Online AP Computer Science A

AP Computer Science A is a course designed to give students an in-depth look into programming with Java. We begin by first learning what a String is and doing basic calculations in the computer. We soon introduce a variable which can keep track of and store information. Students soon develop the concepts of loops which help them deal with repetitive coding and procedures. Afterwards, students build more complex programs that can interact with one another (such a chat bot that response to user input, Account classes that can keep track of customer account information, games that require user input).

in the second semester, students develop the concept of the array which allows programmers to store a large amount of information in a format that is easy to organize, search, and retrieve. We also build programs from already existing ones, extending their capabilities while minimizing repetition of already written code. Lastly, students learn how to use recursion to repeat a complex process by using its most essential features.

In May, students take the AP exam in an attempt to earn college credit. The scores are 1 through 5 with a 3 or higher counting for a passing score. However, colleges vary in what they accept for credit so students should look at colleges of interest to determine what score they will need.

This class is currently online so students must be highly motivated to be successful in the course and comfortable with requesting time to meet with me regularly if necessary outside of normal school hours. As a result, students often learn more than about the deeper parts of the programming language than they might if they took an in class version since they must read the book thoroughly and try several concepts on their own.