Welcome to Open House night with Mr. Minich
My teaching philosophy is....

to tap the students' enthusiasm & curiosity for computers & learning while teaching life-skills in problem-solving

Only a percentage of my current students will eventually use the Java, Visual Basic, or C++ computer languages in their job. In fact, those languages are virtually guaranteed to change in ten years.

But, students will be able to analyze problems, plan and create solutions, test and debug results, and generalize solutions. Some say that computer science is "calculus with a graphical interface." Computer science is based on the same logical foundations as mathematics.

They will improve their logic and analytical skills as well as their ability to effectively communicate about technology. Syntax is important for efficiency. But thinking skills and knowledge of programming processes that provide quick and accurate answers are more important than memorization.

Every student will become a self-confident, life-long learner able to master new, computer languages and technologies quickly and with agility.

  Opportunities for Wyo computer science students...
  • think critically and analyze problems in greater detail
  • become better listeners, communicators, & team collaborators
  • learn patience & tenacity
  • learn how to quickly learn new technology
  • learn to think like a computer & intuitively predict how a computer will respond
  • solve complex, open-ended problems
  • make innovative use of knowledge, information, & opportunities to create new services, processes, & products
  • take advantage of the great demand in the workforce for computer-related vocations
  • explore college majors that relate to computers & learn how computers tie into traditional majors like business, science, pre-med, communications, engineering, etc.
  • find a career that makes it exciting & rewarding to go to work each Monday morning
  • learn in-depth knowledge of how computers work (motherboard, RAM, chip, operating system issues, etc.)
  • earn AP credits for college

Our class web site at

              www.minich.com/education/wyo

includes lecture notes, online quizzes, practice tests, blogs, wikipedias, homework calendar, & much more.Follow this link to read our class rules & student responsibilities.

Course Sequence:

Visual Basic Programming -

9-12th graders may take this course. Highlights include using Visual Basic, an object-oriented, event-driven, professional-grade programming language to create a "Game Project". For two months, students design, code, debug, & document an actual computer game. Some projects are over 100 pages of code! Students learn how a computer "thinks" and its limitations. They hone their problem-solving skills, deductive reasoning, mental focus and stamina to become agile learners.

AP/Honors Computer Science - Java -

10-12th graders may take this course. This college-level course leads to the national 3-hour College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science A exam in early May. Wyomissing students always score well above the national average which is especially impressive since most students are only sophomores! See our past scores here. Good AP scores often lead to college credits eliminating the need to take introductory computer programming courses. This course entails a lot of independent study and work on a home computer. A rule of thumb is to figure on having 3 hours of out of class work to do for every hour spent in class. A student can only take the AP level course if he/she earned an A in Visual Basic.

Honors Computer Science - Software Design -

11 & 12th graders may take this course. It is equivalent to a second-semester computer science college course! Students do full-scale application development that includes creating smartphone apps. Very few schools in Pennsylvania offer a similar, advanced course.

  

Our software is free!

Visual Basic students
microsoft.com/express/vb

Java students
eclipse.org/downloads

Software Design students
eclipse.org/downloads

Gift ideas for all students:

In order for a student to be able to work on assignments at home and transfer files to school, he/she needs a USB flash drive. These can be purchased for as little as $6.

Gift ideas for AP Java students:

Each workbook is about $15 and can be ordered through a local bookstore or from Amazon.com. The Teukolsky & Litvin books are recommended!

 

Opportunities for students with computer science background:

  • Lots of opportunities for those with Visual Basic, Java, or C++ experience. Visit monster.com and search for "Visual Basic", "Java" to or "C++" to see for yourself.
  • Lots of opportunites to work for the federal government which has put an emphasis on hiring computer scientists for espionage, anti-terrorism, homeland security as well as traditional computer programming needs.
  • There are many excellent computer science-related majors to choose from small, large, local, and prestigious colleges and universities such as computer science, computer engineering, management information science (MIS), information technology (IT), computer information systems (CIS), and many others.
  • Computer science knowledge benefits students in many fields of study including engineering, business, medicine, law, teaching, and many others. In fact, majoring in another field but having a minor in computer science is very popular these days.
  • FEMALES - Computer science is
    ... especially important for solving today's social problems
    ... very creative
    ... team-oriented
    ... valued, respected, & flexible

Notes to parents:

  • I often give graded and ungraded optional worksheet and programming project assignments. Students who are committed to doing their best in this class should do these assignments. Often, exercises on these assignments appear on quizzes and tests.
  • Students really need to do a lot of hands-on programming outside of class. Please encourage your child to use the software at home.