Now one misconception is that education is free. It is not. Every homeowner and renter pays the bill over and over again. Therefore the school administration works for us while the teachers work for the school administration and we pay both salaries. Thus every home owner and renter has a right to challenge the administration. Do not challenge the teachers. They have to teach based on guidelines established by the administration.
The problem with a business firm taking over the teaching process is that you not only have to pay the teaching staff and the business administration but also all those stock holders as well. So it is better to be assertive with your school administration and get problems resolved.
If you do not have any children in the school program you too are still effected by the educational program since you live in the community that these students live in. Their well being will effect your well being. So you to should get involved. Furthermore, you are also paying year after year to support the school system.
The IET, Individualized Educational Training, system was designed based on the following: Any word set that is underlined has detail that you can access!
Take for example the definition given by MicroSoft's Encarta Encyclopedia
Philosophy is a study of origins, investigation of ultimate reality,
nature of morality, judgment, and aesthetics, study of the nature of
beauty.
Now take for example the definition given by MindScapes Student Reference
Library: Philosophy is the love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means
and moral self discipline. The science comprising of logic,
ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics and epistemology.
First: Intellectual groups of people define philosophy differently.
Second: Definitions are not finite but infinite in perspective.
Third: What true value is there to society in some educational definitions.
Actually if you read on in Encarta, they say that Pythagoras
taught a practical and (disciplined) way of life based on
cultivating intellectual virtues and this is where we feel
the definition of philosophy should be.
Now one of the goals of the IET system is to limit Infinite
definitions to Finite useful definitions and thus one of the
premises of the IET system is that some definitions need to
be reviewed and modified based on this goal.
An example of this is the study of Algebra in both high school
and college. Well in high school parents get involved with
home work and will realize that what is being taught in the
classroom is not only algebra but also calculus, trigonometry,
and geometry. Now if the class was Mathematics and not Algebra
then what is being taught would be OK or would it. Give the
students a break and limit the infinite. How can administrators
expect students to excel and feel a level of accomplishment
if limits are not established. This is not the teachers problems
but rather the superintendent's folly and must be addressed
at that level.
Here are some examples of definition changes:
PHILOSOPHY - A directed and disciplined way of life that benefits oneself
and others.
THEOLOGY - A study of our relationship with God. (Since God is Infinite
we can not assume to be able to study the full nature of God)
PHYSICS - The study of matter, energy, and force fields and the inter relationship
between them.
MATHEMATICS - The study of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus.
PSYCHOLOGY - A study of an individual's mental and emotional behavior.
SOCIOLOGY - A study of the inter relationships between individuals and groups of people.
HISTORY - A study of past human events so as to achieve wisdom in dealing with current
human events.
Again to not be to redundant, the goal is to provide finite definitions that lead
to a successful educational endeavor.
Have a problem with that then don't consider the IET system. This is the 21st century. Today is x years and y days from the birth of Jesus Christ. All
Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists agree to use this measure of time. Thus they
all recognize the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Lets now change the definition of Theology to A study of man's relationship with
God. Now the New and Old Testament and the Koran become primary books of
knowledge to this area of study. Why does a democratic society ignore this area
of study or does society say that we will leave this teaching process to religious
institutions. Well that is OK but to restrict any reference to God in our educational
system is ludicrous.
Even Pythagoras taught that our souls live on. The pyramids of Egypt attest to
this concept. So isn't is highly important were you end up after
your 70 or 80 trips around the sun.
This system is not for fools that put their heads into the sand
when it comes to understanding the total picture of life. So why isn't
Philosophy the basis of education? Since philosophy should study
a directed and disciplined way of life which includes personal
development then philosophy precedes all study disciplines.
Furthermore character, personality, and virtue play an important role in the
success of the educational process and must be promoted before
the classroom education process starts. Now that implies that philosophy
should be taught to children before they start school. So it is logical to
say that the teaching of philosophy must be the responsibility of parents.
This is exactly correct but to not encourage these concepts in school is also
ludicrous.
After encouraging finite concepts, it would be inappropriate to leave the
subject of philosophy without providing an example of what it should be.
