Tomorrow is 4th class session of seven sessions (alternating Saturdays, started mid Feb.), so it's mid term exam tomorrow, just not ready for it. Course is Software Process Mgmt, which, I know most of you would find it to be a snore, but, this semester, I have a great instructor, and he really knows how to teach - just has a ton of energy and a great teaching style (quite unlike the instructor for … [Read more...]

Last night of class (System Analysis and Design Tools) was last night, submitted my video presentation on time (via YouTube, will share the link - haha - later), had a cold so my voice was pretty raw and didn't follow my script as much as I should've, but overall, I think I did a pretty good job with it. Still have a 2 page writing assignment due by next Tues. Although the class was on an … [Read more...]

Well, I started my third Masters course at U/Saint Thomas last night: SEIS620 – Systems Analysis and Design Tools – 14 evening sessions, a bit more than 3 hours per session. So far, the instructor is a hoot and based on the first night, he should make this topic quite interesting.  There are almost twenty of us, this time about 2/3s male and 1/3 female – unlike last semester where it leaned … [Read more...]

So, I went onto the Saint Thomas website today, looking for my final grade - I did this last week but apparently may have been looking in the wrong place, since Dr. Lai doesn't use the "Black Board" tool where grades were posted in our Technical communications class last Fall.  Anyway, I found my grade and I was pleasantly pleased to see it was a "B+".  One of my project group members received … [Read more...]

FSM (finite state machine), DFD (data flow diagram), PND (petri-net diagram), lions, tigers, bears, oh my. My head is swimming. Actually, I am getting most of this, and have been using some of these methods during my career (partially or otherwise), but, NOT consistently. Need to work on that! My class team of four met after class - 3 of us understand the term project, and are making good … [Read more...]

Last week, I posted a short entry on my blog about “computer programmers”, “software developers”, and “software engineers”.  One of my friends (and, myself, many years ago), thought “aren’t they the same thing?”  [If you don’t like to read long winded articles, please skip this one].  Here is a quick generalization, with which you should take with a grain of salt, since the lines do blur, and … [Read more...]

First session of SEIS 610 Software Engineering was 2 weeks ago.  I was immedaitely impressed by our instructor (C. Lai).  He put up easy to read slides, and spoke toward them, not reading them word for word.  He spoke for the entire 6-1/2 hour class, giving us instruction on the term's group project, and the first 2 assignments, as well as enlightening the class about a "new" (read: different) … [Read more...]