This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Sign up for the introductory course to develop problem-solving skills and logical thinking abilities that are highly transferable to various fields and careers in today’s digital age. Learning programming can enhance your creativity and foster innovation by teaching you how to design & build your own digital solutions.
Total classes: 13
Prerequisite: Students should have a general familiarity with computers – the ability to open applications, use menu-driven commands, and type using the keyboard – so that the emphasis of time can be placed on specific programming lessons.
Suggested grade level: 7th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Computer Science
Special Notes: This is a two-part course. Students are expected to also register for Part Two offered in the spring semester.
Description
This is part one of an entry-level course, which is designed to expose students to what computer scientists do daily. Students will build games (2D), illustrate stories, and create art and animations during their exploration. The tools we will use have similar properties to building block toys used by children to construct model-sized homes, stores, and towns. More advanced students will have the option of learning Script-based programming tools. In addition to learning to code, students will learn about computing careers, the history of computer science, hardware and software design, and discovering ways for technology to serve people and communities. By the end of the class, students will be able to discern whether further studies in this field are their forte.
Outline
Class 1: Introduction to Computer Science
Class 2: Variables
Class 3: Order of Operations
Class 4: Debugging and Graphics
Class 5: Modules
Class 6: Functions
Class 7: Selection
Class 8: Iteration
Class 9: Strings
Class 10: Lists
Class 11: Recursion
Class 12: Final Project
Class 13: Final Project
Materials and Homework
Course Materials:
All materials for the course (e-books, assignments, lessons, and software) are available for FREE on the web and were developed specifically to help learners of computer science. You can access these tools as follows:
Block Programming – Snap (web based) or Snap Offline (offline);
Python Programming – How to Think Like A Computer Scientist by Runestone Academy ($10 donation to Runestone Academy)
Access to a PC or MAC computer is required (the downloadable software does not work well on Chromebooks or tablets).
Homework: Assignments will have a Catholic theme to them such as: create an adventure game that illustrates a story from the Old Testament, create a quiz game that prepares someone studying for confirmation, research computer science projects at a Catholic University and report what you find, investigate how your Diocese/Church/Priest uses technology tools, completing programming exercises, and online quizzes which provide immediate scoring feedback. In this course, students have an option to share their programs with fellow students either via a short in-class demonstration, by uploading them to the tool’s website, or by creating a screen capture video. All assignments are given and graded by the instructor. Students will also collaborate with fellow students and mentor them when needed to reinforce their knowledge by helping others. Students can expect 2 to 5 hours of time per week (outside of class time) dedicated to homework. Regular feedback will be provided to the students and their parents to ensure that all are aware of the progress being made throughout the course.
Important Dates
Class Dates: Tuesdays, September 3 to December 10, 2024. (No class Oct. 15 & Nov. 26)
Starting Time: 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)
Duration: 60 minutes per live, interactive class.
