Forums | MacLife

iopossum · 2003-01-24 3:12 am

Hey MAFers, if you've been keeping up in Applewire you probably read about the "GradeX" project that we were considering. Well we've decided to do it, and have begun working on it. I've begun to code it, IcePenguin is working on the website and forums, and Mazer Rackham is working on some icons.

I have the first build here, it doesn't do much yet, but I think it's pretty good for Day 1: http://users.adelphia.net/~ftolmasky/ap … _build.sit

Things to look out for:
- You can enter new students
- It accepts two name formats: "first last" and "last, first". Typing anything will attempt to convert it to the former, for example typing "last, first" will be converted to "first last". Also, " first last" will be converted into "first last"
- I thought it would be helpful to always see the student name on the left (something I don't think you can do if you're using excel or a database program), so I seperated the views. BUT, if you add enouch to the student side, you'll see that they are both controlled by the scroll bar or the right. It's pretty cool I think.

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Purpose: To have a full suite of easy to use, open source, free teacher applications to attract them back to the platform.

Idea: Probably four apps, a la office/iLife, fully integrated of course. We've thought of two so far. We'll have some sort of ?Class? app that will be a general class management program, allowing the teacher to enter students, create seating charts etc. "A+" will be a sophisticated yet simple grading application, capable of working stand alone or with Class. It's pretty easy to see how they could function together, with Class you may double click on a certain seat on a seating chart and find out the grade that particular student is getting in the class. In A+ you could call up a "class file" and have it automatically set up the grade sheet for you.

Want to help?
We need everything from programmers to just idea-men. If you think you can help please do. We'd like this to be a MAF project many of us can take part in. So if you want in respond here or just PM me or the people listed above.

We need support! We were hoping to be sponsored by MA (not monitarily of course, just allow us to occasionally post builds up here without being called trolls and to ask questions, etc. regarding the project. Maybe allow us to have our own topic in the MAF Index if it grows big enough....)

NoExit · 2003-01-24 4:05 am

cool.

so i are you useing the dev tools ??

and you would be able to print out all the grades or just 1 students grade or both ??

iopossum · 2003-01-24 4:10 am

Yes, I'm using the dev tools.
It's all Objective-C right now, but if I don't find a good XML writing/reading/parsing tool I'll be writing my own one in C++ soon. Which means a significant part of this thing will be in C++.

Yes, you will be able to print anything you want, all the students, some, multiple options.

zacwhite · 2003-01-24 8:01 am

Hey iopossum. Remember me?? Anyway, my aim is "cubeman" and my email is zacw@cox.net. Email me or IM me and we can talk about this project. It seems like a really good start. I have some great ideas for it too.

Touque Guy · 2003-01-24 9:03 am

I tested it and found just two errors.

The NewApplication thing. It says it under Help and File.

When I save something, it quits. But it still saves.

A good upcoming feature would be to save as XML.

Besides that, excellent work so far. I'd love to contribute!

Tickle-Me-Eric · 2003-01-24 1:05 pm

I am afraid i can only be of help in the idea/beta testing/design side... So if you need a slick design work, or input from the son of two educators (my father work with the physically and metally impared, so I would love less traditional class rooms to be accomodated, but we can talk about that as an addition later...) or just plain idea... I'd love to do what I can...

Tickle-Me-Eric · 2003-01-24 1:11 pm

My room mate owns a web hosting company... he may let us have a few megs of space to host the builds and a little site for the community of testers and so on... let me know if you intersted in this or if we are okay on that front...

Schlomo · 2003-01-24 1:15 pm

hmmm.. I would love to help any way that I can.. But I am not much of a coder... I can beta test.. or help with ideas. Please email me with any requests

Tovi · 2003-01-24 1:16 pm

Hey, I'm a graduate student who has worked as a Teacher's Assistant for the last year and a half and also taught in high school for a while. Ill be glad to help. Whenever I can think of something Ill post it, or you can write to me here monllor@islavela.com.

Good Luck[/url]

Tovi · 2003-01-24 1:22 pm

and I just did. Something I think would be very useful would be the ability to publish the grades to the internet easily. So parents or students can see their grades.

The only problem is that students may not want others to see their grade and then you'd have to assign passwords etc. and now it gets a little complicated. :?:

Mazer Rackham · 2003-01-24 1:45 pm

and I just did. Something I think would be very useful would be the ability to publish the grades to the internet easily. So parents or students can see their grades.

