LACES Computer Department
Among the courses offered are:
Middle school robotics and coding: Grades 6-8
Robotics and coding is an Introduction to Computer course that goes into fundamentals of basic programming, building, learning computer and internet structures, current Neutrality policies, 3D design and print, and an introduction to 2D game-design.
AP Principles: Grades 9, 10 and 11
The Computer Science Principles course is a concentrator course in Software Systems Development. The course aims to broaden participation in computer science and computing by introducing students to the main concepts of computer science, having them engage in computational thinking practices and learning how computing influences the world. The main goal of the CS Principles course is to provide students a foundation in computer science concepts and practices so that students learn to reason using computational thinking and critical thinking skills. This course will engage students in the problem-solving and creative aspects of the field by creating products that involve the computational process the same way real-world professionals do. By applying the content and skills emphasized in the course, namely, problem-solving, abstraction, the use of and analysis of data, algorithmic thinking, creativity, programming, the effects of the Internet, and global impacts of computing, students will engage in rigorous instruction in order to become active and informed citizens in a global and technologically-driven society.
AP Computer Science A: Grades 10, 11 and 12
AP Computer Science A is a second-year capstone college-level computer science course. Students cultivate their understanding of coding through analyzing, writing, and testing code as they explore concepts like modularity, variables, and control structures.
The AP Computer Science A framework is organized into 10 commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course, which includes; Programming introduction in Java, Working with Data, Advanced data and control flow, Arrays and lists, Object-Oriented programming, Inheritance and Polymorphism, Searching and Sorting, Recursion, AP test review, and Post-AP exam projects.