Monday, May 25, 2020

Run Batch Files (DOS Commands) From Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment doesnt run DOS commands, but you can change that fact with a batch file. When IBM introduced PCs, batch files and the original BASIC  programming language were among the few ways to write programs. Users became experts at programming DOS commands. About Batch Files Batch files might be called scripts or macros in another context. Theyre just text files filled with DOS commands. For example: ECHO off ECHO Hello About Visual Basic! ECHO on The suppresses the display of the current statement to the console. So, the command ECHO off is not displayed.ECHO off and ECHO on toggles whether statements are displayed. So, after ECHO off, statements are not displayed.ECHO Hello About Visual Basic! displays the text Hello About Visual Basic!ECHO on switches the ECHO function back on so anything following is displayed. All of this was just to ensure that the only thing you actually see in the console window is the message. How to Execute a Batch File in Visual Studio The key to executing a batch file directly in Visual Studio is to Add one using the External Tools selection of the Tools menu. To do this, you: Create a simple batch program that executes other batch programs.Reference that program using the External Tools selection in Visual Studio. To be complete, add a reference to Notepad in the Tools menu. A Batch Program That Executes Other Batch Programs Heres the batch program that will execute other batch programs: cmd /c %1 pause The /c parameter carries out the command specified by string and then terminates. The %1 accepts a string that the cmd.exe program will try to execute. If the pause command wasnt there, the command prompt window would close before you could see the result. The pause command issues the string, press any key to continue. Tip: You can get a fast explanation of any console command—DOS—using this syntax in a command prompt window: /? Save this file using any name with the file type .bat.   You can save it in any location, but the Visual Studio directory in Documents is a good place.   Add an Item to External Tools The final step is to add an item to the External Tools in Visual Studio. --------Click Here to display the illustration-------- If you simply click the Add button, then you get a complete dialog that allows you to specify every detail possible for an external tool in Visual Studio. --------Click Here to display the illustration-------- In this case, enter the complete path, including the name you used when you saved your batch file earlier, in the Command textbox. For example: C:\Users\Milovan\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\RunBat.bat You can enter any name you like in the Title textbox. At this point, your new batch file executing command is ready. Just to be complete, you can also add the RunBat.bat file to the External Tools a different way as shown below: --------Click Here to display the illustration-------- Rather than make this file the default editor in External Tools, which will cause Visual Studio to use RunBat.bat for files that are not batch files,  execute the batch file by selecting Open With... from a context menu. --------Click Here to display the illustration-------- Because a batch file is just a text file that is qualified with the .bat type (.cmd works too), you might think that you can use the Text File template in Visual Studio to add one to your project. You cant. As it turns out, a Visual Studio Text File is not a text file. To demonstrate this, right-click the project and use Add New Item ...  to add a text file to your project. You have to change the extension so it ends in .bat. Enter the simple DOS command, Dir (display a directory contents) and click OK to add it to your project. If you then try to execute this batch command, you get this error: nDir is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. That happens because the default source code editor in Visual Studio adds header information to the front of every file. You need an editor, like Notepad, that doesnt. The solution here is to add Notepad to External Tools. Use Notepad to create a batch file. After you save the batch file, you still have to add it to your project as an existing item.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

