Here's what y'all have come up with so far...

Seems most of you have preferred a private tête-à-tête with moi ~ That's okay, too!...
Check out your ideas and suggestions integrated into...
Sharon's Personal CPD Humor!... 8-)

This is the note that I wrote the night (early morn aft) of the same day that I finally passed the CPD Pro 5.0 Maintenance Test... It's called "Zen and the Art of CPD Maintenance - We're having fun NOW!" ~~ Click Here

May it help you on your CPD path... ~sb

Btw, thanks to Mark Pfeifer[TeamPS] for leading TeamPS's
current efforts to improve the program
Go TeamPS!! YaY

Subject: CPD Suggestion Free advise
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 01:30:26 -0600
From:"The Pond's"

Upon Taking the CPD Test and achieving passing score I would like to see a review of questions you missed with the corresponding correct answers. This would take the CPD exam from a one lane highway to a two way learing opportunity.

If the participant received a none passing score no review would be performed.

Subject: Yearly renewal
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 01:35:08 -0600
From: "The Pond's"

Are you going to continue renewing your CPD each year. I think there should be a price break, if you renew your CPD and pass it successfully the first time each time its up for renewal.

 

 

Good job... Keep 'em coming, and then Powersoft will be sure to know how to help us!
Why not send another while you are here?
To: mailto:Merris.S.Sinha@sybase.com,Brant.Stevens@sybase.com,sbuntz@texas.net
(Please let me know if it is okay for me to publish your name, E-Addr and note)
Thanks!

 

 

And here's a letter that Sharon sent the CPD Program Review Committee back in April of '97...

Subject: CPD (-8 Concord Peace Directive 8-) Program

Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 18:44:06 -0500

From: Sharon Buntz sbuntz@texas.net

To: Grace.Yeung@sybase.com (now gone), Nancy.Cowen@sybase.com , whitney@concord6.powersoft.com (Review Committee)

CC: Dorene.Sykes@sybase.com, jill.suarez@sybase.com (new manager), techsys@airmail.net, Jill.Moritz@sybase.com, Lou.Dignazio@sybase.com, David.Litwack@sybase.com, Vaidyanathan sriram sonyram@hotmail.com, JCote@newdat.com, niemang@squared.com, gnieman@interserv.com, tderosa@clientserver.com, kent@pbase.com, tmfi@flash.net, bgasin@advent2000.com, Sasha57@aol.com, Larry.Cermak@swc.com, John Olson <74107.3526@compuserve.com>, walbornw@squared.com, campbem2@squared.com, campcinn@cinti.net, bmike1@world-net.net, msimpson@august.com, ptalley@txdirect.net, Bob_Garcia@smtplink.amedd.army.mil, Joseph_Phan@smtplink.amedd.army.mil, raron@cyberramp.net, jbostick@clientserver.com, dterry@tenet.edu, lcsjis@tenet.edu, g00npmor@gr.com, kkellis@crownnorthcorp.com, kkellis@swbell.net, RobertRhodes@msn.com, jbuntz@texas.net, sbuntz@texas.net

 

April 25, 1997

 

CPD (-8 Concord Peace Directive 8-) Program

 

Hello, Nancy and Grace
Hello, CPD Review Committee and other PowerBuilder people listening...

Relax… I’ve had a change of heart… Honest, I’ve changed; I’m better not bitter now.

Some wise people have made me aware that I may be offending you (Nancy, Grace and the CPD Program people), thereby aggravating matters, rather than helping matters. I am writing in hopes that you all will please forgive me for having come across that way, simply attacking you, and not contributing "constructive criticism".

I’ve done a lot of soul searching, and with the help of some very patient and extraordinary people, I’ve finally recovered from my frustration and failure, and now I would like to rise above it, start over and start fresh… Special thanks to Boris Gasin, Kent Marsh and Judy Cote and all others for helping me do so.

As you know, the CPD Program is very important to me and others that I know. We value it very much. And hence we take it very seriously… We take it to heart. Our CPD titles affect our status, our career, our future projects, our self-image, our confidence and even our paycheck as well… What we are talking about is our very "LIVELIHOOD"... In my defense, this may explain why I oftentimes came across overly strong. Sorry though.

To sum up, in netese, I was :-@ when I was :-o + :-I but I should of been :-# but now I am 8-) okay? ;-) :’)

Nancy, Grace, Alex and all other CPD Program people, we recognize that you are doing a fine job, and I would like to acknowledge that. I never intended to detract from that fact.

