INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Students use technology in their course work across the curriculum. They are exposed to a variety of computer hardware, peripheral devices, operating systems, generic software, subject-specific software, and internet applications. In the process, students gain confidence in their ability to master new systems and applications as the field of technology develops. This knowledge and understanding enables students to carry out research, create multimedia presentations, demonstrate concepts and ideas, and publish their work in the context of the curriculum. Students are also exposed to information management and its flow, analysis generation, and storage and retrieval on local and wide-area networks. Changes in hardware and software and new developments in instructional technology keep the program vital and under continual review. The focus is on the students’ development of critical thinking skills and problem-solving strategies. The goals are for students to be responsible, knowledgeable, and independent users of technologies, to work productively in a collaborative environment, and to develop students’ computer literacy through the study of programming.
CURRICULUM-BASED TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
Technological tools are integrated into course work across the disciplines. For example, in science and religious studies, students create multimedia presentations on an assigned topic which may incorporate graphics, text, sound, animation, and video; in mathematics, students use graphing calculators to illustrate linear relationships and other complex mathematical concepts and graphing software to illustrate and reinforce statistical concepts; in history, students follow current events in print and online resources and respond in class blogs and wikis. Students in classes utilizing the Moodle course management system participate in online discussion forums and contribute to community glossaries and wikis.
CLASS VIII: TECH LAB
Class VIII students meet weekly in the Fab Lab, our digital fabrication laboratory. They explore concepts in physical computing and programming using the Arduino and Processing platforms. With an emphasis on the design process and access to state of the art fabrication equipment, by the end of Class VIII, each student will have designed, built, and tested their own digital invention.
CLASS IX: COMPUTER SCIENCE
This course provides students with an introduction to the art and science of computer programming. It offers digital natives who utilize technological tools on a daily basis an understanding of how computers work. Studying how the code for websites and web apps is written, students are introduced to HTML (hypertext markup language), CSS (cascading style sheets), and JavaScript. Students develop a basic understanding of syntax and logic during the course of the year in order to lay the groundwork for more abstract programming languages. Students write basic, and where appropriate, more advanced programs to discover the relationship between programming and output.
CLASS XII ELECTIVE: INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING
This course provides an advanced introduction to computer programming in which students develop an understanding of the logic and syntax of programming languages, including variables, data structures, loops, subroutines, and file input-output. The students primarily use Ruby, a modern, programmer-friendly language that supports procedural and functional styles of programming while remaining fully object-oriented. While learning the syntax of Ruby, program design fundamentals, and the necessity of testing, students write small and then medium-sized programs involving text processing, data analysis, and network interaction. Students write some of their programs in small teams, so they will get exposure to team programming. Students also learn the basics of source code management using revision control. Assessment is based upon class work, homework assignments, regular quizzes, and tests. As a final project in the spring, each student designs and codes a larger program on her own, perhaps creating a computer address book, a database system for her music collection, a program to gather information about weather patterns, or one to scrape websites for tips about programs offered in the city.