Technology

The Prep School Technology Department believes everyone should have a comfort and adeptness with the vital skills of the 21st century. These skills include coding, robotics, 3D printing, virtual reality, graphic design and an understanding of how technology fits into larger society.

The goal of the program is to develop in our students a “computational mindset." This mindset teaches them how to think creatively and algorithmically while also learning to abstract problems and use technology to collaborate and communicate. Students learn best through self-paced learning and freedom for creativity. Students are asked to be curious and expected to be responsibly engaged with technology and social media.

Course Offerings

Computer Science

Programming and Robotics

In our ever-changing world, robotics is becoming an essential skill. At CGPS students build and program their own robots to solve engineering puzzles and navigate obstacle courses. In doing so, they learn to map the iterative process from conceiving a solution to building it in the real world to testing its functionality. Programming and Robotics is a part of the 9th grade rotation and is a required class for all students.

Intro to Programming

Intro to Programming is a semester-long course that serves as an introduction to coding and computer programming languages. Students learn how to translate their ideas into a language that a computer can understand by building several types of programs including games such as Tic-Tac-Toe, Rock Paper Scissors and Crossy Road. Topics include Variables, Control Structures, Images, Game Design Concepts and Graphical User Interface design.

Object Oriented Programmming

Objected Oriented Programming is a semester-long course that continues the exploration of computer programing. In this class, students focus on “object-oriented programming” through the Java language. The topics covered in this course will build heavily on the skills learned in Intro to Programming, but the projects will be more theoretical in nature. Topics include loops, arrays, functions, classes and objects.

Mobile App Design

Mobile apps: We use them daily, but how much do you know about how they work? This course aims to teach the fundamental concepts of app development through Apple's Swift programming language, as well as the fundamentals of the design-thinking process. Students finish this course having developed a simple app to solve a problem. We iterate over skills learned from Computer Science I, but will introduce data structures, APIs, and how to utilize XCode to structure and design an app from scratch.

AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A

The AP Computer Science A course teaches students more about object-oriented programming, data structures, and algorithms while also preparing for the Spring AP CS A exam. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. Students will write all code in the Java programming language. This is a full year elective.

Advanced CS Projects

This advanced one semester, once-a-cycle independent study course is designed for students and student groups who wish to work collaboratively on a project of their choosing. Students form teams, learn about Agile development methodologies, the use of Github and version-control software to collaborate with others, and project-management tools and techniques. However, students primarily drive their own learning, with the instructor as a guide and mentor, rather than the primary teacher. Students set their own goals, track each member's contributions, report regularly to their peers and the instructor, and present their project at the end of the semester to their fellow students. Students have a specific project or goal in mind when registering for the course;.

Web Design I

Web Design II

Through projects and hands-on exercises, students learn advanced navigation and layout techniques with CSS and HTML. Projects are often individualized and designed to foster specific interests and skills. Emphasis is placed on designing websites that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Other topics include: responsive web design, Javascript, Bootstrap, Wordpress, FTP, Domain Name Registration and Web Hosting.

3D Printing and Modeling

Students learn how to make 3D models and bring their creations to life using a 3D printer to fabricate their designs in plastic. Through a series of tutorials and creative projects, students learn how to model anything they can imagine. By the end of the course, students are proficient with computer terminology and concepts relating specifically to digital designers. These courses encourage students to further explore 3D modeling and printing, gain more exposure in how to fabricate their designs in plastic and teaches more advanced modeling techniques.

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