Questions tagged [ap-computer-science-a]
Questions related to the course AP Computer Science A taught with the Java programming language.
2
votes
0answers
48 views
Curriculum choice for AP Computer Science A
We are currently researching what curriculum to use/adapt for the 2019-2020 school year. It will be our first year offering AP CSA. The students taking the class will have had 3-7 years of computers ...
5
votes
5answers
314 views
What is a good teaching example/application for jagged arrays (2d arrays with irregular row lengths)?
We are teaching an AP CS class and the topic of 2d-arrays is coming up. There are plenty of cool and approachable sample applications for standard rectanglular arrays - matrix math, MIDI music, sudoku,...
3
votes
2answers
60 views
Advise on a class project
Me and my friend are both in high school taking a “PLTW” Engineering class, where our goal is to design a solution to any problem and work on that solution over the course of the year. We’re reaching ...
4
votes
2answers
154 views
Criteria for admission to AP CS courses in high school
The question is simple and direct here: what objective criteria are helpful* in admitting students to AP CS courses?
(By "helpful," I mean criteria that have some worth as indicator of future success ...
3
votes
2answers
196 views
Lab Requirement in AP CS A
The official course description for AP Computer Science A, a high-school level course focusing on OOP using Java, details a 20-hour lab requirement. College Board provides three labs ready-made for ...
5
votes
4answers
91 views
Use of jshell in AP CS A
I recently installed jshell in my IDE for use in demoing concepts in AP CS A. It came at just the right time as it was a powerful way to teach ArrayLists and its ...
6
votes
4answers
470 views
Using Oracle's Java Documentation as a Teaching Tool
I'm in the process of preparing for the second semester of AP CS A (Java). I want to review objects and classes with my students to prepare for our extended focus this semester on inheritance and ...
8
votes
3answers
217 views
What does a certification program for CS high school teachers need to include?
If a high school math or science teacher was going to begin teaching computer science, what do they need to know? I know of many teachers given this responsibility without any training for it. Since ...
5
votes
3answers
411 views
Framework choice for AP CS A students: Swing or JavaFX?
I attended an AP workshop this week to prepare for teaching AP CS A this coming school year. It gave me my first glimpse of Swing, which has now piqued my interest about including some GUI components ...
3
votes
3answers
92 views
Integrating Graph Theory into AP CS A
During our year-end exit interviews with our outgoing seniors, the students made an explicit request to include some graph theory within our curriculum. This seems like an excellent idea, but the ...
6
votes
3answers
199 views
Homework Policy for Advanced/Honors Students
Perusing Twitter just now, I saw this tweet from the @CSTeachingTips account, and it got me thinking about the general topic of homework as it applies to our discipline:
Downsize homework because, ...
4
votes
2answers
183 views
Most beneficial CodingBat problems for AP CS A FRQs
I love the CodingBat platform and plan to integrate it throughout my course next year. Yet, since it will be my first year with AP CS A and I have not yet had a chance to study past years' FRQs, I'm ...
7
votes
2answers
195 views
Final exam advice
I probably should have asked this last week since we just finished up finals today. But, there's always next year :)
How do you create a final exam that is a valid assessment of an entire year or ...
11
votes
7answers
170 views
How to illustrate scope problem when creating variables inside `if` statements in Java
One of the problems that my students will stumble upon every year is trying to create or initialize variables within an if/else ...
8
votes
3answers
162 views
Workflow for Code Submission
Next year will be my first year teaching AP CS A. While I've spent a lot of time preparing by choosing textbooks, picking an IDE, and writing the syllabus, I'm not yet settled on my workflow for how ...
7
votes
3answers
401 views
Command-line Java in AP CS A
Context: Over the past school year I spent a significant portion of my time preparing to teach AP CS A next year. From choosing textbooks to writing the College Board syllabus, I essentially started ...
7
votes
1answer
119 views
Designing rubrics for AP Computer Science-style free response questions
When I create questions in the style of the College Board's AP Computer Science Free Response Questions, I always attempt to create authentic rubrics that reflect how such questions would be graded. ...
8
votes
11answers
455 views
Objects Lab Before Inheritance and Polymorphism
I am finding it very difficult to create a lab for Objects in Java before we've involved Inheritance and Polymorphism. The problem, as I see it, is that Inheritance and Polymorphism are basically the ...