This is our interpretation of what Jesus said and did during his stay on this
planet. Remember he saw the stars and planets created!
Philosophy is a disciplined and directed way of life that benefits oneself and
others. A philosophy must include an:
The objective in life should be:
Hard work should not exclude other important objectives in life.
Personal Development should include in part or in whole:
Does this require a disciplined way of life? YES
Would this benefit mankind? YES
Is this a finite definition? Yes.
How one utilizes these ideas can be characterized in how three
elements of electrons, neutrons, and protons can be so many
different things like you, me, a rose, a dog, a tree, water,a
hot dog, etc. What one does with these concepts depends on
one's creativity and willingness to do good.
The following paragraphs are for non believers.
So you believe that the universe started
with a ball. It blew up and walla we had a universe. Now we know that the universe
is made of electrons, protons, neutrons, force fields, and energy. Did the ball
consist of electrons, protons, and neutrons.
When did the electrons, protons, and neutrons decide to form molecules
or better yet when did the electrons, protons, and neutrons decide to form an atom,
or better yet when did they decide to form a specific number of different type of
atoms. When did the electrons decide to travel around the nucleus in specific
shells. When did the force fields evolve? When did the fusion occur to create light.
In your opinion there was a circular solid body out there and light did not exist.
In your opinion this body's massive size was so large that if you traveled the
speed of light it would take you million of years to go around it. Yet you believe
something triggered a massive explosion. Don't you realize that with such a size
of mass the gravitational cumulative force field would not permit the body to
sperate. You say your concept is scientific. At the same time you state that
out of chaos comes order. Without order there is no equations. Without equations
there is no science. Furthermore where did the ball come from? Finally how long
was the ball around before it supposedly blue up? When did the ball originate?
Creationism is more scientific than the BANG theory. Yet you insist that
students be taught the BANK theory.
Yes, you could say well there are a lot of NASA scientists that believe in this
concept. If almost everyone on the planet earth believed that the world was flat
would that make it a reality. You know, they did at one time.
Then you could counter, well how can anyone believe that one being could create
such a majestic universe. Well how can you imagine people with no mechanized tools to
build the pyramids, or even now build a huge plane like the 747 and expect it
to fly, or build a ship that can be used as an airport. Did God have any help?
Well he had a vast staff of angels.
Finally, you object to someone believing in a creator or even mentioning the
word God, while you have a belief in an absurd state of events. As humans
came to realize the world was round so to will you come to realize that
there was a creator. Unfortunately for you, you would have disregarded these
concepts and system and upon learning the reality of things find yourself
in dire straits! once you pass on.
The wrong sequence is when students are required to do Calculus
problems or Trigonometry problems before they have completed Algebra. Students need
to master Arithmetic first, then Algebra, then Geometry, then Trigonometry, then Calculus.
The book makers are responsible for this situation since the book looks better if it has
a lot of different items. They most probably could not sell an Algebra book with 30 pages
of only algebra basics. Now this is again the problem of the school curriculum director
since the decision is basically in his or her hands.
Now the student says if I am going to be
tortured like this, I am going to give my parents a piece of the action. So the parents
response is "you dummy, why don't you know that!" when in fact they never studied
that aspect of mathematics when they went to school. Now the sad thing about all
this is the parent/child conflict, the student overload, the student lack of self
confidence, the student looking for ways to feel good about themselves, the student
involvement into drugs, and so on. So the school system becomes the best friend of
the drug pushers because they create the environment of frustration.
With the vast deluge of information in the past 50 years it is important to get control
of this situation. Remember that with a limited requirement of the past, these
students became men and women that landed a man on the moon and created
a basis for the present economic boom.
The IET system attempts to establish a curriculum that is limiting but comprehensive.
It says lets go back to the basics in the past and build on them the enhancements of
the present.
The IET system suggests that the
If you don't get paid for your work effort how long will you continue to go to work?
Payment is recognition for the work that you do. Now are our kids any different. Should
we expect them to go to school every day in day out without any recognition! You
wouldn't! Why should they excel if they don't get paid proper wages. The wages
we are talking about is recognition for the accomplishments. Although if you give
your children allowances it might be a good idea to tie it to both chores and
class achievement.
