The Programming & Web Development’s curriculum consists of programming fundamentals taught through the AP Computer Science Principles course in Python, algorithm-based thinking taught through the AP Computer Science A course in Java, and a variety of projects incorporating visual programming and game development, virtual reality, mobile robotic platforms, humanoid robotics, and professional applications. Students are also prepared to enter the field as a front-end and back-end web developer having been trained in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, various dynamic web development frameworks, and relational databases all using both Windows-based and Linux-based operating systems.
The Programming and Web Development exploratory program is designed to provide the students with an overview of the topics that will be covered if they select Programming and Web Development as their career choice. The one-week curriculum focuses on four topics, web development, console-based programming using Python, visual programming using a graphical library in Python, and finally robotics using the NAO humanoid robots.
The Programming and Web Development freshman program is an introduction to computer science, programming, and web development. Computer science concepts such as the history of computer science, number conversions, and an introduction to the internet will be taught during the freshman year. The programming concepts will be taught using the Python programming language. Students will be trained in developing both business applications and in game development, as well as the design and testing of these applications. Students will learn basic programming concepts including identifying and using data types, implementing control structures, and creation of procedures. Web development will be introduced using HTML5 and CSS3. It will focus on implementing basic HTML structure, formatting elements using CSS, and page layout. Students will be introduced to humanoid robotics using the NAO robots and Python SDK.
The Programming and Web Development sophomore program centers around the basics of computers science and programming, current web development and design practices, and the seven big ideas incorporated in the AP Computer Science Principles exam. The programming concepts will be taught using the Python programming language. The students will focus on development of algorithms and the use of abstraction throughout their programs. Students will be introduced to object-oriented concepts in Python. The web development concepts will be taught using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript during the sophomore year. Building on the basic concept learned in freshman year, students will create websites with more complex layouts and menus. By the end of the year, students will incorporate JavaScript into their websites and make them more interactive. The AP Computer Science Principles course incorporated into this course focuses on creativity, abstraction, data and information, algorithms, programming, the internet, and global impact. While some of these ideas will be incorporated into the programming portion of the class, others will be addressed during the computer science portion of the class. Students will also practice and complete the Explore task and the Create task portions of the exam during the shop time. Students will continue with the programming of the NAO robots using the Python SDK.
Students learn advanced programming concepts in Java throughout the AP Computer Science A course. The curriculum includes, but is not limited to, decision making concepts, looping structures, one and two-dimensional arrays, lists, object-oriented programming, inheritance, abstract classes, interfaces, recursion. Students will be introduced to various SDKs for the humanoid robots as well as the Arduino environment for various robot platforms. Students will also be introduced to dynamic web development with Ruby on Rails and MySQL along with an introduction to game development. Students will also have the opportunity to begin working on live projects for the school and outside non-profit organizations.
Students will spend a lot of time working on live projects along with the senior year curriculum. Students will learn and participate in the full software development lifecycle through a variety of group and individual projects. Students will continue working with various robotic projects including humanoid robots and various autonomous platforms and will further their understanding of using common algorithms to solve problems. Students will create project plans and estimate time and resource requirements. They will learn how to present a plan and manage it on a go forward basis. Students will be taught how to develop the documentation portion of an application development project. They will learn the methodologies of both the technical and user parts of an application.
