Website speeds up access to CVHS teacher pages

“No, my dog did not eat my homework. I was too busy trying to get to your website to find out what it is…”

Stephen Ou and Dominick Lee, two computer whizzes, have decided to create websites that help students reach their teachers’ websites more efficiently.

After talking to his history teacher Jeffrey Goldstein, Ou realized that getting to teachers’ websites to look at homework, daily agendas, etc. took too long from the school website.

“You have to click the department link, find the teacher, find the period, and then you get to what you need. The process is very slow,” said Ou.

Ou’s website consists of a list of teachers’ names. Students can go on the website and click their teacher’s name or they can directly type into the address bar http://cvhs.me/teachername and reach the website.

“It will literally save 15 seconds each time. Mr. Goldstein thought that approach was excellent, so I made it possible, ” Ou explained.

To create this website, Ou had to buy server space and pays a monthly fee of $15. Server space is comparable to needing a plot of land for a house. Likewise, a website needs server space to exist. Donations to help pay the monthly server space fee of cvhs.me are greatly appreciated and can be made at the bottom of the web page.

To make the website functional, Ou had to write in code, using Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript, all computer “languages.”

Currently, he is trying to link all teachers’ websites to cvhs.me. In addition, Ou wants to add a page where teachers can create short urls for other websites their students may need access to for homework, to supplement the day’s lesson, etc.

In addition, Dominick Lee has created http://lifebeam.net/cvhs/, a search engine that enables students to type in their teachers’ name’ to reach their website. To do this, he had to utilize his knowledge of computer languages, such as HTML, CSS, and PHP.

“On the original CVHS website, you have to find the department, the teacher, and the period before you arrive, which takes about 20 seconds. By using my quick web search, you can securely access your teacher’s site 70% faster by letting you type in a short part of the teacher’s name or their last name,” Lee said.

After the name is entered, a link appears. Students click on the link, and, within a few seconds, the website appears at the bottom of the page. When students are done, they can scroll back up to the top and type in another teacher’s name.

Not all teachers’ websites are connected to http://lifebeam.net/cvhs/ yet, as Lee is still in the process of improving the website. He plans to make more changes to it, such as renaming it CVHS Instant. Lee also plans to add an online interface called TaskWeb that will allow teachers to post homework online, and students will be able see it with an account.

Ou has been a computer programmer since seventh grade. He began by creating applications and websites after school.

“The reason why I was inspired is because I am passionate about how technology can solve people’s problems and make their lives much easier,” Ou said, when asked why he enjoys working with computers.

Lee’s interest in computers began when he was eight years old, when he got his first computer, a Windows XP. He was amazed by how many programs there were, and he wanted to make one.

“[I like creating software because] it shows I can gain the knowledge of advanced computer programmers at a very young age. It makes me have pride to do programming,” Lee explained.

Lee’s inspiration comes from his uncle and another relative. His uncle gave him his first computer—a Windows XP desktop computer. Whenever he had questions, his uncle helped him.

Beside cvhs.me, Ou has also created other websites: artsyeditor.com, http://twtroulette.com/ , oneextralap.com, and stephenou.com. He has also created an app for Google Chrome called OhBoard.

In addition to CVHS Instant search, Lee has created many programs, including:
USB Desktop Lock 1.1, Cloud Voyager 1.0, Download Accelerator 3.1, Easy Backup Wizard 1.0, Auto Shutdown 1.0, DiscCleaner 1.0, Windows Desktop Lock 2.0, and Start Button Changer 1.0. These, and many more, can be found at http://dominicklee.com/programs. He also created the websites http://www.micro-robotics.com/ and http://lifebeam.net/, the website for the club he founded called LifeBeam Technology Club.

Ou sees computers and technology in his future career.  “My goal is to become the founder and CEO of a startup technology company that solves everyday problem with a simple-to-use technology solution,” Ou said.

Lee plans to major in computer science when in college. He hopes to become a software designer for computers.