Honors Computer Science Discoveries Reviews

Love it!

This class was enjoyable and open to creativity, which I like very much because I'm creative. I was able to put myself in my projects. Ms. Lang is an excellent, helpful teacher who replies to emails almost immediately. She is super helpful when you get stuck. The TAs are also extremely helpful. I recommend this class to everybody who is willing to put in the effort to start coding. You will learn a lot! 

Great Course!

This is a really great introductory computer science class! I had never done coding before, and it was really interesting. I especially liked the coding webpages unit and the physical computing unit. I spent on average 4-6 hours a week on this class. The group projects were fun and also worked really well. Mrs Lang and the TA's were really helpful if I ever got stuck. I totally recommend this course!

Great Computer Science Class!

I really enjoyed taking Computer Science Discoveries with Mrs. Lang.  I had almost no background in coding or computer science when I started the class and I learned a lot this year. The assignments usually took around 4 hours each week (depending on how much debugging I had to do). When I would get stuck, Mrs. Lang always responded to my emails quickly. I could also ask for help in class and would receive the help I needed to move forward again. Mrs. Lang was always encouraging, positive, and energetic.  It was my favorite class this year and I definitely want to take more of her classes in the future!

Great class but need more time per week

I enjoyed Intro to Computer Science with Ms. Rebekah Lang very much and I learned a lot of practical information about coding. I specially enjoyed building my own website and using the circuit playground express. Ms. Lang is very personable, helpful and respectful of all students and she is flexible with due dates if you get sick. I got to make a lot of new friends and got to work on a team challenge. My only critique of the class is that the amount of time I spent on assignments each week was more than what was estimated in the course description. If you want to create amazing projects, you'll have to spend around 6-8 hours per week. What we learned in class made me interested in learning more about computer science and I'll be taking AP Computer Science Principles next year with Ms. Lang.

-Anonymous

Best Computer Science Class I Have Ever Taken

I took Mrs. Lang's Intro to Computer Science Class, and it was by far the most engaging and helpful computer science class I have ever taken. I have taken other computer science courses before, but they didn't really work great for me. However, this class was different. This class taught me so much about computer science, and I feel like a gained a lot of knowledge. The lessons were fun and interactive, and the projects were great too. Furthermore, the live meetings allowed me to interact with my classmates and to gain information about the work due that week. Overall, this class is great for kids who want to learn computer science.

A Fantastic Course!

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I usually put in about four to six hours a week, depending on whether or not I decided to complete challenges and go beyond the rubric requirements. I really liked that the homework load was similar from week to week so I didn't have to drastically alter my schedule each week to make up for two or three more hours of work than the week before.

I loved that I had the option to go beyond what was required when I found something particularly interesting, which was almost always the case!

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I enjoyed the final projects at the end of each unit because they took everything we had learned over the past few weeks and tied it all together, leaving us with projects that demonstrated everything we had learned. While it was sometimes intimidating, I loved starting out with a blank screen and ending up with a complete webpage, game, app, or innovation!

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

For sure! I came into this class with almost no previous work in computer science, aside from playing around on Khan Academy for a few weeks, so I was somewhat nervous coming into the class. However, I'm leaving confident in my ability to learn computer science and hoping to take AP Computer Science Principles next year with Mrs. Lang!

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes. I'm more of an independent learner, but I really appreciated that Mrs. Lang always had an area available to share code and ask for help from classmates. I really enjoyed seeing my peers' work and offering advice and help when I could.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Every student, regardless of prior computer science experience, will do well in this course! Mrs. Lang takes everything step by step and brings enthusiasm to every subject, which always rubbed off on me and got me excited for each new unit. I've had such a fabulous experience in this class, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun introduction to computer science that is sure to increase his/her interest in the subject!

Overall, I can't recommend this course enough! Mrs. Lang does an amazing job of taking what most students view as a daunting subject and making it accessible to all students. Mrs. Lang was always so understanding, something I particularly appreciated when I traveled or during the week leading up to my AP exam. She always responded to emails promptly and took time to leave comments on my projects.

