Meeting 13

Monday, November 17, 2008 - Databases

Grades for last lesson plan will be posted by Tuesday night (11/18)!

Big Assignment Due Next Week: Unit Plan

This should consist of 2 lessons, 2 applications per lesson, for 4 applications total. Use all different types of applications. Lessons should be related. Make sure you include artifacts. Use previous examples given by Dr. M. for Lesson Plan 1 to guide you.

Database software

Stuff we Learned about Databases

  • A database developer can create dropdown boxes to constrain the information entered into the database. This also makes it easier for the end user by selecting pre-determined fields. This keeps the vocabulary alike so that sorting will be easier, because reports are only as good as the data that goes into the database. You can also put constraints on how numbers are entered, for example how dates should be entered. The database will only take info in the pre-determined format.
  • There are different views or layouts of a database: input view, list view, etc.
  • Databases can have built-in buttons. Databases kind of look like a spreadsheet with rows and columns, but there can be built-in sorting buttons, web-buttons to go to a specific url when clicked on, etc.
  • You can make output from a database be a text file. You can create emails or other documents based on information pulled from the database. This is useful for creating cover letters for job applications, labels for mailings, etc.
  • You can use if/then statements in a database to perform calculations. For example, if grade is between 90 and 100, then grade is A and put in this field.
  • You can find tutorials for databases online and they usually come with the software if you purchase database software.
  • Cloning - save the structure of the database without keeping the records or "stuff." This is useful for using the same gradebook database for different classes once the database is set up.
  • Relational Database - 2 databases tied together through a common field.
  • You can sort database info by <, >, =.

Dr. M shared some of the databases he has created:

  • Guitar Song Database
  • Movie Database
  • Scholarly Journal Database
  • Class Grades Database

How Students in our Class Have used Databases:

  • Tonya has used a gradebook software database. She uses EasyGradePro with Memphis City Schools. EasyGradePro gives fields for homework, tests, assignments, etc. Another common gradebook database is TeacherEase.
  • Robert uses databases to sort error codes when they forward to Kodak or printer repair. This keeps track of time of day, work schedule, productivity, etc.
  • Chris uses databases to record clinical trials of medical products not yet available to the public.
  • Emily worked in a statistics lab and used a database to keep trace of information on outgoing old computers and incoming new computers. She kept track of serial numbers, damage, users, and lots of info about the computers during transition.

Next we worked on using Zoho Creator to make our own databases. Dr. M had never used Zoho Creator so we all learned together and then shared what we found...

  • Layout view - creating what your application will look like.
  • Customize - add or take away fields
  • Embed - easy to embed into an existing website - from workable view, select "embed in website." This will give you a form that you can copy and paste into an existing webpage.
  • Drag and Drop - this feature is easy to use in Creator
  • Radio Button - allows user to choose one option
  • Check Box - allows user to select multiple choices
  • What is Google Docs version of Zoho Creator? Google Docs Form or Google Docs Base???

10 (or more) Ways We Can Use Databases for Teaching and Learning

  1. Contact List for classroom management, emergency records
  2. Class projects embedded in websites (obtain data from entire class via web-based form)
  3. Database of test forms/Question Bank
  4. Lesson Plan Ideas - sort by topic and grade level, allow other users to submit ideas and search
  5. Syllabus
  6. Student paper titles and special topics
  7. Online take-home test (multiple choice with radio boxes
  8. Keep track of textbooks, spelling tests, vocabulary (students could add their own learned vocab words)
  9. Collection of books in classroom (library list for classroom)
  10. Update database for parents
  11. Keeping track of student notes and student bios
  12. Traveling teachers can use to access information from different schools, anywhere really

A good system isn't defined by the richness of its functionality ,the quality of its code or the simplicity of its logic , its judged by the Grace of its failure - which is Art !