The IET system set up the curriculum in such a way that students first work on a
limited goal, have achievements that are recognized by not grades but rather
achievement
Note the words
If these achievement steps are not analyzed properly you can very easily
revert back to the dark ages of torture. On the other hand setting up to many
very small steps results in more difficulty in managing the process.
So the IET system sets up a general pattern to follow. There are three sections to
a level. Each level has two parts. Each achievement step has a letter. You can
only have A through Z sets of achievement steps within a level. Each section must
be inclusive on a single page. There should be between 3 and 7 levels for any
area of study. Example. We suggest that Arithmetic has 3 levels, Language
study 7 levels. While these may be restrictive they do limit the wordy writer
and keep things finite rather than infinite.
How about children with learning disabilities. Well they too must be challenged.
The brain is a dynamic entity. Say to a child you are not smart, you will not
succeed, or simply expect the least and that is what you will get. On the other
hand challenge the student to master educational endeavors that could help them
achieve a level of independence and success. This must be done without pressure.
The mind being dynamic can adapt if challenged beyond its original capability.
Case in point. My daughter has a serious learning disability. She was going
through school not feeing good about school because of the difficulty with the
subject matter, placed in the resource program with a little hope of any
mastery of an educational goal. That was the basis for the start of this
program. I worked out an agreement with the school system that she would go
part time and I would tutor her in computing, mathematics, and Spanish.
She wanted to learn a foreign language but they said she was not capable
of doing so.
To make a long story short she mastered the 1st year of French, German,
Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. She received a year credit in each
language except Japanese. She was two week late in taking the final in
Japanese and the grades were already posted for graduation. She is presently
Secretary for ECM. She continues to study
these foreign languages as part of her job assignment. George Bush, then
governor of Texas presented her with a complementary letter.
"Well that's fine but wait a minutes. I taught you said this would reduce the amount of work
teachers do." Well if it was not for the IETCOM computer support system you
would be right. The IETCOM system plays an important role in supporting this
concept. When you review the IETCOM software system you will understand how.
One final thought about success on a regular basis. In the early grades the
stickers and certificates and plaques will be important to the student. Later
they simple will be part of the recognition for achievement since the simple
fact that the student has learned to master educational elements will be
reward enough. This is why I believe my daughter went from learning Spanish
to the other languages. She finally realized that she could master areas of
study. This encouraged her to proceed to other efforts. Let me say it became
a difficult task keeping up with her.
The
Hierarchical structure
is the way the information is organized for a given subject and needs to be provided for the
student to understand the general scope of the educational endeavor. The
essential elements are a combination of additional elements,
definitions, processes, and charts that are the basis for study at this level. The
achievement steps
are the actual elements that the teacher or tutor will have the student master. All the steps
in a section can be worked on at the same time or period. It is advised that the teacher
or tutor first completes all the steps for a section before proceeding on to the next section. Now
it will take a little creativity by the teacher to be able to work on different levels with
a slower and faster learning group but there is nothing wrong with having the faster learners
become teacher aides. Helping others rather than repetitive work retains information and builds
character.
By establishing
If a student was planning to be a Secretary then her mathematics level of achievement
may look like this:
If a student was planning to be an accountant that same level of achievement would
serve him or her well. On the other hand if the student was planning on an engineering
career then his level of achievements may look like this:
Since mathematics is a mind builder there is a need to learn beyond the scope of
utilization. This is also the case of one foreign language although in the era of
international communication and the web, another language is almost a must.
An example of a language major that my daughter has taken looks like this:
Since the basis of education is
Philosophy,
it is the first document in the career manual. As they say, what does it gain a man to gain the world and then loose his soul. The next document is the
career goals.
The goals should at least have two options. With each option should be the educational
requirements necessary to achieve them. Once this concept is established the selection
of those achievement subjects and levels could be simply pasted in from a career database.
