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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3 |
In our high school, AP Computer Science is only offered for 11th and 12 grade students. Here are two other programming courses offered. Do they seem worthwhile? WEB DESIGN II/Dreamweaver
Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Photoshop are some of the web development tools that students will continue to learn and use while creating a professional looking web site. Students may work in teams, or independently, in developing advanced websites that utilize CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), understanding and implementing the proper underlying HTML coding as the essential elements in the web site design process. Students will develop a website that addresses a real-world need for a client, with client feedback as a component of the project evaluation process. Alternatively, students may elect to create a website that addresses a clearly articulated goal or purpose, incorporating the web design principles learned in class. The knowledge of professional web authoring tools and HTML coding is especially helpful for college studies and career paths in this area.
DEVELOPING MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR ANDROID DEVICES
How often have you had an idea for a mobile app but did not know where to start? In this course, students will learn the basics of mobile application development using App Inventor, Python, and Adobe Photoshop. Projects will focus on software architecture, interface layout, and multi-modular real-time user interaction. The course will teach students to build apps on the Android platform, from initial prototyping all the way up to deployment. This honors level course has a Web Design I requirement.
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,288 Likes: 14
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,288 Likes: 14 |
Impressions:
These courses both seem worthwhile and interesting.
The first one sounds more like vocational training, the second sounds more oriented toward a hobbyist or entrepreneur. The second course also sounds more rare... possibly something which is not yet widely offered at the high school level. I found it noteworthy that the second course was described as an honors course.
Questions:
Is the student considering one of these courses not yet in 11th/12th grade, therefore not yet eligible to take AP Computer Science?
What does Web Design I prereq entail? Has your child taken the prerequisite course? If not, might a student demonstrate sufficient knowledge from other sources, to be admitted to the course?
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 448
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 448 |
Worthwhile? Yes but I'd say they are very different kinds of programming so their usefulness to a particular kid will depend on what they want out of it.
The first one would be useful for kids that want to go into web design. It would also be useful for people that end up going the entrepreneurial route or working for tiny companies that do their own web pages (or who want to make changes to sites that they might have paid someone else to set up).
The second one would be more of a base for programming as well as learning how to code an app which itself is useful. Python is useful in a wide range of programming jobs (both hardware and software programmers often use python as a secondary language even though their main programming is done in something else). If taught properly it should introduce all of the basic programming structures (if/then, for loops, case, etc). Once you have that type of thinking down then picking up most other programming languages is mostly a matter of learning the new syntax (some caveats apply but having that base is key regardless of language). The mention of software architecture in the description is also promising. Designing stuff smartly from the start is where the fun/challenge is (IMHO anyway).
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,453
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,453 |
My first impression is that the latter class looks promising but the former looks dated. HTML5 is now more universally accepted over Flash. IDK, maybe the generic HTML label signifies 5.
The latter class would be tremendous especially if combined with an Arduino (or similar Open Source) board over radio (XBEE) or WIFI to monitor/remotely control stuff from a mobile device. Imagine not having to come into a lab just to check stuff, imagine continuous monitoring with thresholds set to inform you instead. The list goes on...
Exposing more people to the power of DIY and the ideas around being citizen scientists or just being geeky tinkerers is quite exciting.
Become what you are
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 128
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 128 |
My son would love to take the latter class but his local public does not really offer any computer coding classes including AP Computer Science.
Most of the summer courses I have found tend to be gaming or web design, not algorithmic programming which my son prefers. By the way, your child might be interested in USACO.org and they have a final competition of the season this coming weekend. My son did the last one and was promoted from Bronze to Silver. He liked the format of the competition.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,489
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,489 |
I personally wouldn't consider the 1st one a programming class. It's more of a Web Design"how to create web-site" rather than what I'd consider true programming. (I'm a purist who writes in C, C++, Java, Python). And I agree Flash is dated. Should be learning HTML5.
Second one could be interesting. I'm curious what platform it uses. Most programing for Android I know about using Java. But this probably uses a platform for using python instead. It says you need a Web Design I class. I would expect that would mean knowing some HTML, CSS, and Java Script.
Learning HTML, CSS and Java are all worthwhile pursuits and a good jumping point. This all depends on what your child is looking to build and/or do with these skills.
My son is in AP Comp Science and find it super easy. He has been teaching himself Python and other computer languages on the side.
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 313
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 313 |
We have the occasional sophomore in AP Comp Sci. The next class is called Advanced Comp Sci, and I understand that next year they are adding another class for the current Juniors in Adv Comp Sci to have something to move on to.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3 |
Thanks to everyone who replied. He will take the Android class instead of Web Design II.
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423 |
I'd have to ask what the goal is before commenting on whether they're worth wile. If the goal is actually learning more about computer programming, I'd suggest looking into community college classes that teach a version of C rather than either of the two described, though Python is currently quite popular.
The important thing with any education on software is learning how to learn software. As I've been told by many, it doesn't really matter which software you learn, it'll be useless in a year or two and everyone will have moved on to the next great thing. The important thing is learning how to think software so you know how to learn the next great thing.
My youngest son is studying Computer Engineering, he's told me that his exposure to Linux OS and "fiddling with it" along with the Information Security competitions his HS club was involved in probably what made his first year classes pretty easy in comparison to many of his classmates.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,641 Likes: 3 |
The important thing with any education on software is learning how to learn software. As I've been told by many, it doesn't really matter which software you learn, it'll be useless in a year or two and everyone will have moved on to the next great thing. It is good to experiment with newer programming languages, but over the years some of the languages or programs I have used are Excel with VBA, Fortran, C++, Python, and R, and none of them have become obsolete. (Not even Fortran if one considers modern versions of the language.)
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