Last week I had to attend an all day course for new TA’s (even though I won’t become a TA until at least next year). For lack of a better spot to record the notes I took during the class, I’ve decided to post them here. I actually really liked our instructor, David Kay.

• Encourage Participation

There are many ways to do this: throw out candy, or grade points for those who answer questions. Stare down the class until somebody pipes up. Complimenting those who ask questions. Using friendly body language to encourage interaction. Incorporating kinesthetic aspects into some lectures. Provide extra-credit assignments.

• Make Expectations Clear

Mechanize the way grades are calculated. Be precise in your communication, and try not to change the rules as you go along.

• Be Consistent in what you say and do

Don’t say one thing and do another. If you set out rules, stick to them.

• Respect Rules, but Don’t Worship Them

Sometimes rules need to be broken. For example: In a class that Kay had taken in high school the teacher removed 2 points if you forgot to put your name on any tests or assignments. He’d forgotten to do this once, and then found himself 1 point away from an A in the class. He argued that his letter grade in the class should not be dependent on something as trivial as remembering to put his name on some paper. The teacher agreed and bent the rules in his favor.

• Respect your Students

Respect their time and money, don’t read from the book (or slides) in class. Prepare your material and lessons. Don’t mock them when they ask questions.

• Mix it up, change pace and atmosphere

Pay attention to the audience, don’t let the fall asleep. There’s more than one way to communicate an idea, make use of alternative presentations. But be careful not to let lose sight of the instructional goal.

• Stay in touch with the audience

Don’t lecture at the blackboard, Don’t lecture in monotone. Keep eye contact with the audience.

• Pay attention to speaking time

Don’t hold your students after their scheduled allotment, they have busy lives.

• Share Enthusiasm

Attitude is contagious.

• Keep personal contact

Learn to pronounce your students names. Pay attention to their individual performance on assignments/projects/participation.

• Prepare

Check out the room a day or two before class. Make sure that any projectors or media equipment works as it should. Bring Dry-Erase markers. Show up early enough to clean the blackboard from the previous lecture.

• Make material Accessible

Illustrate stuff using real-world examples. Remember the Wason Selection Task which shows that some examples are better than others.

• Consider letting students lead the class

This encourages participation.

• Don’t Lie

If you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it. People can tell when they are being deceived, it hurts your credibility as an instructor, and undermines your authority.

• Follow-Up, Follow-Through

If a students asks a question, and you say you’ll look up the answer. Make sure to report your findings to the class next time. Stick to your promises.

• Feedback

Provide comments on assignments. Quizzes to check mastery of material. Positive reinforcement works better than negative reinforcement.

• Evaluation

Look at alternative methods of evaluating results and responses. There’s a trade-off between the value of responses and the rate/number of them.

• Make use of instructional tools provided by your institution

Maintain a class website/forum. Provide handouts/lecture slides online. If you can record yourself lecturing, do it, and critique your use of “Umm… Uhh…” and other communication impediments.

• There are several learning styles/modalities, make use of them

Auditory vs Visual vs Kinesthetic. People remember 20% of what the see, 40% of what the see + hear, 75% of what they see + hear + do.

Remember that Kay has some tips on his website.

I’ve kinda been looking at the computer market recently, So I decided to goto Fry’s today, just to look around. While there I saw on the display of motherboards, some tiny Mini-ITX systems. They were all a bit underpowered, but had nearly everything integrated on the motherboard; some were even fanless. At first I thought they were rather quaint, possibly for a grandmother’s internet pc. But then I realized, that due to their small size, they’d be perfect platforms for an in-car pc.

Looking online I found I was right! Of all the spots that talked about car-pc mods, the best was the Coolest Car in the World. He detailed nearly complete construction, and lists all the software he uses.

Software is probably the most important issue regarding a CarPC. I’d want to at least

1. Voice Command

I’d want it to respond to “Computer” ala Star Trek, or “Kitt” ala Night Rider. But mostly I should be able to work the computer without using my hands, because it’s much less distracting that way.

2. GPS Navigation

We should be able to do all the stuff that current GPS units do. Street navigation, auto route change based on current position, search for nearby gas/food stations, all voice-controlled of course.

3. MP3 playing

What’s the point in having a Hard Drive in your car, if you don’t load it full up with music? Should support shuffle, mood-based selection, specific song/artist collection, and tell you what’s currently playing if asked through the voice-control.

4. Video playing

I may not want this, but it might be nice anyway.

5. Note taking

The car should remind you when it next needs service, what chores you planned to do today, and all that jazz.

6. WiFi plotting

aka WarDriving. Plot wireless access points via GPS.