Now putting myself in your shoes, I ask myself, "How could we improve the program?" Well, to quote Boris, "The answer is that it is very tough. To make the test fair and impartial, you want to make the scoring criteria very clear, and sometimes that may mean rigid." I understand that now and how important it is to you to keep that foremost in all of your decisions and actions. But I do still see some room for what we should both be seeking ultimately… a place to find a common ground.

In this new light, with a new positive attitude, (and for what it’s worth) ~~ I would like to present to you a bulleted list of some humble suggestions for improving the CPD program. It is an accumulation of my thoughts and also the ideas that others have shared with me as well…

Nancy, in Grace’s absence, would you please pass these suggestions along to the CPD Review Committee (along with this very important foreword message)? Thanks!

Peace 8-) ,

Sharon Buntz
sbuntz@texas.net

Attachment: CPDSugg.doc (This note in Word 6.0 format ~ special formatting in suggestion list)

 

CPD Associate Tests

  1. Provide sample tests using same testing software format and using questions along similar lines of real one
  2. Make questions less tricky, Make questions more practical
    (One suggestion is to ask TeamPowersoft people to submit candidate test questions)
  3. (Try to keep the questions straightforward and very clear because we can’t ask questions to clarify when we are taking the test… And we do experience the urge to ask for clarification when we read some of them.)
  4. Lower new CPD-A 5.0 Test passing scores by at least 5% - No passing score should be higher than 70%
  5. Analyze data of CPD-A 5.0 Maintenance Tests, lower scores appropriately - Reinstate those previously cut from list because they barely missed it
  6. Please shorten waiting period for re-retakes
    (or maybe change the waiting period to be from the *first* time that the candidate took the test)
  7. Consider another new category of CPD-A 5.0 Tests dealing specifically with the PFC, like a CPD-PFC program


CPD Professional Tests

  1. Provide a sample test using same testing software format and using an application along similar lines of real one. Also provide sample solution PBL.
  2. Provide more sites for taking the CPD-P Tests
  3. Allocate more graders that are solely dedicated to grading the Professional Tests so that the turnaround time can be reduced to say only 2-4 weeks, versus the current 6-8 weeks
  4. Raise testing fees if necessary in order to accomplish the above three items
  5. Probably not feasible nor practical, but… Lower CPD-P 4.0 Test passing scores so that no passing score is higher than 80% - Pass those deserving people whose scores are now passable
  6. Analyze data of CPD-P 5.0 Maintenance Tests, lower scores appropriately - Do not cut those who have barely missed it
  7. Lower CPD-P 5.0 Test passing scores so that no passing score is higher than 80%
  8. Consider an outlet for those who miss the test by only a few points. For example, offer a phone follow-up quiz/interview. This "quiz" may concentrate on the areas where the candidate was weak. Maybe there could even be a pool of standard questions prepared up front, consisting of one or two for each scoring category.
  9. Please shorten waiting period for re-retakes
    (or maybe change the waiting period to be from the *first* time that the candidate took the test)
  10. Consider "Alternatives" for obtaining a CPD Professional title, such as those ideas presented by Kent Marsh:

1.) Application Test
A timed test application where a small set of pertinent technical problems are presented.

2.) Technical Paper
PB developers should present a topical paper of some facet of PB development that demonstrates their rational approach to solving problems, as well as some innovative approaches that go beyond the text book methods. I could go on ...

3.) Demo Application
PB developers develop a demo application which shows their own work.

4.) Technical Interview
A knowledgeable PowerSoft representative should interview the PB developer to get a sense of their knowledge and see how they would provide technical advise. PB developer should demonstrate a

5.) Referrals
Letters of recommendation from other PB Professionals who have knowledge of their abilities.

I especially like the "Technical Paper", "Demo Application", and "Referrals" items. I don’t think that it would take a lot of time and resources to implement these… Even universities provide Masters Degree candidates with an alternative.

But, at least consider these as possibly a means for those people that missed the test by a few points. 8-)

Emoticon Footnotes

:-@ Sharon is ranting and raving or
otherwise opening her big Texan mouth before engaging head and heart properly

:-o Sharon is surprised or scared
:-I Sharon is perplexed and frustrated

:-# Well, shut my mouth!

8-) Sharon now has her eyes wide open, possibly with cool sunglasses on, and Sharon is smiling
(-8 (for lefties)

;-) (Wink, Deal?)

:') Sharon’s tongue is in her cheek; or her nose is out of joint. Context counts for this one.

 

The one important thing I have learned over the years
is the difference between taking one’s work seriously
and taking one’s self seriously.

The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.

(Margot Fonteyn)