What's Going On? February 4th through February 8th

App Development 1

This week, we will take a look at how to store data in an app using variables and constants.  Variables can be extremely helpful in programming when we want to reference information later on or make some changes to it along the way.  One way to use a variable is for keeping track of a score in a game.  Every time a player earns a point, the score variable can be updated and displayed for the user to see.  After we finish our discussion on variables, students will work on our "Variables Challenge".  This is a formative assessment where students will be able to practice using variables within a larger-scale app.  Students will be encouraged to work together and troubleshoot along the way.  We will finish the week with a short variables formative quiz on BlackBoard. 


App Development 2

At the beginning of the week, students will finish up their intro app assignment "High-Low Guessing Game".  Once this review assignment is complete, we will dive into the official second-semester curriculum.  We will dive into the use of "dictionaries" to store data and how to write a class that can be used over and over in order to simplify our code. 

AP Computer Science

Students should have wrapped up our summative programming project #7 at the end of last week.  This week, we will focus on our second lab of the year: Pictures.  The AP Board suggests that students spend time working with three different labs in order to get some experience working with a large scale program.  Students will work with analyzing and writing methods for a 2D array in order to display and manipulate pictures.  

Programming the Web 1

We will start off this week by completing our 10 multiple choice questions from lesson 1 about some of the basic principles and roles involved in web design.  Students will also need to turn in their "reading guides" that we were working on during class on Friday.  Once we wrap up lesson 1, we will move into lesson 2 where we actually get to start making a web page.  For the first few lessons of the semester, students will work in a basic text editing program called "Text Edit".  This will allow students to become familiar with the basic structure that will be implemented in every web page we create throughout the course.  Students will learn how to include a title, paragraphs, and images on a web page.  Along with this week, students will need to read chapter 4 in our textbook and complete the accompanying reading guide.  Students will also have three web page assignments to complete in order to practice our new knowledge.  We will finish the week by completing our 10 multiple choice questions from lesson 2.

What's Going On? January 28th through February 1st

App Development 1

This week, we will continue our look at actions and outlets.  Students will practice connecting labels
and buttons to the code in order to make something happen.  Once we master this, we will move into working with ImageViews.  These will provide us with a way to display a picture in our app.  We will finish off the week by creating our "flashlight" app.



App Development 2

This week, students will work on our partner project "High-Low Guessing Game" in order to
familiarize us with some important aspects of programming in Swift.  Students will touch on actions, outlets, functions, and alerts while creating this app.






Programming the Web

This week, students will finish up lesson 1 where we are introduced to some basic layout ideas for school appropriate examples of different layouts, our lesson 1 reading guide, as well as our lesson 1 multiple choice review questions.
web design.  We will also wrap up our study of the different roles involved with creating a web site.  To be considered "on pace" for the class, students will need to finish "Project 1A" where we search the internet for



AP Computer Science A

This week, students will wrap up our programming project #7 on arrays and begin on lab: Pictures. 
This lab will give students the opportunity to work with someone else's code on a larger-scale project that involves manipulating images.


TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Register for the AP Computer Science A Exam

Students should also be aware that the registration portal to register for the AP exam is now open.  Students can register at http://www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/502389.  Students must register by January 28, 2019 to avoid any late fees.

For students who are already starting to plan ahead, you can see which colleges accept the AP Computer Science score.  Please check out https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies or http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/prep-for-college/credits/testing-ap-ib for more information about the type of credit that will be received for successfully completing the AP exam.

What's Going On? January 23rd through January 25th

Welcome to Second Semester!

We are now starting second semester, so that means that everyone is starting with a clean slate.  I am excited to meet some new students with our second semester classes starting this week.


This Week's Schedule


Students will not have school on Monday and Tuesday of this week.  Enjoy your time away and be
ready to start second semester well-rested!  This means that Wednesday through Friday will be "purple schedule" days.  We will start school at 7:35 each day and see every class with the exception of AE.  Since this is a new semester, please check your schedules in Infinite Campus to make sure that you are going to the correct classroom.  Please see your guidance counselor if you have any problems with your new schedule.


App Development 1

In this class, students will learn how to program for Apple devices using the Swift programming
language.  This week, we will take a look at the Storyboard of app creation and create a simple flashlight app.







Web 1

In this class, students will learn the basics of web page design using HTML and CSS.  This week, we will talk about the basics of web design.

AP Computer Science A

This week, we will continue with our study of unit 7 on Arrays and ArrayLists.  Students will have
the week to work on programming project 7.  Students who finish the project early can get a jump start on our second lab of the year, Pictures.




TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Register for the AP Computer Science A Exam

Students should also be aware that the registration portal to register for the AP exam is now open.  Students can register at http://www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/502389.  Students must register by January 28, 2019 to avoid any late fees.

For students who are already starting to plan ahead, you can see which colleges accept the AP Computer Science score.  Please check out https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies or http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/prep-for-college/credits/testing-ap-ib for more information about the type of credit that will be received for successfully completing the AP exam.

What's Going On? Exam Week!

Volunteer Opportunity!

A coding club is starting up at Prairie View and Rose Glen Elementary Schools and they are looking for student volunteers for the club.  Please let me know if you would like to volunteer!


App Development

This week, students will have work time to complete our two final summatives for the semester.  Students will first work on our "Rock, Paper, Scissors" end of unit app challenge where students will write an app to play the classic game against the computer.

Once this is complete, students will work on their Swift Technique investigation project.  For this summative, students can work alone or in small groups to learn about something new that can be implemented in an iPhone app.  In the past, students have investigated scroll view, embedding sound and video, MapKit, TableView, a timer, and more.  Students will also create a screencast video taking us through step by step how to implement their new technique.

All work that is to be considered as part of a student's semester grade must be turned in by the end of our exam period.  Students who need additional time to complete their work are encouraged to come in during our "review/conferencing" time that is available each morning of the exam week.

Programming the Web

Students will have the remainder of the week to work on our final project.  For this assignment, students will create a web site that includes four pages.  Throughout the four pages, students will highlight many of the techniques we have learned about.  Students will demonstrate their knowledge of HTML and CSS coding by creating and designing a website of their choosing.

Please remember that students who enrolled in the course with WCTC and earn a "C" or higher for the semester will earn college credit through WCTC.

All work that is to be considered as part of a student's semester grade must be turned in by the end of our exam period.  Students who need additional time to complete their work are encouraged to come in during our "review/conferencing" time that is available each morning of the exam week.

AP Computer Science


This week, we will spend Monday and Tuesday reviewing for our semester exam.  Students will have a multiple choice as well as a free response portion of the exam.  We will go through some practice problems and go over questions from our semester exam study guide.

Students should also make sure that the practice exercises and review exercises from unit 7 are turned in by the end of the day on Tuesday.  These items will be included in our first-semester grade calculation.  Students who need additional time to complete their work are encouraged to come in during our "review/conferencing" time that is available each morning of the exam week.

Registering for the AP Computer Science A Exam

Students should also be aware that the registration portal to register for the AP exam is now open.  Students can register at http://www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/502389.  Students must register by January 28, 2019 to avoid any late fees.

For students who are already starting to plan ahead, you can see which colleges accept the AP Computer Science score.  Please check out https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies or http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/prep-for-college/credits/testing-ap-ib for more information about the type of credit that will be received for successfully completing the AP exam.



January Exam Schedule

What's Going On? January 7th through January 11th

App Development

This week, students will have work time on our two final summatives for the semester.  Students will first work on our "Rock, Paper, Scissors" end of unit app challenge where students will write an app to play the classic game against the computer.

Once this is complete, students will work on their Swift Technique investigation project.  For this summative, students can work alone or in small groups to learn about something new that can be implemented in an iPhone app.  In the past, students have investigated scroll view, embedding sound and video, MapKit, TableView, a timer, and more.  Students will also create a screencast video taking us through step by step how to implement their new technique.

Programming the Web

Students will have the remainder of the semester to work on our final project.  For this assignment, students will create a web site that includes four pages.  Throughout the four pages, students will highlight many of the techniques we have learned about.  Students will demonstrate their knowledge of HTML and CSS coding by creating and designing a website of their choosing.

AP Computer Science


This week, students will continue dive into our seventh unit on Arrays and Array Lists.  This week, we will focus specifically on two-dimensional arrays and ArrayLists.   In order to keep students working with the material,  students should be analyzing the material while completing the guided notes template, completing our mini-review exercises (written), and our practice exercises (coding).

Registering for the AP Computer Science A Exam

Students should also be aware that the registration portal to register for the AP exam is now open.  Students can register at http://www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/502389.  Students must register by January 28, 2019 to avoid any late fees.

For students who are already starting to plan ahead, you can see which colleges accept the AP Computer Science score.  Please check out https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies or http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/prep-for-college/credits/testing-ap-ib for more information about the type of credit that will be received for successfully completing the AP exam.



January Exam Schedule

For those of you who like to plan ahead, here is our exam schedule for January.  We will talk in detail about the exam at the end of this week.