Computer Science

PLTW- Computer Science Essentials / Introduction to Computer Science : 2955 : 40 Weeks : 1 Credit                                 
This course is designed to be the first computer science course for students who have never programmed before.  It is a fun, foundational course that helps prepare students for success in the PLTW Computer Science program.  In PLTW Computer Science Essentials, students will experience the major topics, big ideas, and computational thinking practices used by computing professionals to solve problems and create value for others. They will use a visual programming language and advance to text-based programming.  Throughout the course, students will have opportunities to apply computational thinking practices and collaborate just as computing professionals do to create products that address topics and problems important to them.  This is a hands-on course.  Students will work in teams to create solutions and problem-solve.  This course is only offered at Durgee Junior High
 

Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (PLTW) : 6433 : 40 Weeks : 1 Credit
Prerequisite: Algebra I Examination with an 80% average is suggested
Open doors in any career with computer science. AP Computer Science Principles is an introductory college-level computing course that introduces students to the breadth of the field of computer science using the Python programming language. Students learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs. They incorporate abstraction into programs and use data to discover new knowledge. Students also explain how computing innovations and computing systems—including the internet—work, explore their potential impacts, and contribute to a computing culture that is collaborative and ethical. This course is highly recommended for students interested in careers in computer science, engineering, or business. This course will require strong reading and logic/reasoning skills. All students enrolled in this course may take the Advanced Placement exam given in May. A fee will be charged for the AP exam.

Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science A (PLTW) : 6434 : 40 Weeks : 1 Credit
Prerequisite: Passed Computer Science Principles or C++
This course is the second course in the PLTW Computer Science Pathway. AP Computer Science A introduces students to computer science through programming. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. An emphasis is on object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language. This course prepares students for the College Board’s Advanced Placement CS-A test and aligns with CSTA Level 3C Standards. All students enrolled in this course may take the Advanced Placement exam given in May. A fee will be charged for the AP exam.

PLTW Cybersecurity:  6435: 40 Weeks : 1 Credit
Prerequisite: Previously taken at least one computer science class or C++
Cybersecurity introduces the tools and concepts of cybersecurity and encourages students to create solutions that allow people to share computing resources while protecting privacy. Nationally, computational resources are vulnerable and frequently attacked; in Cybersecurity, students solve problems by understanding and closing these vulnerabilities. This course raises students’ knowledge of and commitment to ethical computing behavior. It also aims to develop students’ skills as consumers, friends, citizens, and employees who can effectively contribute to communities with a dependable cyber-infrastructure that moves and processes information safely.

Webpage Design : 7582 : 20 weeks : 1/2 Credit
An exciting and interactive experience for anyone knowledgeable in the use of computers and the web. Html coding is used to develop interactive webpages. Activities will include tutorials, small assignments and putting a web page online with wix.
 
Program Design and Development (OCC CSC 110) : 6433 : 20 Weeks : 1/2 Credit
C++ is becoming the language of choice for introducing college students across the country to computer science and programming. This 1/2-unit course is an introductory course to computer programming using the C++ computer language. Topics to be covered include history of computers, computer architecture, variables and constants, math operations, decision making, if/else statements, loops, and functions. This course is highly recommended for students interested in careers in computer science, engineering, or business.