Weekly Course Schedule – Spring 2019

IS 590 - WFO (Meets Wednesday Evenings Online)

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Week 1 (January 14 – January 20)



Wednesday, January 16   (6:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M., Blackboard Collaborate Ultra)
Class Session 1
Topics
  • Course Introduction
  • Personal Introductions
Required Readings
Class Discussion Prep
  • Introduce Yourself
    Our first activity during class will be introducing ourselves. I plan to go through the class in the order that students appear in the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra list of attendees. I will ask each of you to speak to us using your headset. I am expecting each of you to speak for 1 - 2 minutes. Here are the things that I would like you to share with us: Your name; The iSchool program in which you are enrolled; Your employment (this includes, full-time, part-time, university, and home care activities); Your previous experience with tools used in this course (Django, Python, Anaconda, PyCharm, Git, Relational Databases); Most Important: What you would like to get out of this course. I look forward to meeting each of you during your introductions.


Sunday, January 20, @  11:55 P.M.
Weekly Assignments Deadline
Computing Setup
  • Install Anaconda
    Description: Anaconda is an open data science platform that provides access to a coordinated set of Python tools. We will be using Anaconda to provide our basic Python tools. This will relieve some of the pressure of downloading many Python tools individually. It will also give us some experience in working with Anaconda, which is a valuable skill in its own right.
  • Install PyCharm Professional
    Description: PyCharm Professional is a leading Python IDE and a favorite of Django developers. We will be using the licensed version of the product: Python Professional. The free, educational version of PyCharm does not provide all of the features that we need for Django development. Lucky for us, free individual licenses are available to university students and faculty members. These are powerful licenses that allow us to install PyCharm Professional and various other interesting software tools provided by JetBrains. See the resources below for links to the JetBrains free license request page, and links to tutorials that I have created to help you through the download and install.
  • Learn About Git
    Description: During this course, we will be making extensive use of the Git source code version control system. Some of you already have experience with Git. Others do not. The Lynda.com course that is linked below, is a good introduction to Git using SourceTree, a GUI-based Git client that I am recommending that you use during the course. Even for those of you who are comfortable working at the command line, SourceTree is a good addition to your stable of free software tools.
  • Install SourceTree
    Description: You are free to use whatever Git client you want. I recommend that you use SourceTree. The Lynda.com course identified above gives fairly up-to-date instructions on installing and using the product. There is a link below to a page where you can get the software.
  • Set Up a BitBucket Account
    Description: Despite that fact that much of our courseware gives examples of using GitHub as a remote Git repository, I am recommending that you use BitBucket instead. BitBucket has a special deal for university people that allows free accounts with private repositories. Also, there is very good integration between BitBucket and SourceTree (same vendor). Using your university email id, set up a free BitBucket account. This account will allow you to create a repository that you can use for your own practice.
Other Resources