Course Description:  This introductory course in computer science is aimed at preparing students in the foundational skills of computer science. It will prepare students to be take future courses in computer science, and will more broadly prepare students to be good digital citizens in a 21^st century technology-driven global economy. Topics will be explored based on student interest and personal goals in the class, but will broadly include three overarching areas: introduction to computing and developing HTML/CSS, an introduction to block-based programming languages, and an introduction to object-oriented programming through Python. Students will spend a considerable amount of time engaging in hands-on self-directed project based learning and will be expected to take responsibility for maximizing their success and learning throughout the course.

My Personal Goals: Here are a few things I want us to achieve this year.

• Have a foundational knowledge of computer science to operate in a computer-driven world.
• Be prepared to continue on in computer programming experiences in the future.
• To have fun exploring topics in computer science (the study of computational thinking).
• Share our experiences, knowledge, and interest with the rest of Ardsley.