Foxcroft’s Holistic Approach to Computer Science in the 21st Century

<h1>Foxcroft’s Holistic Approach to Computer Science in the 21st Century</h1>

By Bethany Stotler, Director of Communications and Marketing

Picture a quiet morning at home. You wake up to the scent of freshly brewed co ee, thanks to the impeccable timing of your co ee maker, sit down at your table and scroll through your phone. You launch the iRobot app and start your Roomba vacuum, watching as it deftly maneuvers around chair legs and other obstacles. As you exist in this technologically advanced world, do you ever find yourself thinking about the science behind the conveniences at our literal fingertips?

Alex Northrup and Sabrina Cai ’22 discuss a lesson during AP Computer Science A class.

Alex Northrup, Director of The Innovation Lab, History Department Chair, and AP Computer Science A teacher, hopes Foxcroft students will do exactly that. “I was thinking about the theoretical underpinnings of why we're teaching computer programming. It's a little bit like why we teach biology or chemistry or even physics… When you're in the real world, you're not likely to look at a table and think, ‘Oh, I know the molecules that are in that table,’ right? But you need to understand how that table was made and how it fits together in the physical world.”

“So much of our world today is digital,” he continued, “that I think it's important for students to get a basic understanding of what's behind all of these things that really are governing our lives. Once you realize that it's a system that you can influence and control, then if the system is not working the way that you want it to, you can go in and change it.”

<h2>Hands-On: Working with Robots</h2>

Xinyi Shen ’22 knows firsthand what it’s like to try and influence technology. Participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge, which pushes students to “think like engineers” as they use Javabased programming to “design, build, and code robots” for competitions against other teams, she and teammates Rebecca Cramer ’23, Emili Rossman ’24, and Helen Ventikos ’23 conceptualized, built, and programmed a robot — from the very basic functions (like turning 90 degrees) to the more complex.

“Our imagination is quite different from reality,” Xinyi offered. “It took the whole season for me to figure out where everything is on the back end of the program.” But she thinks the e ort is worth it. “After you know where everything is, you can make things work the way that you want because you understand how the whole program functions.”

By the end of the season, the team was experimenting with the addition of a robotic arm. They came up with a concept — first attempting to utilize the 3D printer and then the laser cutter in The Innovation Lab — before realizing the materials would not be strong enough. It’s all part of the learning experience, though; “Next year, we’ll figure it out.” The team clearly has the drive to do so; they took it upon themselves to apply for a grant e from Apple — and were awarded $1,500 to put towards their project.

Xinyi took Advanced Placement Computer Science A online during her junior year and AP Computer Science Principles as a senior. Her foray into computer science began with a summer program hosted by Harvard University, and may continue as she considers several different paths to pursue in college. While her direction is still to be decided, what compels her toward the computer science field is clear.

“I love problem-solving,” she shares. “I really enjoy the time I spend — a lot of time — solving one bug, and then all of a sudden, it works after several tries. Because of that time and what you invest into the problem, that makes the end results really satisfying.”

Xinyi Shen ’22

<h2>Engaging Teachers & Curriculum</h2>

Our students are taught by an invested faculty who are developing an engaging program. New faculty member Thanh Chau “Jade” Do teaches AP Computer Science Principles, which is designed to highlight the basic concepts of how programming works so students come out of the class with a solid foundation. Northrup is one of 25 teachers nationwide working with Code.org to pilot their curriculum for AP Computer Science A. Code.org is dedicated to “expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities” with a vision that “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry, or algebra.” Not only does Foxcroft have a faculty foot in the door with this important initiative, but two members of the Class of 2022 — Claire Ai and Sabrina Cai — sit on Code.org’s student advisory board.

Guided by the Code.org framework, the computer science courses at Foxcroft are taught with real-world applications in mind. Programming for good and social justice themes run throughout, with lesson scenarios often involving community events — be it a neighborhood gathering or an art exhibition — and the code needed to facilitate those. Elizabeth Stanley ’22 happened to be taking AP Computer Science A with Northrup while also taking his AP Human Geography course and carried her project focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals into both classes. When students are given the tools, encouragement, and a basic foundation, they become the architects of some pretty amazing things.

Alumna Betsy Altenburger '21 (right) took advantage of multiple computer science opportunities at Foxcroft before going on to study in that field at the University of Virginia. Here she works with classmate Hayden Eskew ’21 when they were students at Foxcroft.

<h2>Outstanding Outcomes</h2>

That foundation is designed to serve students well beyond graduation. Recent graduate Betsy Altenburger ’21 first took advantage of Foxcroft’s curriculum when she attended the “Jump Into Game Design” coding event as a middle schooler and her love for STEM only grew over her time here. In addition to taking the computer science courses o ered, she dove into C++, JavaScript, and Python programming languages during Wintermission sessions; spearheaded the introduction of CyberPatriot as a club o ering; and received an Inspired Learning Summer Grant to develop and share a series of lessons on internet safety, plagiarism, and the basics of coding for elementary and middle school kids through a website that she coded herself from scratch. Betsy graduated in 2021 as a STEM Concentration student focused on computer science, and now studies computer science at the University of Virginia.

“The support I received at Foxcroft was really what made me so sure I would major in computer science,” shares Betsy. “Once you get to college, it is so much harder to get that support. Coming into college, I had so much determination and passion for programming that there is no class or professor that could scare me away. I attribute that attitude to Foxcroft!”

Jade Do, here with Madi Williams '25, teaches students the basic concepts ofprogramming in AP Computer Science Principles.

<h2>Planning for the Future</h2>

Student interest is evident, and maintaining that engagement and excitement is key. “We are working on technology academic goal setting, part of which is to see where we're touching on certain technology concepts,” Northrup shares. “Programming is something that students should work on a number of times so they feel comfortable with it and so that they can, if they want to, go further — but also so they understand how things work behind the scenes as they live their lives in an increasingly digital and mediated world.”

“I think it’s important,” he o ers. “It’s the air that we breathe. It's understanding how the air works, right?”

Jade Do, here with Madi Williams '25, teaches students the basic concepts of programming in AP Computer Science Principles.

Alex Northrup and his AP Computer Science A students work through an assignment during class in The Innovation Lab.

You’re absolutely right, Northrup. It’s understanding the scientific magic happening in our physical world — the nitrogen, oxygen, a few other gasses, coding, networking, and artificial intelligence — that allows us to breathe, create, sip, swipe, live, and learn in the 21st century. •

Alex Northrup and his AP Computer Science A students work through an assignment during class in The Innovation Lab.