Students have been working hard on wrapping up their first quarter grades and completing midterms in both Computer Science Foundations 1 and Introduction to Programming.  Now it is time to move into a new unit!  Our new unit is called “Functions and Lists” and it is designed to introduce students to creating and using programming features that make their programs more interactive.  Students will be learning how to program in Scratch, Micro:Bit (robots), and Excel.

The big picture, pie in the sky objects for this unit are:

• Use lists to simplify solutions, generalizing computational problems instead of repeatedly using simple variables
• Justify the selection of specific control structures when tradeoffs involve implementation, readability, and program performance, and explain the benefits and drawbacks of choices made.
• Systematically design and develop programs for broad audiences by incorporating feedback from users.
• Design and develop computational artifacts working in team roles using collaborative tools.
• Develop guidelines that convey systematic troubleshooting strategies that others can use to identify and fix errors
• Evaluate the ways computing impacts personal, ethical, social, economic, and cultural practices
• Use tools and methods for collaboration on a project to increase the connectivity of people in different cultures and career fields

These objectives are based on National Computer Science standards that help lay a foundation for students who are interested in pursuing a Computer Science degree later in life.

All units have a similar structure in Mitchell High School’s Computer Science Program.  Students have unlimited chances to redo their work to get perfect scores.  Assignments are graded daily giving students feedback on why they lost points.  With that in mind student will know they are successful when they complete the following assignments with perfect scores:

• AP-FLQuestion fo the Day 10 pts Due 10/21
• Micro:Bit Variables CFU 2 pts Due 10/21
• Scratch Variables and Lists CFU 2 pts Due 10/21
• Micro:Bit Functions CFU 2 pts Due 10/21
• Documentation: Equations in Excel CFU 2 pts Due 10/21
• AP-FLMaking Sense of Learning 15 pts Due 10/28
• AP-FLPractice and Rehearse 8 pts Due 10/28
• AP-FLExtend and Apply 11 pts Due 10/28
• AP-FLQuiz 10 pts Due 10/28

All of these assignments and supporting notes can be found in Schoology.  Please help your students stay focused and on time.  Together we can build a bright future full of possibilities.

School District 11 is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in relation to disability, need for special education services (whether actual or perceived), race, creed, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religion, ancestry, age, genetic information, or protected activity. Any harassment/discrimination of students and/or staff, based on the protected areas, will not be tolerated and must be brought to the immediate attention of the D11 nondiscrimination compliance/grievance coordinator.

NONDISCRIMINATION COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR Katherine Ritchie Rapp, Equal Opportunity Programs and Ombudservices 711 East San Rafael Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2599
E-MAIL: [email protected] Phone: 520-2271, FAX: 520-2442