7. Talk to other cars

It’s about time someone create a protocol whereby the cars on the road can talk to each other. This way they can advise drivers of which lane is best (coordinated routing, if the GPS nav knows where you’re headed), and distribute network/internet service. Possibly we’d want collision control via radar/laser ranging as well.

Next to that is the hardware. I’d want an unobtrusive display system, and don’t absolutely need access to the embedded engine computer. Though it might be nice for the pc to know about gas level, engine temp, and all that, even if only to give you an audible warning. Also, we want to avoid a keyboard of any kind because of the distraction it would cause. Touch-screens might be forgivable. HUD would be sweet.

Looking at this further, stealing hardware from the VIA Openbook would probably be the cheapest way to go (once they come out). Mount the screen on the visor, and setup the software. Otherwise the VoomPC would be a nice way to go. Linux CarPC software is lacking a coalescence right now. I almost hate to say it (because there are so many already), but we really need another distro to fit this rather niche market.

So Google has recently released a new browser, Chrome, which must have been named to remind us that the company is still shiny and new. I must of course commend them for certain features:

• Relocating the address bar.

Just like Opera the address bar is now located below the tabs.

• Incognito mode.

The ability to browse the web without tarnishing your computer or leaving traces of where you’ve been. Just like IE8’s Privacy mode, and long available Firefox plugins. Unfortunately, with the web as it currently stands, Google (and other advertisers) still know where you’ve been (through Analytics and other tracing services). When browsing in this mode, it’s only your computer that won’t record your browsing habits, all the other recorders remain fully operational. So, feel free to be lulled into a false sense of security, and reveal the details of your fetishes, preferences, likes and dislikes for full targeted advertising (or worse).

• Confined Popups.

It sounds convenient, to confine a popup to a little box at the bottom of your page; but, if the browser actually goes to the trouble of rendering the contents of that window in the background, it becomes a delightfully innocuous looking place to stash nefarious javascript. Just running the page through the renderer will cause leakage of all sorts of information, yet the user is kept blissfully unaware, because they never see the rendered result.

• Phish warning.

Yes, it’s very useful to let Google tell you wether you’re visiting a phishy site. But if your browser asks, at every page load, is this url a phish? then Google most assuredly knows your browsing history and habits. Even if you use the privacy mode, Google knows where you’ve been today. Not only is it easier to compile these requests into a browsing history than trying to interpolate through Analytics data, but the information thus gathered will be much more complete.

• Omnibox.

Copied from Firefox’s Awesome Bar.

• Draggable Tabs.

Konqueror has had this feature for awhile now, though in my opinion it’s rather incomplete. In Chrome’s case, since each tab is run as a separate process, dragging the tab is akin to creating a continuation and passing it to another window. This means the entire tab and all its state pass through unaffected. While Konqueror simply loads a new window with the address of the dragged tab, so you wind up at the same site, but all the state has disappeared. It doesn’t work so well webapps.

• Task Manager.

Since each tab is now a separate process, the browser, like the Operating System before it, now requires its own task manager.

• Crash prevention.

Isolating tabs as separate process improves security and user experience. It makes it more difficult for separate pages to communicate sensitive information to each other, and it prevents badly formed javascript from killing the entire browser.

• Personalized Start Page.

Inspired by Mozilla’s Ubiquity project, the zero-configuration interface places links and shortcuts to places you visit often; so really, really make sure to use Incognito mode for porn, lest it ‘conveniently’ be placed on your start page.

• Cartoon Introduction.

I loved both it, and the parodies it inspired.

Despite the fiasco with a cut-n-pasted license agreement, and reports of bugs, I still think that the Chrome Browser is more securable than other browsers because of the underlying process architecture.

It also begins to look like Google isn’t so much innovating new stuff as they are desperately pushing for a different browsing experience. They commissioned a new Javascript engine, V8, with an explicit focus on execution speed for Google computationally intensive web applications and services. I’m sure they don’t plan on profiting much from Chrome directly (information harvesting is indirect), but they’ve got developer’s attention on improving standards compliance, user interface and better javascript performance.

But, the new browser also represents an important new step in Google’s quest for ownership of all the world’s information (and they aren’t even subtle about it!). Not only will it assist in personal data-collection, but it will certainly encourage greater use of associated Google web services (for a better web experience). Vendor lock-in on the web happens as a result of data ownership, just as lock-in on office happens because of file formats. Google understands this better than most people realize. Nobody forces you to use Google services; but your past self that decided some years ago that these services were convenient, and didn’t consider the related privacy issues that concern you today, when it’s too late.

The company needs a new motto (apologies to Max Headroom):

We make everything you need and you need everything we make.

Alright, I’m dissatisfied with my current computer setup, and am thinking about purchasing myself a desktop/server. To start off, Jeff Atwood has recently spec’d a nice machine for one of his friends. I began with his list, and modified it to suit my tastes.

• COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro 550 RS-550-ACAA-A1 550W ATX12V
  An 80Plus certified power supply, because efficiency is important.
• COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
  A case, purchased in combo with the power supply, that supports a large number of 5.25 drive bays, and places the PSU at the bottom, because the PSU I chose has a 120mm fan on it’s top.
• iStarUSA BPU-340-SA- BLUE 3×5.25″ to 4×3.5″ SATA2.0 Hot-Swap Backplane Raid Cage
  I know, this is splurging a bit, but I’d like to have something convenient to put my RAID in, and this fits the bill.
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
  I decided to get an Intel Core 2 Quad of some kind, and a nice comparison of features from wikipedia helped me decide what features fit me best. I decided that I like to conserve cash and can deal with using slightly older technology. The larger cache size on the Kentsfield models is more important to me than the higher clock rate obtainable on other models (including Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Solo). I’d like a higher FSB, but, again, I’m really cheap.

  Model Number	Frequency	L2-Cache	Front Side Bus	Mult	Voltage	TDP	Socket	Release Date	Price
  Kentsfield (65nm) supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, EIST, x86-64, XD bit, iAMT2, Virtualization, Trusted Execution.
  Core 2 Quad Q6600	2400 MHz	2 x 4096 KiB	1066 MT/s	9x	1.1 — 1.372 V	95 W	LGA 775	Apr 20, 2007	$190
  Core 2 Quad Q6700	2667 MHz	2 x 4096 KiB	1066 MT/s	10x	1.1 — 1.372 V	95 W	LGA 775	Apr 20, 2007	$270 (or $198 Open Box)
  Yorksfield-4M (45nm) supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, EIST, x86-64, XD bit, iAMT2.
  Core 2 Quad Q8200	2333 MHz	2 x 2048 KiB	1333 MT/s	7x	0.85V x 1.3625 V	95 W	LGA 775	August 31, 2008	$225
  Yorksfield-6M (45nm) supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, EIST, x86-64, XD bit, iAMT2, Virtualization, Trusted Execution
  Core 2 Quad Q9300	2500 MHz	2 x 3072 KiB	1333 MT/s	7.5x	0.85 x 1.3625 V	95 W	LGA 775	March 10, 2008	$260
  Core 2 Quad Q9400	2667 MHz	2 x 3072 KiB	1333 MT/s	8x	0.85 x 1.3625 V	95 W	LGA 775	August 10, 2008	$270

  The rest of the processors start getting to expensive for me to even consider.

• A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
  I noticed that this RAM can be purchased in combo with the chosen processor above. It has decent reviews, and unlike Jeff’s chosen memory, this model has a heat spreader.
• Scythe SCMNJ-1000 80mm Sleeve “NINJA MINI” CPU Cooler
  Even though our CPU came with a cooling block, it’s best to buy a better one. I opted not to go for the Scythe SCNJ-2000 because I’m worried that it’s sheer bulk and weight might cause undue stress on the motherboard.
• SAPPHIRE 100236L Radeon HD 3650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
  Since all I really do is surf the net and write programs, I like to have a dual-monitor setup. I also like to watch movies, and maybe want to run Compiz/Beryl, so I still need that 3d acceleration. It was a bitch to find a card that I think has a reasonable chance of working under GNU/Linux. If this one doesn’t work I’ll kick myself for not getting the Sapphire HD2600XT (I’m more certain it works under GNU/Linux).
• MSI P7N SLI-FI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
  I now need a motherboard that has a PCI-E 2.0 16x slot, 775 Intel socket with 1066MHz FSB and support for DDR2 800 RAM. I’m also looking for at least 6 SATA 3.0GBit connectors for a (software) RAID, and the presence of black, gold, and green audio out connectors for my existing speaker set. Using Newegg’s Power Search for motherboards with these features, I discovered that these requirements have overconstrained my system, I’ve therefore had to settle for only 4 SATA connectors, and a more expensive board than I’d originally hoped for.

In summary my new system spec’s look like this:

And even with some extras (like that Raid house, and the computer case) I still beat the price of Atwood’s machine. Although, I have leftout a DVD burner and Hard Drive, because I already have them.

Addendum: If I were willing to go with a more expensive chip (Core 2 Quad Q8200) I could get a cheaper (yet more capable) motherboard: the ASRock P43Twins1600 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard for $70. This changes the subtotal to $690 and the total to $680. An interesting savings! Actually, that board supports the older chips, so I don’t have to forgo my large 4MB cache.

Something that I will have to look out for next machine I get: Error Correcting Code in memory. 4GB is probably the limit for not having ECC.