This was a great class

I really enjoyed this class and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in computer science. We did a lot of different things, from making a simple 2D game, to coding a recommendation app. Mrs. Lang (the teacher) is amazing and I learned so much about coding and how to "Think of the user". over all I would rate this class a 10/10

Great class

I would say that during the first semester 1 to 2 hours per week but the second semester took 3 hours per week. I liked all of the assignments. Yes, this course made me very interested in computer science. I think that anyone that is able to work hard can do this class.

Great Introductary Course!

This course was my first introduction to computer science. I thought that it was a great course! I think that one of the best parts of it is that you can choose how deep you want to go. You can make simple projects or make them more complicated. I also enjoyed being able to make functional apps and games, that really worked. Mrs. Lang is also a really good teacher; taking the time to make sure we all understanded the topics. All in all, I thought that this was a really good course; I'm recommending it to others! 

Encourages Creativity!

Intro to Computer Science was probably my son's favorite class this past year. It was not as intense as core courses yet kept him thinking and problem-solving through fun projects. He has started off the summer by completing some creative coding projects and I think taking this class helped generate the confidence and creativity those self-initiated projects required. So glad he was able to take this course and receive such helpful feedback from Ms. Lang and his classmates so that he could grow in his coding abilities. He is planning to continue with AP Principles in the fall and we are both excited about it.

Great class!

I certainly learned quite a lot this year! We learned about coding in HTML & CSS, learned how to create sprites and code our own games, had the opportunity to create our own apps, and worked with an Adafruit Circuit Board! Mrs. Lang is always willing to help students with their coding, which is something I was very appreciative of this year! I also very enjoyed the live sessions that we had every Monday on Zoom! Mrs. Lang always ensured that our class would make the most of our time and that students got to collaborate ideas via Breakout Rooms on Zoom, where 2 to 3+ students can brainstorm ideas for projects, regular assignments, etc. This was also a great way to get to know your classmates as well! Regarding the time it usually took me to complete weekly assignments, on average, it took me about 6+ hours a week or longer if a project was due. Overall, this was a great class with a great teacher! :) 

Highly recommend this course to students with no prior coding experience!

I came into this course having never coded in my life, and now, thanks to Ms. Lang's fantastic teaching, I have a strong grasp on the basics of computer science. Ms. Lang is enthusiastic and always willing to help students who are having trouble. The live class meetings, though not required, are beneficial and a great place to ask questions and interact in real time with Ms. Lang and the other students. Overall, I highly recommend this course to both experienced coders and beginners! Now, on to the questions :) 

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

2-4 hours most weeks. On the weeks that we had projects due, I spent closer to 5-6 hours, but usually it was 2-4 hours. 

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

While I really enjoyed each unit/topic, I think our first unit - creating websites using HTML and CSS - will be the most valuable for me going forward since I don't intend to pursue a career in computer science and knowing how to make a website is a great skill for almost any field. The assignment that was the most fun was participating in the "Hour of Code" initiative. I taught my 8 year old sister the basics of coding in Game Lab, and she created her own version of the game Flappy Golf. It was a great experience to teach her what I had been learning about, and she really enjoyed making the game!

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely! I've always been hesitant to try coding because I had no idea what I was doing and it seemed overly complicated. But after taking this class, I find coding to be a accessible and a fun brain workout, and I will definitely work on some projects on my own over the summer :)

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Oh my goodness, yes :) Especially because I was very new to coding, there were many times when I needed help debugging. There were a couple of classmates I would reach out to for help, and they occasionally asked me to look over their code as well. Ms. Lang encourages class interaction in the live meetings by putting us into breakout rooms of 2-4 to work on upcoming homework, brainstorm ideas, test our work and projects, and help each other debug. 

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Coming from someone who had no experience with computer science/coding prior to this class, believe me when I say that ANYONE can take this class and come out of it with a strong understanding of the basics of computer science. Ms. Lang is an amazing teacher and her enthusiasm and cheerful attitude alone make this course a great experience. Code.org's curriculum is perfect for students of all skill levels - it explains each concept thoroughly and keeps the minimum requirement of each assignment very accessible to students who aren't as experienced, while leaving plenty of room for students with more coding background to make it as complex as they want. 

