Hi - I’m Chris

Overview

2008(?) - I took AP Computer Science A

• I just took it for the AP credit
• I had no programming experience before this
• I loved it!

2009 : Started my CS Major at UVA

• I loved UVA

2010 : First internship - Java

2012 : Second internship - Databases at NASA

2013 : Graduated UVA, started my first job

2013 : My actual first job

2021 : Masters Degree - Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech

2022 : Started teaching at Wakefield

2024 : Today

I’m still learning

Classes I took this summer:

• Philosophy and Foundations of Education
• Risk Management for STEM classrooms
• Academic Literacy for STEM classrooms
• Assessments of and for Learning
• Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms
• Approximation and Linear Programming
• Advanced Data Structures and Quantum Algorithms

Course Descriptions

• Course descriptions in this presentation are informal
• For formal course descriptions, see the APS Program of Studies

Course Flow Chart

• Yellow boxes indicate which classes are avaiable at which schools
• Solid arrows indicate recommended course order
• Dotted arrows indicate other possible paths

Overview

• The next slide contains a flow chart
• Note - to get out of this flow chart, click on the arrow buttons at the bottom-right of the screen
• You can use the keyboard arrow keys for the rest of the presentation

Computer Programming - Overview

• Introduction
• Python
• Assume you have never studied computer programming
• Must have already finished Algebra 1 with a C or better
• End of course test: PCEP Certification

Computer Programming - Units

Computer Programming Advanced

• Second level class
• Must have already finished Programming with a C or better
• I’ll assume you’re already comfortable with Python
• You should know variables, input/output, arithmetic, functions, loops, if/else statements
• End of course test: PCAP Certification

Computer Programming Advanced - Units

AP Computer Science A

• Must have already finished Programming with a B or better
• New Language! Java
• Intense programming class
• End of course test: AP Computer Science A Exam

AP Computer Science A - Units

AP Computer Science Principles

• Intro-level class
• No pre-requisites. But talk to me if you haven’t taken Algebra 1
• More well-rounded than CS A:
  • Some Python programming
  • Focuses on how computers work
• End of course test: AP Computer Science Principles Exam

APCSP - Units

Course Summary

• Gives credit for these two classes at Virginia Community Colleges:
  • ITD 110: Web Page Design I
  • ITD 210: Web Page Design II

Course Summary

• Gives credit for these two classes at Virginia Community Colleges:
  • ITD 256: Advanced Database Management
  • ITP 225: Web Scripting Languages

Course Summary

• Gives credit for this class at Virginia Community Colleges:
  • CSC 221: Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming

Course Summary

• Gives credit for these two classes at Virginia Community Colleges:
  • CSC 222: Object-Oriented Programming
  • CSC 208: Introduction to Discrete Structures

Course Summary

• Gives credit for these two classes at Virginia Community Colleges:
  • CSC 215: Computer Systems
  • CSC 223: Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms

Georgetown University Research Study

• Your students have an opportunity to participate in a research study
• Creativity in STEM

The Study

• Two FNIRS scans - beginning and end of the year
• At Wakefield High School
• Compensation! $20/session

Things I believe

• Computer programming is super fun!
• The world needs more computer programmers
  • You don’t have to become a computer programmer - Everyone would benefit from understanding computer programming
• EVERYONE can be good at computer programming
  • You don’t need to be great at math, science, or any other subject to be a great computer programmer
• EVERYONE can succeed in this class
  • And if you succeed in this class, you will become a good computer programmer
• If you don’t understand something in this class, it’s probably my fault, not yours

My Goals

1. Safety
2. Teach Computer Programming
3. Teach Workplace Skills
4. Have Fun!
5. Assign Grades and Assess Competencies

Workplace Readiness

A requirement of this course

We’ll talk about jobs, learn how to make resumes, etc

Practice professional communication (I’m not your “bruh”)

Put your phones away

• Computers and headphones too
• During instruction, I have no patience for this
• You’re welcome to listen to music during independent work

Leaving class

• You’re trapped during the first/last 10 minutes

Let me know if you need help!

I try to talk one-on-one with every student every day

First - what does a grade mean?

“An inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite material”

• Paul Dressel (1983)

Formative vs Summative

• Formative: assessment for learning
  • eg. most classwork, warmups, exit tickets
• Summative: assessment of learning
  • eg. tests, projects

Pop quiz - formative or summative?

• This pop quiz
• A warmup quiz
• A daily classwork coding assignment
• An end-of-unit multiple choice test
• A 2-week project

Grades in my class are 100% Summative!

• I will give you feedback (and sometimes grades) on formative assignments
• Only tests and projects count towards your grade
• I will make it clear when you’re working on a summative assignment

Retakes - NEW THIS YEAR

• Every teacher is required to allow retakes on every summative assignment
• Each teacher can set their own rules for exactly how this works
• In my class, you’ll need to complete all formative work before the retake

Points system

• I’ll weight different assignments differently
• I’ll explain more about this as the year goes on

Tons of resources

• I don’t like to reinvent things, so we’ll use a lot of these resources
• But I also don’t have a single website I love, so we’ll bounce around a lot

AI - Rule in my class

• I think it’s a great thing, and an important skill for you to learn
• We’ll have a lot of fun with AI this year
• Unless I say so, do not use it on any assignments
• If you claim AI-generated work as your own, I will catch it and I will write a referral
  • Same rule for youtube videos, quillbot, course hero, chegg, etc.

Here’s some food for thought

Contact Me

• christopher.jones@apsva.us
• ParentSquare
• Encourage your student to send me a Canvas Message