Why should you learn to write programs?

Start Here - From the Instructor

The primary learning objective of this course is a very basic introduction to programming in Python. Our goal is not to prepare you for a career in Computer Science but instead to prepare you to learn more about programming. This course has two pre-requisites, CYB 115 Linux Server 1: Linux Fundamentals, and being able to use a computer and web browser. We keep things simple because we truly want "Everyone" to learn!

Under "Modules" the entire course has been laid out in a proprietary order that will guide through the first 10 chapters of the textbook. Each of the chapters has one or more exercise and/or an assessment quiz that you will do to work through the course. You can track your progress in the "Grades" section of Canvas. You should expect to spend 3-5 hours per Chapter in this course. An important technique, if you find yourself struggling with the material, is to jump back and re-do an earlier section. Having a solid understanding of all the ideas in the course is more important than getting through the course quickly.

As the Instructor, I will monitor the "Help Forum" from time to time, but for this course to scale, it will be important that the participants in the course help each other.
You must say 'hi' to your fellow students in the "Introduce Yourself" discussion.

Course Introduction & Orientation

This course is a beginners course on Python and is suitable for all learners regardless of age or previous experience. We cover Chapters 1-10 of the textbook "Python for Everybody". You will learn the basics of procedural programming and how to use simple data structures to solve simple data analysis problems. This course serves as an excellent gateway for other introductory or more advanced programming courses.

The course features a number of interactive exercises that allow the student to write Python programs in the browser. This course can be completed without any additional required software so it is well suited for students using computers at school or in a computer lab. 

PDF copies of "Python for Everybody - Book", the textbook we use in this course, can be downloaded for free here in Canvas in either English or Spanish (partially translated).

 pythonlearn-english.pdf  |  pythonlearn-spanish.pdf

The sequence of the course is in the Modules area found on the left navigation menu and is the default location when you click on the home link in the left navigation as well.   

This course does not require you to install Python as all of the programming assignments will be completed in a browser. Students can take this course on a tablet computer, or on a public computer.  We hope students who have their own computer will install Python and learn how to program on their own computer - but this is not required.

In this module, you are expected to review the course information. To help ensure you have covered all the information you are required to mark each of the information pages complete - which can be done by accessing the page and clicking on the "Mark Complete" button at the top of the page. Additionally, you will find most of the reading assignments are accompanied with short quizzes to help you review your learnings as you complete reading each section.

  • Reading Activities & Assignments:
    • Please review the Syllabus for complete details on action items and deliverables.
    • You can also view due dates and actions in the module by viewing the items
      assgnments-information.jpg

2019 Spring Semester Information

Fall CYB-120 Classes

CYB-120-3800 (72744) Scripting Fundamentals: 
01/22/2019-03/15/2019 | Online (no Classroom Meetings)
 CYB 120 Scripting Fundamentals Syllabus - 2019

Office Hours:

Thursdays & Thursdays 00:00 PM – 00:00 PM 
Wednesdays 00 AM – 00 AM

Please schedule appointments for office hours though Canvas here: https://racc.instructure.com/calendar#view_name=agenda 

Contact Information:

Office: Penn 222

phone: 610-372-4721 x 5258

cell: 610-213-9724

e-mail: bsavage@racc.edu or through CANVAS

Dates There Are No Classes

March 12 - March 17 – Spring Break I, No Classes, College Open

March 30, 31 and April 1 – Spring Break II, College Closed

Important Dates

Spring 14-wk Semester Starts Saturday, January 20, 2018
Spring 2 10-wk Session Starts Monday, February 12, 2018
Spring 14-wk semester Midterm grades due Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Spring 2 10-wk Session Midterm grades due Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Last Day of Classes Spring and Spring 2 and Saturday, May 5, 2018
Saturday classes Final Exam
Final Exams May 7 – May 10, 2018
Graduation Ceremony Friday, May 11, 2018
Final Grades Due Tuesday, May 15, 2018

CYB 120-3800-72744 Scripting Fundamentals Syllabus

CYB-120-3800 (72744) Scripting Fundamentals

CYB 120-Scripting Fundamentals Course Outline

Welcome to CYB-120 Scripting Fundamentals

In this course, we will discuss and explore the foundations of programming. Whether you are new to the subject area, or just need a refresher on the core elements of programming, this is a great place to start. Remember, the primary objective of this course is to introduce people to programming in Python. Our goal is not to prepare you for a career in Computer Science but instead to prepare you to learn more about programming.