The only problem is that students may not want others to see their grade and then you'd have to assign passwords etc. and now it gets a little complicated. :?:

Just give each kid a log-in or something, that can be handled with PHP if you export the grades to a database... somehow...

Ah that's more complex. Just do it by birthdates, ID's or something extra. My teachers have found other methods.

y2kapostle · 2003-01-24 2:40 pm

I'm going into teaching soon (when I graduate college in May), and I have already been thinking about the best way to use my iBook in the classroom as far as grading and other things go.

I can definitely help out with practical ideas and stuff.

1) make one application
2) make it in a sort of AppleWorks style environment, where you can access from startup the various perspectives you want to use. Let's say you have four main uses, make a startup box that allows you to choose which way you want to approach the information in the app
3) make it integratable into Keynote and other iApps that are necessary to the program

Mazer Rackham · 2003-01-24 2:50 pm

I'm going into teaching soon (when I graduate college in May), and I have already been thinking about the best way to use my iBook in the classroom as far as grading and other things go.

I can definitely help out with practical ideas and stuff.

1) make one application
2) make it in a sort of AppleWorks style environment, where you can access from startup the various perspectives you want to use. Let's say you have four main uses, make a startup box that allows you to choose which way you want to approach the information in the app

That's a great idea smile Office does the same thing and it really comes in handy.

3) make it integratable into Keynote and other iApps that are necessary to the program

Ah, I hadn't thought of being able to make presentations. Interesting...

I think we'd be stretching it a bit thin if we did all that.

Jehannum · 2003-01-24 4:53 pm

I'd love to help; I've emailed and PM'd you, mazer.

zacwhite · 2003-01-24 5:59 pm

Trust me, you DON'T want to make keynote presentations...the XML used in them is EXTREMELY long and detailed. It would take forever to make one. Anyway, I have keynote if you need a beta tester for that feature. Also, if you want a good user base make sure it can read and write Making the Grade files. All of the teachers at my school (that use macs) are stuck in OS 9 or Classic because there is no Making the Grade for 10! It would be extrememly popular. Also, you should have password protection, seating charts, and contact info for each student. Just some ideas. I have more. Please email me at zacw@cox.net or im me: User name "cubeman".

Touque Guy · 2003-01-24 7:06 pm

Integrated support with Rendezvous would be cool.

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/rendezvous/

It's open source.
(May be a tad hard to code neutral )

Mazer Rackham · 2003-01-24 7:22 pm

Integrated support with Rendezvous would be cool.

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/rendezvous/

It's open source.
(May be a tad hard to code )

How would it be used?

IcePenguin · 2003-01-24 8:09 pm

I'm getting the website up as we speak. I hope PostNuke is okay... I need a Content Management System, PostNuke = Good.

Touque Guy · 2003-01-24 8:21 pm

Integrated support with Rendezvous would be cool.

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/rendezvous/

It's open source.
(May be a tad hard to code )
How would it be used?

Well, It would be probably integrated with all of them, because if the teachers needed to contact another about a certain student, they could message others on the network. Rendezvous is a perfect option and it gives people a good reason to switch; not only to OSX, but also to GradeX.

Touque Guy · 2003-01-24 8:23 pm

Just made some French, Spanish and Japanese localizations. I'll see if they'll be included in the next release.

mrgreen

Mazer Rackham · 2003-01-24 8:25 pm

Integrated support with Rendezvous would be cool.

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/rendezvous/

It's open source.
(May be a tad hard to code )
How would it be used?
Well, It would be probably integrated with all of them, because if the teachers needed to contact another about a certain student, they could message others on the network. Rendezvous is a perfect option and it gives people a good reason to switch; not only to OSX, but also to GradeX.

I don't know if many schools have really hardcore OSX networks like that, and it would be a lot of work to code all that in. But, who knows. I'm just the graphics guy after all.

I do know Rendezvous has a cool logo wink

MachMan · 2003-01-24 9:34 pm

I'd love to help. I'm just learning how to program so I can't do much there, but I could beta test or anything else that needs to be done.

Tovi · 2003-01-25 12:09 am

I can translate into spanish !!! You can then sell it to latinamerica. jajaja

Yo lo traduzco al espa

jkahless · 2003-01-25 12:15 am

Just remember to put in a back door so I can go and change all my grades. big_smile . not that I need to of course wink .

iopossum · 2003-01-25 1:51 am

I can translate into spanish !!! You can then sell it to latinamerica. jajaja

Yo lo traduzco al espa

iopossum
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~tolmasky/

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