EBoard 01: Getting Started

Approximate overview

• Lots of administrative stuff, including attendance
• What is “computer science”?
• A group activity, more or less
• Debrief on activity (possibly Monday)

Administrative stuff

• Please take a playing card, if you didn’t already.
• Sit where you’d like, within reason.
• If you don’t know the people next to you, introduce yourselves.

Introductory Notes

• Hi, I’m Sam (or SamR).
• Our class mentors are Ellie Seehorn and Ella Berman.
  • Ellie and Ella will introduce themselves.
  • Mentors are here to support your learning.
  • They run mentor sessions to help you learn the class material.
  • They are not here for homework help; we do have evening tutors available for help.
  • Mentor sessions are great; and should be part of your learning. “Other people have great questions.” And you get to spend more time with your awesome classmates.
  • Mentor sessions may improve your grade. (Data suggests that there is a correlation between mentor sessions and higher grades.)
  • Closer to you; remember struggles better than your faculty do.
  • They can mentor on things beyond just the class.
• The class Web site is at https://rebelsky.cs.grinnell.edu/Courses/CSC151/2023Fa/.
  • I will email you the link.
  • The class Web site is (always) a work in progress.
• CSC-151 is an introductory course in computer science.
  • You can succeed (and even excel) with no prior experience.
  • We approach material differently than many other intro courses; prior experience may help, but it may also hinder. For example, we will not let you re-assign variables. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what that means.)
• CSC-151 is a community. We come from multiple cultures and backgrounds. Treat each other with respect and learn to appreciate what each person can contribute.
  • We will return to this issue and the associated learning outcomes throughout the semester.
• I type our online class notes in a format called “markdown”. You should find it relatively readable. It permits me to make “nice” Web pages.
  • Sam: Don’t forget to show off today’s eboard.
  • Don’t just rely on my notes; There is good evidence that taking your own notes helps you learn.
• I will record our class sessions (audio only + mediocre transcript) using Otter.ai. I will try to remember to post the link. Remind me if I don’t.

Other introductory stuff

• The CS department maintains a mailing list. Let me know if you’d like to be added. (Conveniently, the question is on our intro survey.)
• I’m switching back to in-person teaching after a year of leave. Please excuse me if I’m a bit rusty.
• We provide supplies in this classroom to support you in working and learning.
  • Small cards to serve as flashcards, which are a good learning technique.
  • Also large post-it pads that are gridded.
  • And pens.
• I prefer to have you book office hours. First priority in any time slot goes to those who book. https:/bit.ly/book-samr
• You’ll learn more introductory stuff when you read the syllabus.

Apologies

• I am old. My hearing is not great, even with hearing aids.
• Some combination of age + meds + temperature in room + air movement in room means I sweat a lot.
• Our Web site is not as up to date as I’d like. But it will be. Soon. Ish.
• I am traditionally bad at names+faces. I will be worse with masks. It will take me some time to learn your names.
• More to come ….

Upcoming activities

Guidelines

• You can earn “tokens” (more info follows) for attending designated academic events or supporting your classmates in their pursuits.
• Attend (or watch recording within a day or so) and record a one-paragraph reflection within three days afterwards.
• Only those activities I list count.
  • But you can suggest others.
• Links might appear in the Announcements channel on MS Teams.
• Unless otherwise specified, these each earn one token.

Events

• Academic events: Scholar’s convocation next Thursday at 11am with Pres. Harris.
• Volleyball Scrimmage 5:15 today in Darby

Upcoming work

• Read the Web site and answer questions.
• Tell me about yourself.
• Read things in preparation for the second day of class and report on those things
  • An intro to the course
  • Our Linux workstations
  • Algorithm building blocks
  • The DrRacket programming environment
  • An abbreviated introduction to Scheme
  • Note that readings responses are generally due in the early evening so that I can review them before class.

PSA 1

• Be careful. COVID is here.

Friday PSA

• People care about you. Please stay well for them.
• Decide what is right for you, and stick to it.
• Consent is ESSENTIAL.

