Mr. Ryan Baber, the Computer Science Department Head, and Ms. Gaby Russomagno, the Director of Innovation, have worked hard developing new curriculum modifications, with the aspiration of inspiring students who have not experienced the world of computer science.
“I think we had no problem attracting students who kind of already know programming or already know they want to learn programming,” Mr. Baber said. “But students who might be a little more on the fence might want to dip a toe in, give it a try without making a huge commitment or 100% committing to programming.”
The course Advanced Topics in Computer Science will be the same despite the name change to AP Computer Science A and the requirement to take an AP exam at the conclusion of the year. The course will focus upon Python programming.
“The first new class is AP Computer Science A, which technically I taught this year under the name Advanced Topics in Computer Science,” said Mr. Baber.
One new course is Digital Business Development, a one-semester course designed to assist students in the process of building a digital business.
“This basically is a curriculum that allows students to turn their idea into a viable business pitch, and then we’ll identify the market for their idea,” Mr. Baber said. “Build a pitch deck, and maybe do some financial projections and even start to experiment with a little bit of marketing.”
The Digital Business Development course will partner with Germantown Academy alumni, Ben Grossman ’17, and his company, KANU. Mr. Baber will work to incorporate the platform into the curriculum.
Another newly added course will be Python Programming. This class will be the same as AP CompSci Principles, except it is a one-semester class.
Who’s the class for? “Students who are interested in maybe just learning some Python and only spending a semester in the class,” Mr. Baber said. “The hope for Python programming is that it’s a way for students who might want to try some programming without committing an entire year to it or for students who don’t have room in their schedule to do an entire year-long class.”
The Computer Science Program will have minimal changes for students with established interests in Computer Science, with the AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A courses remaining the same. The course changes are directed toward students who have not yet identified their interests and are seeking a temporary course to explore computer science as a potential interest.