COMPUTER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Coding 1 (½ Credit)
Robotics (1 Credit)
The Intro to Computer Science class is required of all freshmen at Xavier. It is a semester-long class. The topics covered include: effective search strategies, securing domains and hosting, FTP programs, publishing to the Web, HTML, CSS, basic algorithms, and programming in JavaScript. By the end of the course, students will have their own web-based content published online. They will be familiar with how to code websites from scratch and they will know the basics of object-oriented programming using JavaScript.
The Xavier Robotics curriculum combines skills in technology, math and science. Robotics allows students to think about solutions, try them out, and find out what works and what doesn’t. It allows students to share ideas, work in teams, and keep on improving their solution, continually trying new ideas. Students use their artistic and writing talents to bring their robots to life and to let others understand their robots. Students learn how to program their robots by learning the C programming language. Students will compete with one another in design and programming challenges. The year will culminate in an autonomous robotics tournament against other schools.
AP Computer Science (1 Credit) AP Computer Science is both a college-prep course for potential computer science majors and a foundation course for students planning to study in other technical fields such as engineering, physics and chemistry. The course emphasizes programming methodology, procedural abstraction, and indepth study of algorithms, data structures and data abstractions. This course is taught using the Java programming language along with program development environments. Instruction includes preparation for the AP Computer Science A Exam.
Advanced Computer Applications (1 Credit) This course is an introduction to the basic tenets of programming and software development. Emphasis is placed on gaining handson experience in programming for web platforms, as well as App development in C#. In the 1st semester, students will explore the App development process as it pertains to creating mobile apps for online websites. Each student will create a permanent onlinerepository of web apps that will be easily accessible from mobile devices. This repository will act as a student’s online portfolio, and will be used to showcase their programming skills when applying to colleges and universities. The 2nd semester will focus on App development for mobile platforms iOS/Android). Students will partner with local businesses, and develop an App for their chosen community partner. Microsoft’s Xamarin will be the development environment of choice, and Apps will be programmed making extensive use of the programming language C#.
Game Design with Unity (1 Credit) Game Design is an elective for juniors and seniors. It will build on students’ prior experience with coding. Students will learn programming in the C# language and use the Unity platform to design 2D and 3D games for Web and Mobile devices. Concepts range from game creation for Virtual Reality to publishing on the Google Play store.
Moviemaking and Editing with Premiere Pro (1 Credit) Moviemaking with Premiere Pro is a technology elective for juniors and seniors. Students will learn the basics of pre-production, production, and editing with Adobe Premiere Pro. The course will allow students to plan, shoot and edit their own short films and present them at the end of the year at the Xavier Film Festival.
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Architectural Design and 3D Modeling (1 Credit) This course teaches students how to use industry standard CAD tools to design and model structures and objects. The Rhinoceros 3D software will be used to support the course. Students will learn the fundamentals of how to model existing structures in Rhino and how to redesign those structures for future needs. Students will also learn how to build prototypes by 3D printing and assembling their designs. Students will ultimately use a storyboard and present their designs to the larger group.
