June 6: Here is the schedule I have for the Evaluations: It will be held on MONDAY, JUNE 12 in our regular classroom
5:00 Thomas
5:10 Dez
5:20 James C
5:30 Steve
5:40 Sarah
5:50 Lee
6:00 Amanda
6:10 Acey
6:20 Ashley
6:30 Kaleb
6;40 Issa
6:50 Tasha
7:00 Anthony
7:10 Cara
7:20 Callan
7:30 Vivian
7:40 Danae
7:50 James
8:00 Matilda
Several students have made other arrangements. If you have not, please come a few minutes early and wait outside the door until the previous person has left. Come with your Class/Faculty Eval. See you then.
June 6 #2: I have emailed everyone who is missing a competency. If you did not get an email from me (please check) you are OK for full credit on the competencies. Still try to improve your evaluation by seeking a star, or 3 perfect plus scores, if you can.
June 6: I will plan to be on campus early tomorrow before class. I can be there by 4 or even earlier upon request, but I will plan on being there at 5. If, however, you need some help with the competencies or programs, and think you need more than an hour, please email me and I will gladly show up before 5. Just give me a time. I want to know there will be someone when I get there. I will have 2 versions of the programming competencies with me. If you want 2 chances to pass, please come at 5 and take the first version. You will have a second chance at the end of class. Again, please make sure your Brain presentation is around 15 minutes, so we can fit all of them in. I will have an Evaluation sign up list for Monday, June 12 from 6 until 10. You can sign up for a 10 minute slot, or two if you think you need more time. We will meet in the same classroom as our class, one student at a time. Please wait outside of the room until the previous student leaves for privacy. I will discuss my evaluation with you. You should have my/the class evaluation with you as well. I am online for much of the day, so see me online. I will be in Olympia tomorrow morning, but then should be free to come to TESC upon request, and for sure before 5, assuming no more health events. Check this home page often. Again, if you do not see me online, please email me with a good time and I will try to catch you then by arrangement on gchat.
June 5 #4: Well… I will not be online tonight. I am in the Urgent care in Shelton with a blown up knee. If I am incapacitated I will make arrangements for Wednesday. Again, look here for details. I’m sorry In more ways than one.
June 5 #3: I will be available tonight online. I will be online at 6 for questions. If you are not available then, please email me with a time you will be online and the question(s) you have. I will be available all evening, but I may miss you if you do not let me know ahead of time, so either check in at 6 or send me an email with a time to catch you. Check this site for changes or updates often.
June 5 #2: We were not able to secure a new location for class tonight and too many folks either could not make it or did not email me with the requested reply, so class June 5 is formally cancelled. Of course, that makes Wednesday’s class very important. I will be in early. All Brain presentations must be completed, so make sure your presentation is between 15 and 20 minutes max. We will have our content and last programming competency tests. We will also have a signup for your evaluations. Email me with questions. Check the posts below. If you need an extra chance to pass competencies, please email me today and we can make a time before class on Wednesday. Also read the Kurzweil Epologue and review the text for a seminar discussion.
June 5 #1: Campus is currently closed today, June 5. I am not sure about all of the details, but I am assuming the night classes will also be cancelled as of now. Please email me when you read this message so I know who is current on our situation. In this email, please let me know if you can, or are willing, to meet at an alternative location. James in our class has a place near campus that would work with easy access. If that might work for tonight, let me know. We will make work whatever comes our way, and I will ’round up’ in terms of credits given you are put at an unforeseen disadvantage. Assuming class is held on Wednesday June 7, come ready to take the content final (both the old and new from the KNOW list), the final chance for the programming competencies, and the Brain Group presentations. Please make a folder in your Cubbie called FINALPROGS and put in this folder your best version of TTT and MasterMind. If there is an issue with either, please make a text file called TTTnotes or MMnotes to explain the issues breifly. Put this in the folder as well. Also put any extensions in this file I should check. Also in the FINALPROGS folder put any program you have worked on that has not yet been checked. If you have a graphics craps, a battleship, a magic square, work on the 8 puzzle, etc.. include this in the folder along with a text file explaining what it does and limitations. I can check your cubbies from home. Please check back at this site in case they re-open the campus for tonight, and don’t forget to email me right away.
May 30 #2: I was planning to come in an hour early tonight, but as of yet have not heard from anyone about meeting then. If you are planning to come in early, please email me asap. If I do not hear from more folks I may come in a bit later. Thanks
May 30: You should have received an email from me with your competency status as of today. Remember, you need at least a partial plus on every category to get full credit for the class. We will be having our group presentations tonight, at least a few of them. Be ready. We will also have 3 more chances on the programming competencies in these last 3 classes. Make you email or see me if you have concerns. I will just total things up at the end, so don’t be left with unfulfilled items.