Attendance

• Sam will (attempt to) call you by first name.
• You will respond with
  • “Hi, my name is GIVEN SURNAME
  • (Optional pronouns.)
  • I prefer to be called NAME.
  • If you must call me by last name, please call me Mr./Ms./Mx./Sr./Sra./Srta./… LAST NAME (San).
  • This semester , I am excited about ….
  • Optionally, ask me a question. You’ll also have another chance later.
• This will take extra time because we have a large class.
• Note: For the first few weeks of class, please say your name each time you ask or answer a question.

Excited About

• Mentoring [x2]
• Water Polo
• Ultimate
• Starting CS [x2]
• Learn more about CS
• Learning [x2]
• Meeting peole [x3]
• Join clubs: e.g., Music [x2]
• Learning another programming language [x2]
• Learning another natural language
• Being in the midst of the cornfield
• Working in MathLAB
• Running
• Volleyball [x2]
• Winter/Snow [x3]
• Taking classes in new areas.
• Taking classes in the US.
• Theatre - Consider auditioning
• Research assistant
• Norris
• Freedom
• Makerspace
• Ceramics
• Intersection of CS and Art

Q&A

Why does Sam like CS? Or does he?

Sam likes torturing students and CS is the best way to do so. It doesn’t matter whether or not he likes it.

I like CS because I enjoy building things and I can build things on computers easier than in the physical world. I also like CS because it scratches my math itch of problem solving without requiring me to write proofs.

What is your favorite part of teaching this course?

Watching students learn.

Getting people excited about computer science.

Meeting new students.

What project are you most proud of

Curriculum for this class.

My children.

A few of my scupltures.

MIST: A weird art making program that I wrote with students.

What’s something we don’t know about Grinnell?

Grinnell used to have a natural history museum. As a prank, a group of students stole a walrus from the museum and buried it on campus. No one knows where it is, but it may still be there.

At the turn of the last century, there was an early-fall event in which first-years (freshman) and second-years (sophomores) engaged in campus-wide fisticuffs. Around 1909 the students decided to discontinue the practice (in spite of the town’s appreciation of watching) and swore so on a rock. About three years ago, John Whittaker in anthropology and a group of students found the rock which had been buried.

What has changed about Grinnell since Sam arrived in the fall of 1997?

Our student body is much more diverse. Great!

Our endowment is significantly higher (from $1bil to $2.5bil)

Students are more willing to exhibit wealth

Fewer pajamas in class

But Grinnellians stay the same as awesome people who care about each other.

Is cereal a soup?

No. Cereal is dry.

Milk and cereal (or water and cereal) is a more complex question.

What’s the silliest project Sam has ever worked on?

Sam is an incredibly serious person, never makes jokes, and never does anything silly.

In an old version of this class, we had a kitten picture that we manipulated in horrendous ways.

Why are you still excited about teaching?

Awesome students. It’s fun to watch them learn and grow.

Cool topic.

Intellectual challenge to design a successful class (or even an unsuccessful one; you learn from failure)

Best dining hall food?

Quinoa tacos

Does Sam prefer Mac or windows?

Sam uses Macs and Linux

Sam believes windows should be defenestrated

What is computer science?

• Computer science is the study of algorithms and data structures
  • Algorithms: Sets of (unambiguous) instructions.
  • Data Structures: Ways to organize information.
• We study algorithms by …
  • writing algorithms to accomplish certain tasks.
    (E.g., Organizing or searching information.)
    • identify problems
    • generalize / simplify
    • write instructions that allow “you” to solve them
  • analyzing their efficacy.
  • writing systems that implement those instructions (e.g., hardware or languages).
  • considering their effects on individuals or society.
• We study data structures in similar ways.
• Most of this class will be writing and thinking about sets of instructions in an artificial language (aka a programming language).
  • We use an artificial language because artificial languages can be designed to be less ambiguous. (Also easier for the computer to follow.)

Exercise

Practice writing algorithms!

• Form a group with other people with the same card.
• Write instructions so that Sam can make a wow butter and fruit spread sandwich using the bag o’ sandwich supplies.
  • Limit the damage to the room and Sam.
  • Limit the mess in the room.
  • Assume that Sam is clueless.

Debrief

Probably not until Monday.