For lack of a better name, I’m calling my new course — Introduction to Computer Science
We have two problems right now:
- Ninth graders are not suited for computer science (well, TAG ones are but they go into PreAP Computer Science)
- We don’t have enough electives for 9th graders.
Solve the problem: come up with an local credit course that will assist the students in getting ready for Computer Science.
The ninth graders that are in my computer science course do not have these basic skills:
- Type with both hands
- Write an email (or even sign up for an email account)
- Use the basic office products
- Use the internet effectively for research
Some of the skills I think they would like to have:
- Take a picture with a digital camera and do some minor changes.
- Make a movie — especially DVD
- Update and decorate Facebook or other type of social networking website
- Write a blog entry or other type of web based content
Skills I would like to them have
- HTML
- Basic programming
The good news is that I have all the software in the classroom needed for that.
So a brief outline for the course:
- 1st Semester
- Keyboarding
- E-mail and e-mail etiquette
- Basic office products
- Internet Research
- Products
- Term paper
- Presentation about a topic for another class
- Resume
- See other departments about other products that I can incorporate
- 2nd Semester
- HTML
- Facebook page (or whatever the latest teen social networking site is)
- Personal website
- Programming with Alice or Scratch
As an on-going basis, we’ll cover ethics, privacy and copyright. Will also explore technical jobs. Probably as the come up in the news.