The Inclusive Classroom Best Supports Student Success

Federal law in the United States (according to the IDEA) prescribes that students with disabilities should be placed in their neighborhood school with as much time as possible in a general education setting. This is LRE, or Least Restrictive Environment, provides that children should receive educational services with their typical peers unless education there cannot be achieved satisfactorily even with appropriate supplementary aids and services. A district is required to maintain a full range of environments from least restrictive (general education) to most restrictive (special schools).   The Successful Inclusive Classroom Keys to success include: Students need to be active - not passive learners.Children should be encouraged to make choices as often as possible, a good teacher will allow students some time to flounder as some of the most powerful learning stems from taking risks and learning from mistakes.Parental involvement is crucial.Students with disabilities must be free to learn at their own pace and have accommodations and alternative assessment strategies in place to meet their unique needs.Students need to experience success, learning goals need to be specific, attainable and measurable and have some challenge to them. What is the Teachers Role? The teacher facilitates the learning by encouraging, prompting, interacting, and probing with good questioning techniques, such as How do you know its right—can you show me how?. The teacher provides 3-4 activities that address the multiple learning styles and enables students make choices. For instance, in a spelling activity a student may choose to cut and paste the letters from newspapers or use magnetic letters to manipulate the words or use colored shaving cream to print the words. The teacher will have mini-conferences with students. The teacher will provide many learning manipulatives and opportunities for small group learning. Parent volunteers are helping with counting, reading, assisting with unfinished tasks, journals, reviewing basic concepts such as math facts and sight words. In the inclusive classroom, a teacher will differentiate instruction as much as possible, which will benefit both the students with and without disabilities, since it will provide more individual attention and attention to What Does the Classroom Look Like? The classroom is a beehive of activity. Students should be engaged in problem solving activities.   John Dewey once said, the only time we think is when were given a problem. The classroom that is child centered relies on  learning centers to support whole group and small group instruction. There will be a language center with learning goals, perhaps a media center with opportunity to listen to taped stories or create a multimedia presentation on the computer. There will be a music  center and a math center with many manipulatives. Expectations should always be clearly stated prior to students engaging in learning activities. Effective classroom management tools and routines will provide students with reminders about the acceptable noise level, learning activity and accountability for producing a finished product or accomplishing the center tasks. The teacher will supervise learning throughout the centers while either landing at one center for small group instruction or creating Teacher Time as a rotation. Activities at the center take into consideration multiple intelligences and learning styles. Learning  center time should begin with whole class instructions and end with whole class debriefing and evaluation: How did we do with maintaining a successful learning environment? Which centers were the most fun?  Where did you learn the most? Learning centers are a great way to differentiate instruction.  You will place some activities that every child can complete, and some activities designed for advanced, on level and remediated instruction. Models for Inclusion: Co-teaching:  Often this approach is used by school districts, especially in secondary settings.  I have often heard from general education teachers who are co-teaching provide very little support, are not involved in planning, in assessment or in instruction. Sometimes they just dont show up and tell their general ed partners when they have scheduled and IEP.  Effective co-teachers help with planning, provide suggestions for differentiation across abilities, and do some instruction to give the general education teacher the opportunity to circulate and support all the students in a classroom. Whole Class Inclusion:  Some districts (like those in California) are placing dually certified teachers in classrooms as social studies, math or English Language Arts teachers in secondary classrooms.  The teacher teaches the subject to both students with and without disabilities and carries a caseload of students enrolled in a specific grade, etc.  They would most likely call these inclusion classrooms and include students who are English Language Learners or struggling with grades. Push In:  A resource teacher will come into the general classroom and meet with students during centers time to support their IEP goals and provide small group or individualized instruction.  Often districts will encourage teachers to provide a mix of push in and pull out services. Sometimes the services are provided by a para-professional at the direction of a special education teacher. Pull Out:  This sort of pull out is usually indicated with a Resource Room placement in the IEP.   Students who have significant problems with attention and staying on task may benefit from a quieter setting without distractions.  At the same time, children whose disabilities put them at a significant disadvantage with their typical peers may be more willing to risk reading aloud or doing math if they arent worried about being dissed (dis-respected) or mocked by their general education peers.   What does Assessment Look Like? Observation is key. Knowing what to look for is critical. Does the child give up easily? Does the child persevere? Is the child able to show how he got the task right? The teacher targets a few learning goals per day and a few students per day to observe for goal attainment. Formal/informal interviews will help the assessment process. How closely does the individual remain on task? Why or why not? How does the student feel about the activity? What are their thinking processes? In Summary Successful learning centers require good classroom management and well known rules and procedures. A productive learning environment will take time to implement. The teacher may have to call the whole class together regularly in the beginning to ensure that all rules and expectations are being adhered to. Remember, think big but start small. Introduce a couple of centers per week. See more information on assessment.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The American Dream is Dead in Articles by Cal Thomas and...

However the American Dream is perceived there is no question that the dream is on the verge of becoming extinct. Bob Herbert addresses this in his article Hiding from Reality. He argues that the American Dream is dead. Similarly, Cal Thomas also argues that the American Dream is dead in his article Is the American Dream Over?.† Although both authors agree that the American Dream is extinct, they have differing opinions as to why. While they both believe that the government plays a large part in the death of the American Dream, Herbert believes the government is not doing enough and Thomas argues the government is out of control. Herbert and Thomas both agree that America has become a hapless society that relies on others to make decisions, making personal responsibility elusive. Both men believe that until America recognizes the problem, finding a solution will be nearly impossible. Herbert argues the American Dream is in shambles. He bases his argument on the weak economy, high unemployment, declining educational standards and constant involvement in wars overseas. He says there is no doubt that the standard of living are far from where it once were. He states that the damage done by the recession has not even come close to being repaired. Herbert refers to statistics that show that foreign-born workers gained nearly half a million jobs while native-born Americans lost over one million jobs in 2009. Herbert states that the only way to revive the crumbling Dream is forShow MoreRelatedMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages When developed and presented effectively, with rich and interesting detail, cases keep conceptual discussions grounded in reality. Experience shows that simple ï ¬ ctional accounts of situations and collections of actual organisational data and articles from public sources are not as effective for learning as fully developed cases. A comprehensive case presents you with a partial clinical study of a real-life situation that faced managers as well as other stakeholders, including employees. A caseRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesThree Ethical Decision Criteria 187 †¢ Improving Creativity in Decision Making 188 Summary and Implications for Managers 190 S A S A S A L L L Self-Assessment Library What Are My Gender Role Perceptions? 166 glOBalization! Chinese Time, North American Time 171 Myth or Science? Creative Decision Making Is a Right-Brain Activity 181 Self-Assessment Library Am I A Deliberate Decision Maker? 183 An Ethical Choice Whose Ethical Standards to Follow? 185 Self-Assessment Library How Creative Am I? 190

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Due Process and Parental RIghts free essay sample