The next item in the career manual is the selection of the
Educational Goals,
This simply says to a student. This is YOUR map to success! and the road map will
be a breakdown of the subjects a student will have to study but the levels and achievement
steps will be limited to the grade level that the student is in. Thus this manual
will be dynamic and will change as the student progresses through the educational
system.
So the next set of documents is a description of each
major and minor,
as to the subjects and the level of achievement. Board of directors set up annual goals
and so do many businesses. A student needs to do the same and should be taught
at an early age, say first grade. Too young you say but when Jenghiz Khan almost
conquered the world he insisted that boys begin to ride horses in the first grade or
the equivalent. So
Annual goals
need to be set up. Annual goals are for the most part educational goals but losing ten
pounds or graduating this year or getting a part time job could also be added. The IET
system requires that goals be set on either level or part categories. You might have
noticed the color scheme on the achievement statements. Red indicates that the
element has been accomplished. Green means that the element is being worked on
and Black indicates that the element will be worked on.
Parents will have in the student's career profile the achievement steps that are
being worked on. They can be in a supportive role but it should be understood that
the help should be based on mastering the achievement steps currently being
processed. To do the work for the student will not help him or her understand
the intent of the assignment.
If you are not satisfied with the school administration and decide to home
school your children you are putting yourself into a time consuming effort.
The IET system would be very helpful in coordinating this effort.
The SDT, Structured Development Technique, was developed in 1970 an utilized in over 35 projects. The need for the Structured Development Technique was the emergence of the
SAVIC system which could produce a new on line application or system in weeks rather than months. The SAVIC system also required some forms to be set up for the development of
code using the QPL real time compiler. The (S) of SAVIC stands for Structured Development
Technique.
The methodology was highly comprehensive yet streamlined to the point that while the
documentation was being prepared in the early stage of the project, a simulated system
was ready for viewing in the same week. Needless to say that the user management
community was very impressed at the response.
The methodology is primarily designed in support of On Line rapid application development
either on mainframe or micro. The process is multitasking in that there is adequate information on the front end for a programming staff to begin the programming task by
programmers before the documentation effort is complete. All steps in the mythology are
supported by specialized forms. The utilization of these forms is supported by the
CIMS, Computerized Idea Management System, as a result of the integration of micro
software with mainframe needs, specifically in support of the SAVIC system.
For small projects forms may not be required where the intent of the forms
are preserved on a few pages of documentation. In other words the thought
process follows the same pattern.
The Structured Development Technique manual was accepted as a Standard of Excellence
at American National Insurance Company. It was released to Serge Grant after a legal
challenge as part of the SAVIC system. It was then transferred to ECM International Inc.
Since it was originally developed at Hallmark Cards, it was also released by Hallmark
as part of the SAVIC system to Serge Grant on request.
The primary elements of the system are:
The next item was the
Development Requirements & Development Team are key primary
documents. The development requirements include a list of all the SDT documents that
will be necessary to complete this task. An X is placed in the items required column
for all documents that are required. If user support is required it will be marked as
such. If computing management overview is required,it will be marked as such. Finally
when the document is complete, it will be marked as complete. The development team form
lists the individuals
that will participate in the effort. This establishes commitment of individual resources.
Functional Phasing is a critical form since it defines manageable project elements
to be completed in phases. With the SAVIC method, it is not impractical to assume
that phase 1 could be completed in the first couple of weeks. With the simulation
capability in place and the documentation complete a rapid development process begins.
Since some of the documentation is dependent on the user, the schedule must be
committed to by both the computing department and the user department. While the
system is just out of the starting blocks, the user will see progress at an early
stage of the effort which builds confidence and cooperation between the departments.
Note that this may not be the case at the start of the utilization of the SAVIC system
but as modules and programs are built it becomes quite apparent that the same modules can
be reused for new applications. This is the cognitive aspect of the SAVIC system. It
assumes that most on line applications are similar in nature so building blocks can be
reused with some modifications.
For complex systems a System Study is required. Because of the requirements imposed by
the user some aspects may require modifications and enhancements to the way computing
tasks are being performed so as to support the new system. A systems analyst would
develop a free form document detailing the requirements and how he or she envisions
the computing department response would be.
