850 likes | 985 Views
Media Software Design. DIG 3134 April 15, 2014 Lecture 20: The Last Lecture J. Michael Moshell University of Central Florida. Original image* by Moshell et al. I started teaching in 1969. 2 years in High School, in Malaysia. I taught 1975-1984. at the University of Tennessee.
E N D
Media Software Design DIG 3134 April 15, 2014 Lecture 20: The Last Lecture J. Michael Moshell University of Central Florida Original image* by Moshell et al .
I started teaching in 1969 2 years in High School, in Malaysia I taught 1975-1984 at the University of Tennessee I taught 1984 - 2014 at the University of Central Florida
Today I'm going to tell you what I learned from my students Because I will graduate on the first of July, 2014.
Today I'm going to tell you what I learned from my students Because I will graduateretire on the first of July, 2014. But let's not be serious like Polonius (in Hamlet) lecturing Ophelia: "To thine own self be true..."
Today I'm going to tell you what I learned from my students Because I will retire on the first of July, 2014. But let's not be serious like Polonius (in Hamlet) lecturing Ophelia: "To thine own self be true..." You might remember what happens to him.
Thing 1: Nobody remembers what I say, anyhow. But they might remember a good STORY. Why?
Thing 1: Nobody remembers what I say, anyhow. But they might remember a good STORY. Why? Our minds seem to be made out of stories. Original art by Jim Story. Used by permission.
Thing 2: I started out seeking wisdom ... groups.yahoo.com
Thing 2: I started out seeking wisdom ... and quickly discovered: what we really need is NOT BEING STUPID. owengreaves.com
So ... I will tell you stories about * STUPID and SMART programmers * STUPID and SMART students and humans I've known * The Shape of my Life ... thus far ...
Dumb things that (new) programmers do: 1. Try to build a house before you have the bricks. aurobindo-vllage.com
Dumb things that (new) programmers do: 1. Try to build a house before you have the bricks. Translation: try to build a complex program, and THEN debug it. modestarcade.com
DIG 2500 (Flash) – Spring 2014 (last week!) Student laid out a 20 – room "dungeon" maze, with elaborate artwork * But: Had not figured out how to - go from room to room - pick up objects - make actions conditional on possessions - integrate sound and video
DIG 2500 (Flash) – Spring 2014 (last week!) Student laid out a 20 – room "dungeon" maze, with elaborate artwork * AND (!) Asked me to help fix the script 30 minutes before the end of the lab! Let's analyze the dumb-osities:
House before bricks: Why? 1. Student deferred the hard parts (Why? avoiding discouragement, maybe.) Eat the frog first. Get the hard part behind you. Practical version: build a small prototype of each activity. Then COPY IT into all 20 scenes, as you build them! boxc.sourceforge.net stuff.co.nz
House before bricks: Why? 2. Wrong kind of optimism "I can do it!" (good) but "I can do it NAIVELY!" (bad) boxc.sourceforge.net
Naive Stupidity can kill you. Camping in the Taman Negara * 5 PC volunteers * prepared for 6 months * stayed within 3 miles of HQ * spoke the local language boxc.sourceforge.net
House before bricks: Why? Along came these Americans ... * wearing shorts! * carrying canned goods! * headed for Gunung Tahan mountain (25 miles into the jungle) * without a map OR a guide boxc.sourceforge.net
House before bricks: Why? Along came these Americans ... * wearing shorts! * carrying canned goods! * headed for Gunung Tahan mountain (25 miles into the jungle) * without a map OR a guide -- came back 24 hours later, covered in leeches and bruises boxc.sourceforge.net
House before bricks: Why? Moral: * Figure out what is needed * Get it before you need it boxc.sourceforge.net
House before bricks: Why? Moral: * Figure out what is needed * Get it before you need it Be honest with yourself. Do I know what is needed? If not, find out! boxc.sourceforge.net
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark DIG3134 – last week – (and every semester) - student tries program, sees blank screen - says "I haven't a clue", blindly tries something else - this is the FOURTEENTH WEEK of course
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark Remedies: 1. You GOTTA see the error messages. If you aren't seeing them, why? -- find out, and fix it. "Sharpen your tools"
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark Remedies: 2. Print out the variables "Find out what's wrong"
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark Remedies: 3. Simulate your code "Find out what SHOULD happen"
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark Why: I didn't have enough time to do it RIGHT, so now I gotta do it OVER. -- Bad strategy ... bad time management (Stupid? No. Ignorant, yes.)
Dumb Idea #2: Working in the Dark Why: I didn't have enough time to do it RIGHT, so now I gotta do it OVER. -- Bad strategy ... bad time management (Stupid? No. Ignorant, yes.) STUPID is when you do it OVER and OVER.
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" www.dumpaday.com
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language I could do it if I had a better teacher!
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. • "My brain is not made • for programming" • I don't yet know how to do HARD STUFF. • But I'm going to learn how to do it. • -- we will revisit this issue later • when I discuss my HEROES --
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language www.wallsave.com
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language You don't know enough yet to evaluate a language. Use what you have! www.wallsave.com
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language I could do it if I had a better teacher! www.ign.com
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. "My brain is not made for programming" PHP (Basic, Flash, Java) is a bad language I could do it if I had a better teacher! Maybe you DO need a coach. Are you using the ones you have? www.ign.com cbslocal.com
Dumb Idea #3: Thinking you can't do it. Remedy: Get a mentor. Don't try to do it alone. When you get stuck, they will un-stick you. A mentor is not your substitute. A mentor is your launching-pad. usfbap.org
II. STUPID and SMART people I've known www.crestock.com
II. STUPID and SMART people I've known 1. ME, at the age of 16 I was a geek before we knew the word ...
II. STUPID and SMART people I've known 1. ME, at the age of 16 -- boys and Jeeps shouldn't go together * Sliding into the ditch * Driving across a pond * Running off the road www.crestock.com
II. STUPID and SMART people I've known 2. MY DAD, all the time. His favorite quotation:
II. STUPID and SMART people I've known 2. MY DAD, all the time One ship sails East, And another West,By the self-same winds that blow, 'Tis the set of the sails And not the gales, That tells the way we go. Ella Wheeler Walcox, 1916
Alice meets the Cheshire Cat Which way shall I go? Asked Alice. Depends on where you want to get to! Said the Cat. digitalstampdesign.blogspot.com
Alice meets the Cheshire Cat I don't really KNOW, Said Alice. Then it doesn't matter which way you go, does it? Said the Cat.
So, I decided to set some GOALS I want to understand wisdom. I want to help the human race become wiser. Before we trash the place. (That's Hagia Sophia, "Holy Wisdom" a church/mosque/museum in Istanbul") istanbultoursonline.com
How to understand wisdom? Read a whole lot. Go live with other people, see how THEY live. So – I worked my way outward.
How to understand wisdom? Read a whole lot. Go live with other people, see how THEY live. So – I worked my way outward.
Working my way outward: French Emory University (Summer Science 63)
Georgia Tech, 1964 - 1968: French German Dutch Linguistics Chinese Amsterdam & Europe, Summer 1967
Georgia Tech, 1964 - 1968: Amsterdam & Europe, Summer 1967 Homesickness! (Utterly surprised me!)
Chinese Malay Peace Corps, 1968 - 1970 Hawaii for Training, Sept-Dec 1968 Malaysia teaching – 1969, 1970