Please review the reading assignments carefully.
There are some sections which only reference pieces of chapters.

Each assignment for the course will have a corresponding due date. The expectation is that you will submit assignments on or before the due date. Unless you reach out to me specifically for an extension, assignments not submitted on time will receive a reduction in the final grade by 10% for each day it is late. Exceptions should be the exception, not the norm. As this is an abbreviated semester course, it is important that you stay up to date with your assignments and due dates.

This course will be broken into Ten Primary Modules, each devoted to a specific topic area.

  • Module 1 - Chapter 01 | Why Program? | WEEK 01 ( 01-20 / 01-27 )
  • Module 2 - Chapter 02 | Variables, Expressions, & Statements | WEEK 01 ( 01-20 / 01-27 )
  • Module 3 - Chapter 03 | Conditional Execution | WEEK 02 ( 01-28 / 02-03 )
  • Module 4 - Chapter 04 | Functions | WEEK 02 ( 01-28 / 02-03 )
  • Module 5 - Chapter 05 | Loops & Iterations | WEEK 03 ( 02-04 / 02-10 )
  • Module 6 - Chapter 06 | Strings | WEEK 04 ( 02-11 / 02-17 )
  • Module 7 - Chapter 07 | Files | WEEK 05 ( 02-18 / 02-24 )
  • Module 8 - Chapter 08 | Lists | WEEK 06 ( 02-25 / 03-03 )
  • Module 9 - Chapter 09 | Dictionaries | WEEK 07 ( 03-04 / 03-10 )
  • Module 10 - Chapter 10 | Tuples | WEEK 08 ( 03-11 / 03-14 )

Since this is an online course, your participation in discussions and online communication is key.

Each of these modules will follow a similar pattern:

Reading Assignment - The corresponding chapters or parts of chapters in the textbook will require you to mark them as complete in order to move on to the next action item in the module.
PowerPoint - The corresponding PowerPoint files for the textbook chapters can be found in the "Additional Resources" section of each module.
Links and Videos - Supporting materials relevant to the module. These should be considered essential materials. Remember, these are Internet files and Videos and therefore, most will have ads in them.
Discussion Posts - Each module will have a discussion post. Respond for yourself and use this as an interactive area to talk about things.
Knowledge Checks - Each Chapter will have a "Knowledge Check" and can be taken as many times as you would like. Highest score prevails.
Summary Quiz - Final assessment for each module. These can be taken once.

In order to provide additional resources, each module has been configured with corresponding videos to go along with the main ideas for each of the modules. These should not be considered a replacement for the text, but instead, provide supplemental understanding for complex topics.

For the assignments, you will need to create a free Tinker.io account. You will use this account to complete and submit the assignments.

Grading Expectations

Grades are not given, but earned. Your grade is determined by your performance on the learning assessments in the course. If earning a particular grade is important to you, please speak with me at the beginning of the semester so that I can offer some helpful suggestions for achieving your goal.

All assessment scores will be posted on the course ELMS page. If you would like to review any of your grades (including the exams), or have questions about how something was scored, please email me to schedule a time for us to meet in my office. I am happy to discuss your grades with you, and if I have made a mistake I will immediately correct it. Any formal grade disputes must be submitted in writing and within one week of receiving the grade.

Exams – there is a Midterm and Final Exam in this course. Both exams consist of a random selection of 20 questions.. EACH EXAM MUST BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE. In most instances, these exams will be due one week from the date assigned.

Assignment Exercises – assignments will be submitted through Canvas. Detailed assignments for each week of the semester will be available in each week module in Canvas.

Course Participation – will be measured through Canvas discussions and will play a major part in your final grade. Contributing to these discussion will be crucial to your success in this course.

