US Intro to Computer Science - Fall 2018
B4 | FCC-125 | Friends’ Central School
Michael Darfler
Office: Makerspace - FCC 126
Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday during Community Block
In this course, students explore and build confidence with creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, critical thinking, and digital citizenship through the lens of computer science. We will cover basic programming with JavaScript, the structure of the internet, and digital citizenship. All topics will emphasize computational thinking—the decomposition of complex problems into smaller, more manageable ones—as a primary approach to solving problems. Students will build creative confidence with technology and come to see programming as an expressive medium and computers as a tool for creativity. The course’s curriculum provides a balance of theory and application for those who are hoping to pursue technology-related fields and those who are not.
From ISTE Standards for Students
Each lesson has an associated comprehension check. These “quizzes” are meant to check you understanding of the materials as well as create a benchmark for me as the teacher to understand how well the content is being presented.
At the end of each lesson is a small assignment intended to help you solidify the content. These assignments are typically either a coding assignment or a written reflection.
At the end of each unit is a larger assessment meant to combine the concepts learned in that unit and to create connections into other fields of study. These assignments will typically have two parts, one written and one coding.
Class participation will be graded twice, once at mid semester and once at the end of the semester. Students are expected to be attentive, ask questions, contribute constructively to the class conversation, and help to build a strong community that supports exploration, risk taking, collaboration, and creative expression.
For coding and written assignments I will use the following single point rubric. Meeting the criteria for each element will result in a grade of a B. Commendations in the Advanced column will push the grade towards an A. Concerns will push the grade below. It is possible to have comments in both concerns and advanced.
Concerns | Criteria | Advanced |
Functionality The work achieves the goals presented in the assignment | ||
Grammar/Technique The work is well formatted, appropriately commented, and uses relevant variables. Your written work adheres to the conventions of written english. | ||
Style The work is well organized, thoughtful, and easy to understand. | ||
Creativity The work show clear indications that you have thought deeply and pushed beyond the perfunctory understanding |
A note regarding group work. When working with a group on a project it is assumed that each member will contribute to the end result to the best of their ability. To that end each member of the group will receive the same grade.
All of the content and assignments for the class will be posted on the course website http://fcs-cs.github.io/cs1-2018. All assignments should be submitted to Google Classroom unless otherwise noted. Assignments will be posted on cross listed on Google classroom and Veracross by 5:15 the day before they are due.
All work is due at the beginning of the class on the day of which the assignment is due. Late work will be accepted with the following penalties.
That said, my goal is to have you reach a level of mastery and satisfaction that you are proud of. If you are working diligently on an assignment and you would like an extension you must submit your work at or before the start of class in order to be considered for an extension. Your work must show clear signs of effort towards completion. Extensions will be granted on a case by case basis.