IT Fundamentals: A Freshmen Course in Exploring Computer Science (Information Technology Academy Flyer)

Exploring Computer Science is a year long course consisting of 6 units. It is open to 9th and 10th grade students who have already taken and been successful in Algebra 1. The course was developed around a framework of both computer science content and computational practice. Assignments and instruction are contextualized to be socially relevant and meaningful for diverse students. Units utilize a variety of tools/platforms, and culminate with final projects around the following topics:

1. Human Computer Interaction In this unit students are introduced to the concepts of computer and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
2. Problem Solving This unit provides students with opportunities to become “computational thinkers” by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
3. Web Design This section prepares students to take the role of a developer by expanding their knowledge of algorithms, abstraction, and web page design and applying it to the creation of web pages and documentation for users and equipment.
4. Programming Students are introduced to some basic issues associated with program design and development. Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch. Programming problems include mathematical and logical concepts and a variety of programming constructs.
5. Computing and Data Analysis In this unit students explore how computing has facilitated new methods of managing and interpreting data. Students will use computers to translate, process and visualize data in order to find patterns and test hypotheses.
6. Robotics This unit introduces robotics as an advanced application of computer science that can be used to solve problems in a variety of settings from business to healthcare and how robotics enables innovation by automating processes that may be dangerous or otherwise problematic for humans.