Your final grade will be calculated by averaging your grades on the above.
The final weights apply:

Assignment Exercises .............50%

Knowledge Checks .................25%

Exams .....................................10%

Course Participation ................15%

Late assignments, if permitted, lose 5% of the possible grade PER DAY unless prior arrangements are made. This deduction is an automated process completed by Canvas every day.

The standard college grading system will be used. Letter equivalents are as follows:

 A =

93-100

C+ = 77-79

A- =

90-92

C = 70-76

B+ =

87-89

D+ = 67-69

B =

83-86

D = 60-66

B- =

80-82

F = 60-0

Please note - Homework assignments and projects assigned for completion are intended to aid the student’s understanding of the content. Students guilty of cheating on a test, project, or homework assignments will receive a zero for that grade. Students found cheating may be removed from the course and receive an F.

RACC Resources for Students

Academic Support

RACC offers a variety of Academic Support services to its students taking online, hybrid, and face-to-face classes.  Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor, tutor or academic coach. For more information, please visit the links to specific Academic Support services:

You are also encouraged to view the resources located in Canvas for Student Services and Academic Support. Database passwords for the Yocum Library can be found in the myRACC portal under the Student Resources tab.

Disability Services

Reading Area Community College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (as amended) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see a staff member in the Disability Services (DS) office as soon as possible. Faculty members are not obligated to provide accommodations without proper notification from the Disability Services office. Contact a Disability Services staff member by making an appointment in B 209 or calling 610-607-6245. For more information, visit the website.

Technology

If you encounter technical problems within Canvas, click on the Help button in the lower-left corner of the screen. From there, you can access the guides or submit a help request. Also, check that you have the correct technical requirements and supported web browsers to ensure you can access Canvas, successfully.

You can learn more about Canvas and the various functions by reviewing and watching the Canvas video tutorials. You may also refer to the Canvas Student Guide. For information specific to Reading Area Community College, you can also check RACC's student technology resources and Canvas resources.

Feel free to go through the Student Orientation to Canvas course that RACC has made available.  It's a short online course that shows the basic uses and functions of Canvas for students.  For more information, you can visit the Information Services area in Canvas.  You can get further help with Canvas by clicking on the Help button in the gray bar on the left or stopping by Berks Hall 111.

Student Responsibilities

Please refer to the Student Handbook to ensure success for you and your peers. RACC requires all students follow a Code of Conduct. Please review that document and become familiar with your responsibilities as a student. Students are also expected to abide by the Academic Honesty Policy. These guidelines apply to all courses delivered at Reading Area Community College, including online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses.

Students are expected to treat each other with respect when communicating online. Take time to view the Core Rules of Netiquette and make sure you treat others with respect when communicating online.

Title IX Reporting and Information

If you have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating or relationship violence, stalking, or sexual exploitation, RACC is committed to assisting you in getting the help and support that you need and deserve. Under Title IX, you are entitled to a full range of services and accommodations, both from within your community as well as on campus, including but not limited to, academic or employment accommodations; medical care; emotional support; and advocacy services.  Additionally, Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex, which includes pregnancy, parenting, and all related conditions, in educational programs and activities that get federal funding.  This means that schools must give all students who might be, are, or have been pregnant the same access to school programs and educational opportunities that other students have.

You may report an incident to any College employee; however, please note that all RACC employees are responsible employees and are obligated to share any information they learn about incidents of sexual misconduct with RACC's Title IX Coordinator. 

Title IX Coordinator, Rhonda Hudak, Berks Hall Rm322, 610-372-4721 x5016, rhudak@racc.edu 

For pregnancy related concerns, and to learn more about RACC’s procedure for pregnancy-related accommodations, please contact Director of Disability Services & Behavioral Intervention, Kym Kleinsmith, Berks Hall Rm215, 610-372-4721 x5265, kkleinsmith@racc.edu

More information can be found online at https://www.racc.edu/title-ix

Safety and Security

The campus Safety and Security Department works to prevent crime, provides highly visible security patrols and responds quickly to the needs of students and staff. Security guards are in constant contact with the Safety and Security Department, the switchboard operator, and each other by business band radio and cell phone.  For more information regarding Security, Emergency procedures, and Parking, please visit the RACC website.

