We will use the free and open tool, App Inventor for Android, to explore advanced topics in computer science.
You’ll build an app a week, exploring such advanced topics as gameplay over a network, encryption, and more.
At the end of the course, we’ll collectively decide on an app that we will build together. You will be able to build almost anything you can imagine!
Because computer science is not just about coding and building apps, we will also learn some of the fundamental principles of computer science. We'll explore the potential and the limitations of computing and coding. We'll learn how the Internet works and about the positive and negative aspects of computing in today's society.
For these broader computing concepts we will work within an emerging curricular framework -- the Computer Science Principles (CSP). The CSP framework is being developed by leading computer science educators from around the country under the auspices of the College Board and with funding support of the National Science Foundation.
In addition to programming and CSP, the course is project-based and emphasizes writing, communication, and creativity. Multiple-choice questions, in the style that students can expect to encounter on the AP exam, will also be a key component of this course.