Due Process and Parental Rights 2 One court case that addressed parental rights and due process is Zachary Deal v. Hamilton Board of Education (6th Circuit 2004). This case involved a three year old little boy and his parents, Maureen and Phillip Deal. Zachary Deal began preschool comprehensive development class at Ooltewah Elementary School. In September of 1997 while he was attending preschool, his parents chose to begin teaching him at home using a program developed by the Center for Autism and Related Disorders or CARD (United States Court of Appeals, 2009).This program used one-on-one applied behavioral analysis or â€Å"ABA.† On May 11, 1998 the Deals met with an IEP team to determine ESY or extended school year. The told the IEP team about Zacharys progress using the CARD program at home and they wanted Zachary to receive a school system funded home based ABA program for forty hours per week, as well as, speech therapy. The IEP team agreed on speech for three days a weeks. The Deals had a few other IEP meetings over the following year. During the year of 1998-1999 Zachary attended public schools sixteen percent of the time. When they reconvened in May 1999 to discuss ESY for the summer, the school refused to grant the Deals their request of the school funded ABA program again. They stated that because of his infrequent attendance they could not document any regression without the ABA program. Zachary attended a private preschool for the 1999-2000 school year and did not attend public school at all. For the 2000-2001 school year, Zachary did attend public school, but only part time. Throughout this time, the Deals continued to request at all IEP meetings that the school system provide Zachary with system funded private ABA. Each time this request was denied. In September of 1999 the Deals requested a due process hearing under the provisions of the IDEA. (United States Court of Appeals, 2009). Zacharys parents felt that he was not receiving a FAPE and they were not willing to give up without fighting for what they felt was the best education possible for their son. The main disagreement that the Deals had with the Hamilton County Board of Education Due Process and Parental Rights 3 was they wanted Zachary to attend school in the LRE and for him to receive school funded private ABA or another form of ABA therapy. The school board was accused of predetermining not to offer Zachary ABA on any level, regardless of how beneficial it was which violated IDEA (United States Court of Appeals, 2009). Additionally, Zacharys parents were not fully involved in the IEP process which deprived Zachary a FAPE. At one IEP meeting Zacharys parents were informed that they were not allowed to ask any question which goes completely against parental rights (County Schools, 2005). The IEP meetings also failed to have a general education teacher present. The Deals began their administrative hearing in March of 2000. In October of 2001 they initiated a review of portions of the ALJs decision in district court. Finally in December of 2004 the courts decided a verdict. The decision had been made to reimburse the Dealss with the money they had spent on private ABA and related services (United States Court of Appeals, 2009). Sadly, it took years in court and an estimated 2,2850,000 to defend a relatively small reimbursement claim (County Schools, 2005). I find this court case to be pretty confusing. There are many different variables and angles which you can take. I agree with the ruling for a number of reasons, however, I also feel that the parents were not fully cooperating like they could have to achieve the best results possible. In the one article I read it actually addresses how many could â€Å"think† that the school district is the victim, but in all actuality if you read the full court transcripts you will see that is simply not the case. The article was written by the Deals attorney so it is biased, but it makes some very good points. I am not quite sure how to draw the line in how much should be expected from the school system and at what point a family is demanding too much. Obviously I am not the only one who thinks this is confusing or there  would be more concrete federal laws. On one hand I feel that the most important thing to keep in mind is parental rights. Who else is going to fight for a child like their own parents? If parents are denied proper notification, proper time to plan to attend the meeting, supply the materials in the native Due Process and Parental Rights 4 language and/or supply a translator, the school district is violating IDEA and there should be consequences. This I feel is more of a black and white issue so there is not as much room for confusion. I think it is when it comes down to issues such as LRE and additional programs/ services that it goes more in to a gray area. This is when parents have to turn to due process. I assumed that many school districts give in at this point to keep from incurring court cost and media attention. After reading this case, I am not sure that my logic is correct. Clearly in the case of the Deals the school showed no interest to hear their side of the story or take in to consideration Zacharys progress with his at home ABA therapy. A school cannot discredit a parents opinion and do as they please, but when a child is rarely attending the program, can the school be responsible for paying for private therapy for a child they know little about? It is a catch twenty two in my opinion. The parents do not want to send they child to a school where they will regress and the school does not feel responsible for giving out additional funding and services for a student they have little data on. Someone has to give somewhere. The bottom line is there are always going to be situations that are difficult to know who is right and what placement will be right for a student to be truly successful. I think that a family does not always have their own childs best interest at heart and pushes to help them receive social security benefits, etc. This is a truly sad situation and one that I hope is a rare occurrence. Some parents struggle with denial and push for services that the child cannot truly benefit from just so they feel more â€Å"normal.† My heart breaks in these instances, but we somehow must help a parent understand that their childs future might look a little differently than planned. Lastly, we must all try to have the students best interest at heart and not think of what will be the easiest or the cheapest, etc. Working together with the parents of special needs  children should be a team effort. No matter how demanding and difficult a family is, we as special education teachers must try to find a middle ground so that a case like this does not present itself again. Due Process and Parental Rights 5