Intro to Computer Science Syllabus

Phil Bowman

pbowman@acsamman.edu.jo

American Community School of Amman, Jordan

Welcome to Intro Computer Science!

We’ll be spending our time understanding computers better and learning to code. I hope you find it interesting, challenging, and fun. This is a subject I find fascinating, and that is increasingly valuable, considering how computing has become an integral part of nearly every aspect of modern life. Not only that, but an increasing number of careers require or can benefit from some understanding of coding.

Description (from the Program of Studies)

Coding and Computer Science is for everyone to enjoy, and this course is a great starting point to help you understand the digital world we live in and acquire coding skills for your future career, to find creative solutions to problems, or just for fun. The course is flexible and allows for a great deal of choice and opportunity to both solve problems and to create something original. Through self-paced units and in-class activities, you will gain a foundational understanding of Computer Science and have an opportunity to program in Python, JavaScript, or HTML/CSS, with other options available. You’ll think like a computer and a designer to hone the increasingly important skill of creative problem solving.

Content

In this course, we’ll use a variety of resources to learn to code in both markup languages (which display formatted text and media) and program languages (which solve problems) as well as cover some concepts around computing and computer science, including how computers work, transmit and store data, and practical intermediate computing skills like dealing with files and using the command line (terminal). The knowledge and skill you’ll gain in this class constitute the basics of web development and will set you up to continue into computer science classes like AP CSP and Software Development and/or provide the foundation to continue learning and making things on your own.

Methods

  • Work through self-paced tutorials & collaborate in code review and reflection activities
  • Confer with teacher and peers to debug programs or clarify concepts.
  • Gather feedback from potential end users to revise and refine work.
  • Understand the basic concepts of computer science (i.e., algorithms, abstractions, & data)
  • Learn and use programming languages to solve problems.

Classroom Expectations

  • Come to class early and prepared
  • Contribute your ideas to discussion; listen and respond to others; honor the ways we are all different.
  • Use your work time to make progress; avoid distractions that pull you from your project such as texting, idle chat, and work from other classes.
  • Your cell phone should be out of sight unless you are given permission to use it.
  • You may listen to music while you work, but show respect for your peers by using headphones.

Assignments & Assessment

  • In each unit, you’ll complete a series of tasks, followed by a project. Your overall grade for the unit will reflect all of the evidence you’ve provided, as described in the Grading Policy.
  • When working on a project, you’ll be expected to keep track of your progress throughout the process and submit a summary of recent progress in the form of a “Deliverable.”
  • You will receive feedback through, electronically submitted tasks (Google Classroom), and conferences with the teacher during work time.
  • All resources and instructions will be posted to Google Classroom.
  • Both process and product factor heavily into your grade.
  • All work you submit must be your own. This is covered in more detail in the Collaboration & Academic Honesty Policy.