May 29: I will be online on Wednesday morning for programming and competency help, and I will also plan to come to school an hour early for programming help. Please come with questions. I have injured my knee, so I may be on crutches. Perhaps a paper copy of your code would be helpful as I may be somewhat immobile.
May 24 #2: As of right now, 11 folks have passed all of their competencies, at least as far as a partial plus for getting credit. Again, you want to try for 3 plus grades, or a mastery. 12 students still need to pass one or more of the competencies. Make sure you get help and get credit for these programs. We will have another chance tonight for passing one or more of them.
May 24: You will again have some work time in class on your programs. We will, however, have some additional time for our seminar tonight. Make sure you read Kurzweil, Ch 9 carefully and better yet several times. Take notes of course, but also do some thinking. What do you think constitutes consciousness? Can a computer have it? Why? What does that matter?
May 21: We will have some time in class tomorrow to work on your programs and practice your competencies. Please come with a plan of how to best use your time. Make sure you are making progress on your group presentations. We will need to start on one of them on Wednesday. Please focus on very recent research. We will talk more about the presentations in class tomorrow.
May 17: Make sure you let me know tonight what group you are in for your Brain Presentation. I only have and email from one group. You will have some time tonight for some organization. We will have a Content Exam tonight. Plan to ace this test. You will have one more chance during the Content Final. We will work on the competencies tonight, but will not have a test. We will probably have 2 tests next week, and if you request I can have one before class also. The competencies are priority 1. Make sure you seek and get help. Come with a paper with your notes and questions on Kurzwiel, Chapter 8. So far, we have 20 folks who have passed the Read Code competency, although some with only a partial pass. 12 have passed/partial passed the Write Code Competency. 12 have passed/partial passed the Function Competency, and 4 have passed the Array Competency.
May 15 (#2): I have posted a couple of new forums for getting help on both the competencies and Mastermind. James has already posted for helping with Mastermind. Again, the help should be just a few lines at a time and not involve sending working code. Explain and correct. The competency help forum obviously needs to focus on explanations, since you will need to be able to figure a different one out on your own. Please let me know if you are seeking help and cannot find it. Also keep track of how often and for how long you get or give help. I may comment on this on your evaluation. I did not see many folks online today. Make sure you email me or gchat with me if you need help.
May 15: I am on the computer and gmail now and for the rest of the morning and afternoon. Please see me if you need help or are having problems. Also, send me an email to make a time to get together online if you schedule a time this week. You do not want to get behind on your competencies or programs. You will choose a group brain presentation topic today in class. Please be thinking about an area of cognition, consciousness, brain automation or other that you would like to explore and research. We will have our final Content Competency on Wednesday before the final test. You need to get all of the 20 questions on the first batch of the KNOW questions correct. Test yourself several times each day and make sure you put the answers into long term memory. NO CRAMMING.. that is not the purpose at all. Instead, test yourself frequently and know it well.
May 14: I will be online most of the morning and afternoon on Monday, May 15. Please email or gchat with me there if you have questions. Be thinking about what topic on the brain you would like to research and present in a group report. See the May 10 class page for some examples. I put a new forum up for Mastermind help. Also, come with questions in class. Keep me posted on your competency progress. You will want to make sure you get the help you need as soon as possible, unless you are very confident you have it under control. We will have another competency exam on Monday.
May 10: I will be out of state for several days, beginning on Thursday. I will check email if/when I can, but I will for sure be on gchat all day on Monday, May 15. If you need help look for me there. I still need an status email (see below) from some of you. If you are falling behind, make sure you let me know ASAP. Some of you are forming study groups. If you are having trouble finding one, please talk in class tonight. Especially with the competencies it is really nice to have someone looking over your shoulder as you talk your way through an example and correct you as needed. You should plan to review the 20 KNOW questions at least every other day. You should plan to ACE this test next week.
May 8: Again, check all of the past posts on this page, especially the ones in RED. The EWS program has a survey they want students to fill out. It is online here. More links.. Cara has posted these links to the forum:
- https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/03/there-are-147-teams-competing-in-xprizes-broad-ranging-ai-competition/
- https://backchannel.com/we-are-entering-the-era-of-the-brain-machine-interface-75a3a1a37fd3
- http://www.zdnet.com/article/robots-in-the-cloud/
- https://www.wired.com/2017/05/uber-hires-ai-superstar-quest-rehab-future/
- https://hbr.org/2017/05/ai-is-the-future-of-cybersecurity-for-better-and-for-worse
THANKS! We can discuss these more tonight and Wednesday
May 6: Check all of the past entries on this page below. I still need an entry on the Job Presentation Summary Forum right away for those who have presented. Include a summary of your talk, but also all of the resources you researched. We will be having another crack at the programming competencies- Read Code, Write Code, and Function Read. Also, we will be having 2 Seminars this week, since we did not get to the one last week.
