And some do listen. Dr. D did want to impliment my idea of integrating more hands on stuff in classes to help retain students as opposed to code, code, and more code of simple stuff on a machine.
MadDogGTO
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