The system design is simply either a hardware configuration or a data flow configuration
but not a logic flow through a program. Logic flow through a program may or may not be
required depending on the programmers experience. Sometimes it takes more time to
develop the flow chart as it does to develop the code. Experienced programmers develop
the logic flow in the minds in a matter of seconds and proceed to code.
Each support person for this project will now be required to develop an
algorithm of tasks that he or she will be responsible in order to complete
this task. As the project progresses, this work sheet may be enhanced especially
if the staff member does not have experience in the process.
The project monitor and cost control document is one that the project manager completes. It is a schedule
that includes:
The COMMITTED SCHEDULE is a form that each of the staff members completes. It is
slightly different in that it permits breakdown of programming tasks for phasing.
If some of the items listed on the form do not apply, a NA for not applicable
is entered. On the other hand if a task is dependent on the completion of
a task listed then that persons name should be entered and the completion
target date obtained from the dependent staff member. Sometimes it is a good
idea to get this date initialized.
The schedule also includes the projected hours and cost to date. It is usually
updated once a week or at least once a month.
The I/O & MODULE FLOW CHART is in most cases a single page that shows terminals,
programs, databases, files, printers. It shows also the interface to networks
and batch cycle systems.
The ON LINE TRANSACTION REQUIREMENT form includes the on line transaction code
to activate the program, program name, support modules, database names
sensitivity and other pertinent information related to the program.
The BATCH JOB REQUIREMENTS may be needed in support of the On line development.
Usually the On line system feeds transactions to batch jobs rather than updating
directly. This provides for additional controls to the overall environment.
It includes the description of the process, recovery requirements, scheduling
and an algorithm of the programs that will be run in support of this task.
The DATA SET REQUIREMENTS include tape files, disk files, and dependent files.
The important item for tape files is retention. Disk files require estimated disk
space, and format. Dependent files simply require a qualifier as to whether
it is a (TO OR FROM) and dependent program name.
The DATABASE REQUIREMENT requires the database name and structure, segment names and
key names if primary. It also requires all the file names and other pertinent
information. The control module that access this database and makes all the
controls transparent to the application program must also be listed.
The HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE of the database must also be provided. This is a graphic
description of the interrelationship of segments of a database starting with the
primary and possibly inter linking to other databases.
The PSB REQUIREMENT is a document that is prepared to support the setup of a
new database into the system. It provides for the database name and all the
segment names and a cross reference to a parent segment name. It must specify
all relevant information so as to be able to GEN that entry into the database
scheme.
The TERMINAL REQUIREMENTS specifies if there is a need for more terminals or
will current terminal use this application. Also which of the terminals will
be considered for use in simulation. In the early stages of development and
because on line menu code can be developed before the application program is
ready for it permits the user to start first evaluating the new system and
then start training them in that new system. Usually some suggestions are generated
by the user staff that results in changes and in the long run produces a better
system. This is achieved by the QPL language, Artificial Intelligence, and
database simulator facilities of the SAVIC system.
The DATA FORMAT forms provided are as follows:
The Edit form is free form in nature but each edit must have a full description. Edits on input fields are coded as request for edit in the virtual modules and the code resides in the application module.
The TABLES and VECTORS FORM also is free form for a description of any tables that may be
used in the program. It also must have a edit table where the edits of the previous
page are assigned a letter or number code. Each application program can have up to 36
different edits.
The PROGRAM STRUCTURE is a flow chart of the routines that make up a program and how
these routines will be organized within the program. This will be a work in progress
since it is unlikely that all the routines will be figured out at the start of the
programming effort.
The FUNCTIONAL WALK THRU is a description of a particular function that the program is
to perform. Some are simple and do not require walk thru's. On the other hand others
are not and should be described. The functional walk thru is like writing bullets
in a presentation. Each bullet is an activity that may be completed to accomplish
that function.
Once the about preparation is complete it will provide you an environment conducive
to program development. I was shocked a few years back when I did a small contract
for NASA and found then using the same methods that I used 20 years ago. My support
facilities were so advanced to theirs that I had difficulty with the budgets
presented to NASA from this company. What they said would take months, I usually
completed in less than a week.
STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING is a requirement in any programming effort. In the cognitive
structure of programming, the system will be developed using two languages, assembler
and QPL language. Since application control programs and data base interface program
will use assembler, certain rules of coding needed to be followed to simplify
analysis and development of the code.
While the SDT method of development does not impose a lot of restraints to coding
in assembler, there are a few musts:
VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING is the heart of the SDT methodology. This permitted the rapid
deployment of systems which required a new mythology to support it. My intent at
both Hallmark and American National was not to divulge the method. Thus I made it
a point to develop all the virtual code. I do not intend to go into detail here
either, but I can say that as a project manager and system analyst who managed
all the on line development efforts and developed most of documentation, I also
developed over 250,000 lines of virtual code for over 1,000 virtual modules in
support of most of the corporate on line requirements. This the reason why
I was able to program on the average over 10 years 3,000 lines of code each month.
The reason for assigning this name to this approach is that IBM in their operating
system utilized a virtual swapping method in MVS based on statistical data. In our
method we use a logical swapping method within an application control program of
virtual modules the same size as was used by IBM.
Virtual programming is supported by a A VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING COMPILER that converts
the Quasi programming language into machine instructions that are inserted into
the virtual module and can be used immediately. A form is provided to support of
the Quasi programming language select to view
This approach reduces the development time by
Furthermore, the Quasi programming language has less that 15 instructions.
There is no logic involved in this code. It performs 6 functions. Display
headings to screen, display data to screen, process data from screen,
request edit of data, reformat data for verification, and print data to
a report.
A corporation could set up user analysts that work in the user area that
could do this programming task. This would take 30% of the workload
off the programmer whose primary concern is to develop support application
and system control programs that process these virtual modules.
If implemented outsourcing would be a thing
of the past. Of course a programmer could
handle both tasks and still save time and money for the corporation.
For platform support an Artificial Intelligence facility was developed as
part of the SAVIC system that generates highly professional displays in a
given software platform which require an MFS gen.
The first type of testing performed is UNIT TESTING. The unit testing is performed
as each element in the program synthesis is complete. A SUB SYSTEM test is performed
when a group of programs need to work together to achieve a particular result.
In a sub system test these programs are run to verify the expected results. A sub
system test should in most cases be performed at the end of each phase.
A PARALLEL TEST is performed whenever a new system replaces an old one. The total
new system is run in a limited production environment and the test results are
compared with the current system results. A parallel test is conducted as the Last
test before production implementation.
Once the system is in full operation the computing systems staff will check the performance.
It should match the results of the simulation test conducted early in the project life
cycle. Because of the impact simulator we never were surprised as the results when
the system hit production.
Work Orders come in for a change to the system. The MAINTENANCE SIGN OFF form is
basically blocks for entry, signature, date, staff responsible. It is divided into
two parts. A list of the tasks that need to be performed to complete the work order.
A list of impact points that needs to be tested as a result of the changes. Once the
system is implemented the user analyst again performs all the tests in a production
environment to make sure that everything was tested as was on the maintenance sign off form.
If it is a major change then all the staff involved should give their input as to what
should be included in the maintenance sign off form based on the user work order.
The second item as to the SDT mythology is that once a program is in production,
any change to the program as a result of system maintenance must include a comment
related to the description of the modification. The modification should have the
work order number as well as a letter code. When a change is made in the program, the
programmer should add the letter code to a comment section of the line being changed
as [a] if it was modification A. Note the use of the []. If you encounter a problem
you can then use the FIND command to check the change by modification code.
Usually the changes impact output. Output is fed into a reformatted and transforms
the data to records that can be processed by subsequent systems. If by chance a
change was implemented to soon and caused the distributive system to fail SAVIC
has a build it recovery facility. Case in point. A new manager came aboard who did
not know of the capability. I left for Houston on a business trip. I received a call
saying that the distributive system keeps failing and re starting and he wanted to
know what to do since he was called in by the computing operators. I simply told him
don't worry, once the recovery facility removes all the transactions that are causing
the problem the system will run to completion will all good data. And it did.
