COMPUTER SCIENCE

All students are required to take one computer course while at Staples.  Many students satisfy their graduation requirement during their freshman or sophomore year by taking Computer Problem Solving. Students interested in more advanced computer classes can satisfy this requirement by taking Desktop & World Wide Web Publishing, Multimedia For The Web & CD-Rom, or Computer Science A during any of their four years at Staples. Students may take more than one class in computers.

 

COMPUTER PROBLEM SOLVING  (433,434)                                                                                                                 1/2 credit

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Either semester

 

This course is designed specifically for high school students and the computer application needs of a Staples’ student. The course addresses two needs: the mastering of common applications including wording processing, graphics, and spreadsheets, and online communication. It also addresses needs very specific to high school students and the unique software used by Staples students and faculty. The course will begin with word processing with a focus on the production of term papers, resumes, journals, reports, and newspaper articles. Computer graphics is added to enhance these word processing documents with scanned text and graphics, on-line graphics, and original images created with both paint and draw software. Following graphics, students use spreadsheets to solve problems, generate graphs and model various changing conditions. Database software is next used to store and manipulate data obtained from CD-ROM’s and from remote databases. Lastly, students will explore telecommunications and Internet to communicate with others internationally and to search for information on the World Wide Web. Each student will create and post web pages for informative and instructional uses.

 

DESKTOP AND WORLD-WIDE WEB PUBLISHING  (435,436)                                                                                                   1/2 credit

                                                                                                                                                                                                   Either semester

 

This course is intended for students with more focused interests and the desire to design and create printed publications and on-line World Wide Web site development. Students wishing to participate in the Staples publications like Inklings, Soundings, QED or Stapleite are encouraged to take this course. The course begins with a review of basics in writing with a computer, scanned text, and graphics - the foundations of paint and draw software. Next, students will learn page layout software like PageMaker, and use two graphics packages, Adobe PhotoShop and Adobe Illustrator. During this part of the course, students will create newsletters, CD covers, business cards, letterheads, and actual pages of the high school newspaper and yearbook. The next course topic focuses on web site development using HTML, some DHTML and PHP. The emphasis in the component of the course is on-line design and layout. Students will create various on-line web site applications.

 

MULTIMEDIA FOR THE WEB & CD-ROM  (437,438)                                                                                                                    1/2 credit

                                                                                                                                                                                                   Either semester

 

Students intrigued by multimedia, and wishing to create interactive CD-ROM’s and on-line multimedia applications, will find this course extremely challenging and rewarding. Students begin with Macromedia Director, an extremely powerful development tool for creating interactive CD-ROM and web-based software. Students will study computer graphics using PhotoShop, QuickTime, and QuickTime VR technology. Next, students will learn digital audio and video editing using Adobe Premiere. Students can expect to create interactive, multimedia CD-ROM and dynamic web sites on various topics. A partial list of some this class’ projects include: “Famous Artists in Westport”, “A Multimedia Guide to Westport”, and “A Multimedia Anatomy of Staples High School

 

COMPUTER SCIENCE A  (440)                                                                                                                                                        1/2  credit

                                                                                                                                                                                               Second semester

 

Computer Science A is a one-semester course in C++ programming for students who are interested in expanding their knowledge of computer science. It emphasizes programming methodology and procedural abstraction. It also includes the study of algorithms, data structures, data abstraction and both linked structures (e.g., arrays and records) and non-linked structures. This course is built around a series of computer “problems” that can only be solved by original applications utilizing the computer language of C++.