I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing summer. This summer went by too fast, but I guess it always seems that way. This summer I got to spend a lot of time with my husband and my two kids, Jack and Laura. We spent our time going to the zoo, the children's museum, going to the library and swimming. My family and I took a few days to drive down the coast in California and see a few of the sites. We were able to visit Disneyland, the LaBrea Tar Pits, and see a few beaches.
My goal is to keep you up to date with what's going on in the classroom through this blog. I teach several computer science courses and blog about the plan for the week for each. I have labeled each course in the blog, so please read the sections that pertain to you. Between the blog and our class schedule of events that will be posted on our BlackBoard class website, it is my hope that all students and parents will be informed about what's going on in the classroom.
Programming the Web 1
In this course, students will learn how to create and design web pages using HTML5 and CSS. This course, which is offered as a transcripted course through WCTC, allows students to simultaneously earn high school credit through Waukesha North and college credit through WCTC. The course is broken down into weekly lessons. Each week students will be introduced to a new web design technique. We will talk about the new concept in class and try out a sample together. Students will receive a programming assignment which consists of between 1 and 4 web sites for the week. Early in the semester, many of the assignments are presented as step-by-step tutorials from our class textbook. Students will also need to read an assigned portion of the textbook and take a weekly assessment. To start off the class, we will talk about different methods of web design. Students will look at existing web pages online and analyze the design.
App Development 1
This course is an introductory course to app development. In this course, we will develop apps for iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) using the Swift programming language. We will be using the computer program XCode in order to complete our work. Throughout the course of the semester, students will have the opportunity to complete several apps, including:
- Hello World (A basic intro app)
- Multiply (An app to get used to creating buttons and creating a response)
- Tip Calculator
- Word Play (A mad-lib style app)
- Tic-Tac-Toe or Rock, Paper, Scissors
We will start with the basics. During Friday's class, students will start with an "unplugged" activity and discover some basic ideas behind programming.
AP Computer Science Principles
This is the first year that this course will be offered at North, and the second year that the course is offered nationwide. Students who enroll in this course will have the opportunity to complete the AP Computer Science Principles exam and have the potential to earn college credit.
To start off the semester, we will begin by taking a look at the book "Blown to Bits". First, we will take a look at chapter one, which explores the explosion of the computer science field and the impact on day-to-day life. As the course progresses, students will have the opportunity to work with several different programming environments, including Scratch, MIT App Inventor, and Python.
All Students
I am really excited to get to work with you this year. I hope we are all able to learn a lot and have some fun along the way! If you have any questions as we move through the year, please don't hesitate to contact me. If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at kkamenar@waukesha.k12.wi.us. You can also follow me on Twitter: @MrsKamenar.
