Training the next generation:

Tue Aug 24 17:29:55 UTC 1999

Joe,
I firmly believe that an undergraduate degree is essential.
If you have to go part-time, then do that. 
Don't wimp out and take a BA. Get the BS, take the science and math
courses. You might wonder what mechanics and chemistry have to do with networks or software development.
Two words: Scientific Method . 
We need to train you, the student, to THINK.
Not just that you need to think, we need to train you HOW to think.
Math is more directly applicable.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe <jk at wnonline.net>
To: Dana Hudes <dhudes at panix.com>
Cc: <nanog at merit.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: Training the next generation: 

> 
> I am also interested in this, for I am fairly young and VERY interested in
> building/maintaining/upgrading networks, etc.  I would like to know the
> very things that some of you guys complain about all the time when you try
> to work with companies.  Do any of you know of schools out there (besides
> cisco ;P) that can offer the valued training to get people like myself
> into this ever-changing field.  I have taken the route of working my way
> through ISP's, what other ways have some of you done?  Do you think
> working in a good environment and being trained onsite, being trained
> onsite and going to school or just going to school would come out to be
> the best idea for getting into this field.  Please reply publically or
> privately :> 
> 
> I apologize if this seems NON-OPERATIONAL to you, but it is to me, because
> once you guys are off and gone, who will be left?  
> 
> Thanks for your time,
> 
> joe
> 
> =======================================================================
> joe kamm jk at wnonline.net
> network operations
> worldnet communications http://www.wnonline.net
> 
> On Tue, 24 Aug 1999, Dana Hudes wrote:
> 
> > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 00:12:41 -0400
> > From: Dana Hudes <dhudes at cncdsl.com>
> > Reply-To: Dana Hudes <dhudes at panix.com>
> > To: nanog at merit.edu
> > Subject: Training the next generation: 
> > 
> > Hi !
> >  I'm teaching networking this year at CUNY Hunter College here in Manhattan. I would like your input as industry members what skills would have value to you in a new graduate computer science major (the students are seniors). 
> > Fall course is "Telecomputing"; the syllabus I created for the course uses Tannenbaum's _Computer Networks_ and tries to cover a range of things. Course project will likely be design and implement a bridge, possibly including source-route and certainly including spanning tree. Early on, coverage of WAN include project with PCM and such.
> > A syllabus is posted at http://harmony.hudes.org/Telecomputing.html
> > Students will have a broad base in a variety of networking topics. Focus on Ethernet in the LAN and PPP and ATM in the WAN.
> > 
> > 
> > Spring is a "special topics" course. I've some flexibility here. I'm weighing two alternatives, and want some feedback.
> > Of all possible things, the acting chair and I narrowed to two possible courses:
> > 1. A course in TCP/IP. Use Comer, _Internetworking with TCP/IP_ and his syllabus from Purdue as a starting point.
> > No time in this course for any physical layer or data link stuff beyond a cursory overview of Ethernet as we move at high speed to the network layer and IP forwarding.  Comer's graduate course has students build a router but this is probably too much for undergraduates. Instead an OSPF implementation, including all the options (especially NSSA) . A cursory introduction to sockets programming with the course focus on routing algorithms (i.e. RIP, OSPF, and BGP4).
> > Can this one course (my fall course hasn't sufficient registration to make the 2 semester sequence in networking we'd hoped; maybe next year).
> > 
> > 2. Network application programming. Java clients, Perl and Apache server side (or perhaps Java servlets).  Hunter students know C++ fairly well by their senior year; Java is an easy transition. The entire class would divide into teams with assignments that comprise various parts of the client and server portions.  The project would be a turn-based simulation game (I used to play these and have a number of appropriate games with play-by-mail options, game rule design and/or game theory is not part of the course).  While this won't teach them to be router engineers -- or developers, it should have some industry relevance.
> > 
> > 
> > Most Hunter graduates stay in the Greater NYC metropolitan area. Given this, which of these options is better for the industry? who is in shorter supply?
> > 
> > Prompt feedback greatly appreciated. Registrar is asking for the course description ASAP or sooner.
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > Dana Hudes
> > CUNY Hunter Computer Science
> > former ISP
> > 
> 
> 