Meet Your Instructor/Professor

My name is Brian Savage, and I will be your Instructor for this course. As the one who will be responsible for guiding you through this course I believe it is important to offer you the opportunity to understand the origin of my direction, expectations, and my basis in grading your efforts. Therefor I would like to share a brief history of my professional and personal journey to help you understand what it is that has placed me directly in the path of your future. I offer you this in understanding that I find myself weighing one’s experience in the equation when placing value on their advice, direction, information, etc. This is not a required reading and there will be no quiz on this. I will be happy to entertain any questions you may have about me, my journey, and why I choose to be here and not there.

Academics/Education
download.pngAs a result of a difficult childhood I was left with no choice but quit high school in the beginning of twelfth grade to so I could work. Shortly after quitting I obtained my GED and continued working in the restaurant and construction industries while trying to figure out who I was and where I was going. For a few years I attempted to move forward in my education by attending classes at Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado State University, Naropa Institute. I finally completed my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts here at RACC and several years later completed my BS in Computer Science at Albright College in their Accelerated Degree Program. I have academic goals that include completing my Masters at Penn State. I have an enormous respect for academics and have always maintained that it is the world’s greatest resource for diverse and inspiring relationships that foster both personal and professional growth. I would encourage you to recognize this while on your academic journey and embrace all that you can from it.

Professional/Career
I have been very fortunate to have had an exciting career in which I have had the honor to lead  teams from around the world in website and application projects for organizations such as ebay, Godiva (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Sony (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Dicks Sporting Goods (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Toys-R-Us (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Ferrari (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., and many more. I hope through sharing a little about my journey with you so you, you might understand what I have to offer you as a teacher, but more importantly, you establish a level of confidence in the knowledge that I will share with you about the industry and how you might position yourself to succeed.

My journey began as a technical trainer for an organization named Managing Editor Inc (MEI) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in Jenkintown Pennsylvania. At MEI I consulted publication organizations on how to leverage technology to increase efficiencies in delivering publications such as magazines, newspapers, and books. For several years my week began on Sunday mornings in the Philadelphia Airport as I headed out, to somewhere in the world, to complete my objectives as a technical trainer. It was an exciting chapter for me considering these organizations included National Geographic, Gannet Publications, Mac World, and Playboy to name a few. Through these experiences I began to build a network and started freelancing, by creating microsites, and eventually found myself as the founder and CEO of Egavas Design (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Egavas Design (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. rapidly grew into a group of professionals collectively building high-end websites and applications. During this chapter of my career I had countless lessons in leveraging technology and capitalizing on opportunities, not only on sales, but on delivering websites that positioned organizations to operate more efficiently and cohesively. Many of the challenges we faced included international supply chain barriers and leveraging multicultural teams. After several years of success and growth we experienced a rapid decline in sales due to economic constraints. As our clients began to close their doors sales plummeted and the business model we embraced could not be maintained in the economic climate. In short, I had positioned our success on single high volume sales without considering establishing a financial base supported by a recurring revenue model. This was a hard lesson to learn as a young business owner, but a valuable one I am happy to share. For anyone with aspirations in spearheading a technology startup I would caution they be certain to include recurring revenue in the model and that they not get distracted by just high volume sales. Fortunately during this period of my journey I had established a credible reputation and broad network through which opportunities began to emerge. While the doors of Egavas Design closed I had been presented an opportunity to work with Stream Companies (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., the fifth largest advertising agency in Philadelphia Area, as their Director of Technology.

During my time as Director of Technology at Stream Companies (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. I lead a team of over fifty professionals in delivering web-based solutions, marketing strategies, and delivered ecommerce solutions for organizations that included top automotive dealerships, grocery and retail chains, and other notable Philadelphia-based organizations. Additionally I played a key role in fostering tremendous growth by opening a development shop in Old Town Philadelphia. During this time ebay had begun to communicate their interest in my taking over a segment of their ecommerce development team and so my journey with ebay began.