REDEFINE INFINITE DEFINITIONS TO FINITE USABLE GOALS
George Bush, as Governor of Texas, stated that Jesus Christ was the philosopher he admired the
most. Immediately someone said that Jesus Christ was not a philosopher.
So there are differences of opinion based on the definition of the word
philosopher. Well here lies the problem. Both are right! How can that be.
It all depends on whose definition you choose.
PHILOSOPHY IS THE BASIS OF EDUCATION
A philosophy by the IET definition is a directed and disciplined way of life
that benefits oneself and others. With this definition Jesus Christ becomes
a great philosopher and now President Bush would be correct.
The purpose of life should be to do God's will as best we can based on the
teachings of Jesus Christ, the profits, and the church so that some day
we may be accepted into the Kingdom of HEAVEN.
LOVING GOD
LOVING NEIGHBOR
LOVING SELF
The strategy of life should be:
Self discipline should include a willingness to listen to elders so as to
attain a level of wisdom that will help resolve one's personal day to day
problems and attain an excellent relationship with others and God.
Educational fields are:
Personality is:
Character is:
Virtue is:
Does this provide a directed way of life? YES
NEED FOR CURRICULUM CHANGES
In the dark ages of Europe they use to torture people in many ways. Now the school
administration of many schools torture students and parents by asserting the
Infinite
must be completed. First let me say that this is not a teacher problem but rather the school
administration problem specifically the curriculum administrator. Take for example Algebra assignments.
First when the administration says that your student will be studying Algebra they mean
a little bit of algebra, arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. This is the
infinite problem at least it feels that way. The second part of the problem is that material is
presented in the wrong sequence.
STUDENTS NEED SUCCESS & RECOGNITION ON A FREQUENT BASIS
The need for success on a regular basis
is very important especially for small children and relatively important for high school
students. Mathematics is fun because it is challenging. Mathematics is a bore if too
much time is spent on it. Mathematics is torture... well we covered that already.
BASIS OF STUDY ESTABLISHED
In the IET system a basis of study
must be provided to the student before he or she is required to spend any time and
effort. This basically means that the book is not the basis of study! The book is a
reference manual covering aspects relevant to the basis of study.
The basis of study includes the following:
CAREER PROFILES SET UP FOR EACH STUDENT
The next major thrust in the IET system is to set up a career manual for every student
starting in the first grade. Sure the young kids will want to be policemen, firemen,
teachers, doctors and as they get older change their minds over and over again.
It does not make a difference. In the early stages they are learning subjects that
are applicable to many lines of business. The
Career Manual
has these categories:
CREATIVE TEACHING LEFT TO TEACHER
Lesson planning in this program is basically teaching to a certain set of
achievement steps. Creativity is left up to the teacher as to how best to
complete a single or set of achievement steps in a given week of class.
PARENTS MUST TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE
While the teacher has the primary responsibility to teach a student, it is the
responsibility of the parent to assure that the philosophy discussed earlier
has been discussed and encouraged. A disruptive class is a poor environment
for teaching. A teacher should not have to be the disciplinarian. This is the
parent's responsibility. Teachers have the right to call to meeting any parent
whose child has not mastered the principles of the philosophy.
SUPPORTIVE IETCOM COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM
The IETCOM computer support system was designed to support the IET
educational concepts and with the intent of reducing the work load on
teachers and parents alike if they plan to home
school. Please access the IETCOM software description for details.
STRUCTURED DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUE
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
Functional Description
where the first paragraph was the responsibility of the vice president of a department.
This was his only involvement until he viewed the end result. He or she is the
primary authority as to approving funding and thus needs to be the initial activator
of the project. The functional description consists of:
The User Department Head is the author of these documents. He defines the problem and or
enhancement for his department. He then formulates a computer related function with the
help of a system analyst, and specifies a corporate advantage. The computing project
manager then completes a feasibility statement which would include a cost estimate and
completion date. Both should specify variance at this early stage.
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
The development plan consists of three documents. The first simply states the
purpose, objective, and strategy for the project. The second document established
a schedule for all the tasks so that when they are completed the circle dots are
filled. The system milestones are listed as to the responsible group and phase of
development. When completed a date is entered.