May 5: Make sure you read all of the entries below. I do need your email this week giving your self-assessment of what you are doing and a time table for fixing non-working programs (even those in the COMPLETED folder) and getting TTT to work fully. Also let me know about your status with getting help to pass the programming competencies. We will obviously be talking more about the MasterMind program. Try playing the developed game on the Mastermind link for May 3. You want to be able to answer this question: How do I know if this guess is a good guess, or a possible answer to the code? Also, look at the one line in the NoVowels program we talked about in class. See if you can figure out how it works. What it does is to only print the letter in the given string (str) if the letter is not a vowel. How does the if statement do this? We will discuss in class further.
May 4: CHANGE!! Please email me before Monday. Include your self-assessment of your programs and your comfort with passing the competencies. I am concerned that I have not been getting enough communication from you. I need to know if the lack of communication, which is much less than I am used to for this class, is because you are not having trouble, are just procrastinating on getting things in the Completed folder, or are floundering and not willing to seek help. So.. please let me know your self assessment. I will respond to your email, but not getting an email from you also lets me know important information. Please send the email right away.
May 3: Make sure you come prepared to ACE each and every question on the KNOW link above. We will be having Seminar and Presentations tonight, so come prepared.
May 2: Please email me if you are missing programs in your Completed folder or one of your programs is not working. Again, I want to help fix them and not tell you what you already know by running your program. Your COMPLETED folder is your portfolio. Make it as professional as you can. If you are working on a program and update it, please also email me so I can recheck it. The TTT program must work mostly to get full credit, so check this one carefully. Make sure you come with Seminar prep papers, and with questions on the reading for me. I would also like more participation on the In The News, so be looking out for news on computer technology. If you have not seen the WATSON video, you can watch it here. We can talk about this during In The News also.
May 1: There are two big items this week. First, on Wednesday we will be a content exam from the KNOW 20 questions on the link above. You should make SURE you can answer EACH these questions correctly. You will have one more chance to ace the test, but it will be much easier for everyone if you put the time in now and not have an outstanding credit issue. Second, I will mark off your Cubbies through the TTT program. I will comment on your TTT and perhaps your website on your evaluation. The other programs need to be checked off. Seek help if you have one that is not working. We will have our remaining 2 competency exam questions introduced this week also. Many of you will be branching off on the 8 puzzle this week, and will have some of the programs pruned.
April 30: Make sure you check to make sure the English version of Craps we put on the board is on the back of the Craps JavaScript program you turn in on Monday. Translate each line a line or two at a time. Many of you did very well indeed on your first Competency exam. I will be talking to some of you about forming an 8 puzzle team. Many of you are far ahead of the norm.
April 27: I will be out of the state for the weekend. I will be back on Monday, however, and will be online during the morning. Look for me online there in gchat.
April 26: I just got a go-ahead to share this link: These are examples of using machine learning and neural nets to identify objects from satellite images. I do not know details, but I can find out more. Interesting stuff though.
April 26: There will be a change in how you organize your cubbies. Please make a folder called COMPLETED in your cubbie and have the following programs in it once they are working and have been thoroughly tested: Personal Website folder, formletter, change, movie, and craps (the basic one). In addition, you may have NumberGuess and Craps2 (using graphics and functions) as extra credit programs in the Completed Folder. You should also have your most recent version of a WORKING TTT program in the COMPLETED folder, even if it does not solve the whole problem yet. I have been spot checking your Cubbies, but will check everyone next week. You need to have these programs done, or have contacted me on your issues or status by then. You will need to have a version of your code that is working and an explanation of what is not working and what you have tried if you are seeking help. Do first seek help from other students via study groups, email, forums, QuaSR, or other sources. Remember, I will not fix your programs in your cubbies. I will only give feedback for non-working programs interactively, so you need to contact me, and have formulated a good question, identify where your problem is, and what you have tried first. Do not get behind, as these are credit issues. Make sure you test any program in your COMPLETED folder very well before putting it in there.
April 25: Make sure you are putting your programs in your Cubbies. I check these programs, but I will not respond to a program that is not working directly. I have been running a lot of programs that do not work. I am happy to help, but I want you to formulate a good question first. If your program does not work, first seek help from other students via groups, email, or forums. When you email me, let me know what works (you must always have a working program, even if it is the template) and what you have tried to get the next step working. This should only be a line or two of code. Email me the code you tried that was not successful, along with what happens if it runs, but incorrectly. I will be happy to help via email or via Gchat. Let me know a few times to look for you online. Every version you have in your cubbie should have a version number.. ie moviev1, moviev2, or crapsv3.. When you get the program working, make sure you test it extensively. Check all options. If something does not work, or only works sometimes, then get it fixed via the above strategy. Once you are satisfied your program works, name it with a FIN at the end, IE movieFIN.html, crapsFIN.html, or TTTFin.html. I am still missing working programs from a number of students. Keep on top of your work. At the same time, if you have tried multiple times to solve a problem and are starting to trash, then make sure you stop, formulate a summary of what you tried, formulate a question, and get help.
