[K12OSN] Fl_Teachers_Tool

[Robert Arkiletian]

On 11/20/06, Eric Harrison <eharrison at mail.mesd.k12.or.us> wrote:
> Robert Arkiletian wrote:
> > On 11/20/06, David Trask <dtrask at vcsvikings.org> wrote:
> >> "Support list for open source software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com>
> >> writes:
> >> >
> >> >As for Edubuntu, they have "Student Control Panel" which has many of the
> >> >features of Fl_TeacherTool.
> >
> > Yes, this is why I have not ported fl_TeacherTool to Edubuntu. In
> > addition, Edubuntu has strict requirements for apps being accepted.
> > Namely, they prefer apps be coded in GTK+ not FLTK. GTK+ keeps the
> > GNOME look and feel.
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> And was adopted as a spec for Fiesty (due in April) with much more
> >> functionality.  So....in essence working to adopt FL_Teachertool for
> >> Ubuntu will be duplication of efforts already underway.
> >
> > I have read some of the spec for SCP
> > https://wiki.edubuntu.org/StudentControlPanelCompletion
> > and as far as I can tell the extra features which it will have are
> >
> > 1) enabling restrictions on users with pessulus
> > 2) setting up a "group system" where only students who belong to a
> > teacher will show up in the user list
> > 3) Prettier GUI with icons beside processes
> > 4) Plugin mechanism to make it easier to add other features
> >
> > Are there any other extra features in SCP?
> >
> > BTW I have been thinking about #2. This is required for schools with a
> > powerful ltsp server running multiple classrooms. I don't think it's
> > possible to do this properly without filtering by mac addresses.
> > Imagine a student enrolled in 2 different IT classes in different
> > blocks. If teacher Smith has the student in block A and teacher Jones
> > has the student in block B then if the filtering system is simply
> > based on groups, it will fail since he will show up in Smiths block B
> > classlist.
>
>
> The simplest scenario I can think up off the top of my head is to allow
> each teacher to have multiple filters. "Period 1", "Period 2", "Math
> lab", etc.
>
> Perhaps it would be better to think of this as an "attendance list". The
> teacher creates an "attendance list" that contains all of the students

Yes, this was my initial thought also but I changed my mind as it has
too many down sides. What if you get new students, or students drop
the course? Who is going to maintain the list? Or create it? In
addition, what if teachers bring in students who don't have usernames
but use comp1, comp2 etc..? It won't work. I think the best solution
is to create a list of mac addresses in a lab. Put this list in a flat
file with room # (like this)

room 306
some:mac: address
some:other:mac:address
etc..

rooom 307
some:mac: address
some:other:mac:address
etc...

and have fl_TT read the file. When fl_TT initially comes up it list
all students on the ltsp server. If you want only your room you type
in your room number into the input box and click users. Boom, you only
get the kids sitting in your lab. I can do this. Plus the only time
you need to update/edit the mac address list is if you replace client
computers/nic.

> for the class/period/room/or whatever makes sense to them. When the
> "attendance list" is selected, it pops open a window and the teacher
> then deselect/select students to match who is actually present in the
> class. When they select "Ok", we use that as the filter...
>
> > So, for the next version of Fl_TT, I thought of having a
> > simple flat file with room #'s associated with MAC addesses. If I can
> > poll and associate a mac address to an ip I can filter the list by
> > reading the flat file. (Doesn't nmap do this?)
> > The advantage of this solution is that if the labs are being used with
> > generic logins (comp1, comp2, etc) it will still work.
> >
>
> "/sbin/arp -n" will give you the mapping of IP address-to-MAC addresses.
>
>
> This would be useful to create a filter for a room or lab (i.e. "monitor
> the Reading Lab")
>
> -Eric
>
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-- 
Robert Arkiletian
Eric Hamber Secondary, Vancouver, Canada
Fl_TeacherTool http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/Fl_TeacherTool/
C++ GUI tutorial http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/