PROJECT ANALYSIS
The user request is a series of bullets that start out with words like:
provide, modify, develop. They are provided by the user department as a translation
of the general requirements stated in the Functional Analysis as provided by the
Vice President of the department.
Now this is where the multi tasking takes place. The start date on any of these
tasks will overlap the completion dates. The program development phases are all
inclusive as well as the production implementation phases. Phases basically
include the following tasks:
COMPUTING ANALYSIS
First let me say that not all of these forms will be used for a specific project.
These forms are usually completed by the data base analyst in cooperation with
the project manager.
APPLICATION ANALYSIS
As we continue on in the development life cycle of a project, there is more and
more detail so that a three line statement by a department vice president results
in over 100 pages of documentation and 30,000 lines of code.
The Application analysis is the most detailed documentation that will be generated
and it is support by the most forms. They are:
The CONTROL form provides for the entry of control information to activate
the virtual module control program. In the SAVIC system it requires you to enter a application program code, and function control parameters which are common across
different applications. Print control is usually a field on the screen which gives
you that option. In the control document all this is described.
This document not only
provides for the support of the programming effort but can be used in the
training process. It also is designed to describe any special processes and
functions that the application performs.
PROGRAM DESIGN
The PROGRAM SYNTHESIS is a pyramid style form that is to be filled out for each phase
of the project. The reason for the pyramid method is that as we proceed through the
phase, there are more tasks to perform. As the pyramid gets larger you will be able
to enter concurrent tasks that need to be completed. As you progress through the
phases these will be routines that need to be developed in support of the process.
Although it is all inclusive since it may include special tasks, documentation,
and testing depending on the scope of the individual's effort.
PROGRAMMING
Of course the PROGRAMMING SUPPORT FACILITIES does not have a form associated with
this element in the Structured Development Technique. Rather it is how you prepare
for the development of the programming effort. Now the process is different for
mainframe and micro software development. One needs to preset an environment so that
all the programs to be worked on are at your fingertips. A system such as C~GATES
would provide such an environment. C~GATES provides the capability of setting up
menu's dynamically that would include a list of all the programs that would be
developed, a test environment, a test data setup facility, a test database setup
facility, a selective printout of errors and sub routines if the printout is
routed from the mainframe. A test option of running in foreground or background
for fast response of the checkout process. Now these options were made available
by the TSO version of SAVIC.
TESTING
This section does not have any support documents although the project management
section has the Project Schedule which includes the TESTING entry. Once successful,
you would make an entry in it.
PRODUCTION IMPLEMENTATION
STRUCTURED DEVELOPMENT SIGN OFF by the user department vice president. His staff reviews
the test results and signs the production acceptance line in the structured development
sign off form. The system is now ready for SYSTEM INTEGRATION. This will require an
integration list of elements to be transferred into the production library. Once
transferred the system is ready for use. PROJECT FINALIZATION is usually in the form
of a party when the system is finalized by a toast.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
Performance Analysis is not supported by any new document although a sign off is
required on the structured development sign off form by the computing section
manager. Now the SAVIC system the performance analysis is not the last element
of the mythology alone. Performance analysis is conducted at the start of the
project by a simulation feature of SAVIC. When the user department provides
information about the use of the system, the impact simulator can be loaded with
controls that will trigger bogus transactions similar to the new application.
The system staff will notice a spike in the activity for a day. If the performance
analysis shows no degradation in performance then we can assume that there will
not be any problem with the production implementation.
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Once the system is in production, users always come up with enhancements to the system.
Once in a while the find problems with the system that was not caught in the test
phase. Due to the cognitive software structure care must be undertaken in the
modification of any code. If there is a flaw in the mythology and software design
it is here.
ON LINE SUPPORT FACILITY
The CIMS software system designed for the micro computer in support of CREATIVE
IDEA MANAGEMENT is an excellent tool to use to document projects. It is perfectly
suited to support a major documentation effort. It has a FORMS TASK MANAGER that
can support the SDT methodology. You can refer to the computing software section
for details.
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