April 24: Be ready with your Craps program paper listing tonight, and copy a pen/pencil English version of Craps on the back. You can use the one we gave in class, or your different version. We will have our first shot at the read code and write code competencies tonight, but in a practice environment. Make sure you are making progress on TTT, but also be sure you stop in/when you hit a wall. Formulate a question instead of bashing your head against that wall. TTT is not ‘due’ for another week and a half, so you have some time. Make sure you are saving your versions into your Cubbie TTT folder- ie crapsv1, crapsv2, etc.. Only make a line or two change each time. Have your powerpoint available in your cubbie or on a memory stick for your presentation tonight.
April 23: Make sure you are ready for your Job presentation on Monday. Prepare a powerpoint or similar on memory stick or in your Cubbie. You will want to practice it a time or two so that you know you can keep the presentation around 5 minutes. Again, you should have 3 sources or more. You will post these along with a summary in a Forum I will make soon. Your task is to explain how your job may change in the next 5 to 10 years in terms of demand and changes in the job itself. What is being done now in the lab or development that will affect this job? I will go down a list for the order of presentation. I will ask for volunteers to go first, so email me if you would like. If you have a reason for waiting until Wednesday, please clear that ahead of time via email.
April 19: Make sure you are getting help when you get stuck. Also, make sure your programs you put in your cubbies work, or if they don’t make sure you name them as a version or unfinished in the name, ie crapsv1 vs crapsfinal or just craps.
April 18: Make sure you come with a paper with your comments, page numbers, issues and questions from the Kurzweil and Shermer text tomorrow. You will not turn these in, so it does not need to be typed. It needs to be your prompt to discuss points you have experiences with, and it must reflect that you have read the text carefully. We will see how this works. You all need this paper, or pad with you during Seminar. I still need about 10 entries into the Jobs Presentation. It looks like not everyone is in a RED and BLUE group yet. Our Seminar tomorrow will be RED groups. Come early and get in a group if you are not yet. Make sure you keep an open mind as you read the texts. They have a point of view, for sure, but as Minsky states, we cannot prove them wrong until we know for sure how the brain works. Comparing transistors with neurons is far to simplistic to compare the computer with the brain. Kurzweil and Shermer are presenting a higher level proposal to how the brain works. If they are right, there is no reason we cannot build one. But, they might not be right. Discuss, question, grow.
April 17: Make sure you are putting all your programs, including your Personal Website files into your cubbie. You can put them in your cubbie from a memory stick you bring to class, or you can upload them online. Here is the directions for mapping to your home computer: http://helpwiki.evergreen.edu/wiki/index.php/Connect_to_Filespace_-_Windows_XP Come to class with your notes from the Minsky text. We will have a discussion on this text tonight, but our Seminar for Kurzweil and Shermer will be on Wednesday. Make sure you have the English version of your CHANGE program printed on the back of your computer listing. Have questions on the MOVIE program also.
April 14: James Fuller has emailed me to offer to help if you are stuck with the CHANGE program. His email is willsonjames1969@gmail.com. Remember, if you are stuck, explain what you have tried to get the quarters part to work. Email a line or two of the code you have. If you are helping, explain the problem but please do not just give the correct code to cut and paste. Eventually, each of you will have to solve similar problems on your own. Helping each other, however, is a win-win. There is nothing like explaining something to cement your own understanding. Again, teaching is programming. If you are unable to get help from each other, however, make sure you email me or look for me online in gmail.
April 13: I should have sent all of you an invitation to be on my google hangout’s list. I used the emails you sent me. I can see if you are on line, and we can chat of videochat. It is a good way to get help, but try using student to student resources first. Form study groups. I have added a new CHANGE forum for asking help. I have an offer from Anthony in our class below:
I also tutor in the QuaSR center, and have hours on Sundays (12-5) and Mondays (11-3), so that could be useful for people, considering a lot of stuff seems to be due on Mondays. My email is AnthonyBalderrama15@gmail.com
I will be getting a few more emails from students who are willing to help that I will also post here. The CHANGE program is the first one we have where you have to think about programming. Make sure you really understand and can run the existing program before you start, and just get the quarters to work, save this version, and then go on to the dimes, nickels, and pennies.
Don’t forget to download the MINSKY text (see ToDo) and read it before Monday. Take some notes. We will discuss it in class on Monday. Also make sure you run the Movie2 program and read the assignment. Try it enough so you have questions. It will be due next Wednesday.