Computer Science Department

Advanced Placement Computer Science

Students will learn the design thinking process, and then use it to work through a variety of in school and then community design challenges. This process requires students to research, gather data, prototype, and present. Early in the course, the students will work on teacher designed challenges that help them develop the skills they will need for the community project. The design thinking process would be applied to each challenge students were given first within the school, and then eventually working with community partners to bring in real world connections. Graphic Design is a prerequisite for this course.

This semester long course will provide a Linsly student with an in depth look at the number one graphic design software, Adobe Photoshop. This program’s powerful features will be introduced with a focus on manipulating digital images, retouching photos, and even creating images from scratch. The course information will be delivered through demonstration as well as hands on learning, and knowledge of material will be demonstrated through in class assignments and comprehensive projects. There will not be a final exam for this course but instead students will complete a project based assessment or digital portfolio.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of computer science with an emphasis on basic programming. Using MIT's Scratch and the common high level language Python 2.7, students will study the nature of computing, algorithms, and practical coding. Skills in problem solving and design will be sharpened by repeated application of the programming languages studied to computational challenges. Through the creation of several projects throughout the course, students will demonstrate their developing coding abilities.

This semester long course provides a creative hands on learning experience for participants. Students scout for stories, prepare interview questions, conduct interviews, write scripts, speak on camera, operate video cameras and microphones and make production decisions. The course covers the technical aspects of broadcasting, as well, with students learning a range of software including Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premiere Pro. There will not be a final exam for this course but instead students will complete a project based assessment or digital portfolio.