Immediately I started delivering ecommerce solutions for some of the world’s largest retailers. The segment I worked for was an extension of ebay’s capabilities and resources which offered services that implemented, maintained, and managed ecommerce and digital business strategies. My accountabilities included managing every aspect of ecommerce solutions including development, support, marketing, client & vendor management, as well as payment and fulfillment integrations. As I began to fine-tune my management strategies and established myself as a leader I came to be known as one who could motivate professionals to achieve the impossible. In short, I embraced the notion that leadership is the ability to have others do things in such a way that they want to do them for you. A simple strategy in which you understand what you are asking others to do, have the ability to sit beside them and do it with them, while treating them with respect and loyalty. Most importantly this strategy recognizes the value in understanding and caring about their personal aspirations and beliefs. While working with Godiva at ebay I had established a relationship through which they recognized my potential to change the way they approached digital opportunities and they began to peruse me to join the senior management team. It was a difficult decision but even ebay agreed that the opportunity was too good to turn down. I moved on to become, as my daughter called me, an Umpa Lumpa.

The first day I made my way from Penn Station to my office on 34th and 8th in New York City I was filled with excitement. I had all the tools to impact this major brand’s digital presences, an opportunity to make a mark, and did I ever. Over the course of a year I lead efforts that increased digital-based sales by over 400%, revitalized the organization’s digital perspective, and established internal process that increased efficiencies across the organization. Working for Godiva was an exciting time in my career and the experience seemed to be surreal as I lived the life of a Godiva Executive; remember this is a brand that lives the best there is to live. As time passed ebay began to pursue me and determined to have me return to the team there. At the same time the weight of being an absent father and husband had taken its toll personally and, in short, I returned to ebay.

While completing my second tour at ebay I managed PetSmart’s ecommerce and digital implementations and, once again, achieved the impossible through my approach to management. Collectively we burned down an impossible backlog of defects, increase the results of marketing efforts, and introduce new and exciting functionalities that prompted news worthy accolades in the industry. At the same time I had began to implement ebay’s new strategy, which was actually an exit strategy, to sunset their ecommerce offerings and sell the ecommerce segment. A smart business decision considering ebay had begun to suffer a decline in their primary focus, the one you are well aware of, the ebay marketplace. Organizations such as Alibaba and Amazon were taking an increasing share of the market and if ebay were going to maintain its competitive presence they needed to return to their original business model which is to embrace their market website. My primary responsibility was to maintain a positive approach to implementing this strategy with teams that understood they were working themselves out of a job. In spite of the challenges, we re-platformed Spanx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.iRobot (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., and Pepperidge Farm (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ecommerce websites to the Open Source solution Magento in an unheard of time. In the end, my efforts, once again, positioned me for the opportunity and during this time I began conversations with Amazon.

With an unbelievable offer on the table to move to Seattle and take over the interface side of Amazon’s AWS offerings I faced one of the most difficult decisions in my life. During this time I had already been teaching for two semesters at RACC, and my passion for teaching had become a major factor in my decision. I did not share early, but throughout my journey I had great successes as an instructor at a technical school and choose to leave teaching to pursue more money. From the time I left teaching forward I found myself missing it as though I had a huge part of me removed. Ultimately my conclusions lead me to embrace greater meaning and to dismiss weighing in financial rewards. Once I embraced this perspective my decision was simple and I will now spend the remaining years of my career fostering success in people by encouraging them to pursue a greater quality of life, a satisfaction of self-worth, and to prepare others to realize the success I have had the opportunity to embrace.

Personal
When I am not teaching or working on technology solutions I enjoy many different activities with my family and friends. I am an accomplished musician and enjoying most anything related to the outdoors, especially being in the woods or on the beach. Prior to becoming a father I spent a great deal of time traveling and have been fortunate to have explored many different places around the globe.  My favorite place to be is with my family and I firmly believe that being a parent is the greatest part of life.

I am excited to share my adventures and experiences with you and look forward to playing a role in preparing you for your future successes in the professional world. I look forward to working with you.

Listen

N.B. Rate and Pitch only work with native voice.