Technology & Business

Courses for 2023-2024

INTRODUCTION TO INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES SEMESTER ONLY--REQUIRED FOR FRESHMEN

Introduction to Innovative Technologies develops students into Makers in a teacher-facilitated, independent learning environment. Makers develop products to solve individual, as well as, societal needs. Students will develop basic skills in this class including:

• Design: Parametric Mechanical Computer Aided Design (CAD)

• Electronics: Coding and Circuits

• Fabrication: 3D Printing, Laser Cutting/Etching, Woodworking, and Metal Forming.

With these skills, students will have the knowledge to create virtually anything. The activities in this class will stretch a student’s creativity while also improving their ability to solve problems and utilize new technology.

HONORS COMPUTER SCIENCE I ELECTIVE-SEMESTER I ONLY

Prerequisite: Just an interest in and proclivity toward computer science and programming

This introductory course is a precursor to either Honors Computer Science II or AP Computer Science. As such, it introduces program design, implementation, and analysis of Java language, as well as standard data structures and algorithms.

HONORS COMPUTER SCIENCE II ELECTIVE-SEMESTER II ONLY

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Science I

This course builds on the first course and moves at a slightly slower pace than the AP course, while also not holding students accountable to a high-stakes, national, standardized AP test. It builds on those initial topics that include program design, implementation, and analysis of Java language, as well as standard data structures and algorithms. Students will move in sight of the AP curriculum but will not see the rigor of it.

AP COMPUTER SCIENCE ELECTIVE-SEMESTER II ONLY

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Science I and Instructor recommendation

This course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Computer Science AB examination, through which students can obtain college credit. Topics covered will include program design, implementation, and analysis of Java language, as well as standard data structures and algorithms. Students will utilize the Grid World Case study, the case study utilized for the exam, to learn inheritance via object oriented data structures and interaction between those objects.

COMPUTER CODING ELECTIVE--ONE SEMESTER

Computer Coding is a semester elective open to all students with an interest in learning how to program, regardless of skill level or experience. Students will take advantage of a variety of online resources to work on various projects appropriate to their abilities and interests and their grades will be based on the satisfactory completion of those projects. Interested students should have the ability to self-motivate, work in small groups, feel comfortable learning largely from online resources and their peers, and be excited about the idea of making practical use of the knowledge and skills they develop as a means of demonstrating proficiency. There are no pre-requisites for Computer Coding and students of any grade level may enroll.

ADVANCED INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER

In this self-paced, independent study course, students submit a project proposal to the Innovation Commons staff which they they spend the semester working on in their own time down in the IC. Students can opt to use a FLEX period, or use the IC before school, at lunch, or after school. See Mr. Elinski or Mr. Mulloy for more information.

PRINCIPLES OF CONSUMER AND BUSINESS FINANCE ELECTIVE-ONE-SEMESTER

This elective course focuses on principles of finance, both in the world of the consumer and in the world of business. From learning about bank accounts, credit cards, car and home loans, and financing college tuition costs to learning about how business owners imagine and then finance their businesses, this course will be a nice introduction to the world of finance.

PROFILES OF VOCATION: INDUSTRY AND ENTREPRENEURIALISM ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER

This course will introduce students to a variety of industries and entrepreneurs in a unique, interactive format. Utilizing a model which brings guest presenters from various industries to class each week, this course gives students the opportunity to hear their career or entrepreneurial stories and then engage in dialogue with them, and then asks students to reflect on what they heard and how that may inform their own future paths, we will endeavor to help students begin to consider their own talents and interests, and how they may lead to a vocation or career path. This course meets period 6 each day.

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER JUNIORS AND SENIORS ONLY

This project-based elective focuses on examining current and considering new opportunities that the world of business and entrepreneurship can offer to make the world a better place. This is the most exciting time in human history to be alive. We will learn about exponential technologies as tools to be used by entrepreneurs to solve humanity's greatest challenges. This class is taught by an off-campus instructor & entrepreneur who is also a Brophy grad, and meets synchronously on campus on select days period 1 (not all days p. 1 meets), with asynchronous work otherwise assigned. Students will be assigned period 1, and the instructor will publish which days the class meets in-person once it begins.