Excellent introductory CS course

Mrs. Lang is a superb teacher because she is patient and clearly explains the course concepts in class. She responds to e-mails and has helped me with difficult course work multiple times. Also, she isn't a strict grader, but she tells me clearly what I have done wrong. I usually did 4-5 hours of homework per week for the class, not including live lectures, although projects took me much more time. Although I am not interested in computer science, I found the website project interesting and valuable because not only did it allow me to write in HTML, but also to "teach" beginning French and to learn a crucial lesson about Internet privacy, which I will need in college and the work world. Another highlight of the course was the communication between students, especially the thought-provoking discussion about Internet safety and our personal communication after the Corona virus pandemic. It made us feel like a community, even though we're online. Finally, I would recommend this class to a student who is naturally meticulous, patient and creative, because computer science involves precision and repeated alterations to code. It is an excellent course for middle and high schoolers who are just beginning their journey, or who need at least one computer science credit. 

The intro to computer science course for those who have no coding experience, or for those who know some coding and want to enhance their coding skills.

In this class, students use code.org for all coding assignments throughout the year.

Students use code.org's web lab to create their own websites using HTML and CSS. The knowledge gained in this part of the class is a good start for students who want to be future web developers.

Students use code.org's game lab to create animations and to program games using Javascript. The knowledge gained in this part of the class is a good start for students looking to be animators or game developers.

Students use code.org's app lab to learn about user centered design, to develop apps, and to program using circuits. The knowledge gained in this part of the class is good for those interested in developing apps and programming with arduino or raspberry pi.

If you want to enhance your coding skills, or try something new, the intro to computer science class may a good class for you.

Review on Intro to CS 2020

     This is a great class for beginners who want to learn Computer Science. I had not done any coding on anything before this class. And at the end I learned how to make my own webpage, make a lot of video games, Apps, code in binary and ASCII, and code a

circuit board! I not only learned how to do all that, I also had a whole lot of fun! My favorite part of this class was making video games on Game Lab on code.org, because after I finished something, I was able to play my game! I made my own version of a lot of

games: PAC-man, Pong, Space Invaders, Angry Birds, Super Mario, and a lot more. I really loved code.org, and how it went along with me as I coded projects. I liked how it taught me one thing at a time, which made coding very easy to understand and enjoy. It

was about 30 minutes to 1 hour of homework each day, with one hour each week of the class. I highly recommend this class for kids who are interested in coding and want to enjoy doing it!

What a great class!

Despite having some experience in coding, I didn't really like it at all.  When I was informed that my parents had enrolled me in Ms Rebekah's intro to Computer Science course, you can imagine I was not thrilled. However, after taking this class, I can wholeheartedly say that I enjoy coding! Ms Rebekah's class is not only interactive, exciting, and enjoyable, but it's also SO beneficial. I spent about three to four hours coding each week and overall, the class was pretty easy but the challenging aspects are rewarding after overcoming them! I think I would definitely win the award for the student who pestered Ms Rebekah the most :) She's always there whenever anyone needs help! (especially when it's a silly mistake like an extra punctuation symbol ;) ) I would always look forward to the Monday morning live session because it was so fun and a great way to start off the week! Ms Rebekah is a great teacher, considering how patient she is, accomodating, understanding, and the way she connects with her students (which gets them excited about coding!) In the beginning of the last unit, I had some difficulties receiving my AdaFruit Circuit package and Ms Rebekah was a great help in loaning hers, so I could stay on track with the class curriculum and finish on time. I'm super grateful to have such a caring and accomodating teacher like Ms Rebekah. I would recommend this class to any coders who are beginners or entering the PAH academy for the first time, because it really prepares you for the classes you'll take later. Next year, I'll be taking AP Computer Science Principles with Ms Rebekah and I'm beyond excited to be her student for another schoolyear! It was truly an experience to have been part of such a wonderful class! 

Class Feedback

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

About 3-4 hours per week.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Although I enjoyed every part of the class, Unit 3's games and animations and Unit 6's hardware were my favorite parts of the class.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely! I was also learning Python this year, and a lot of the concepts I learned in this class were similar in Python. The only major difference between different programming languages is the syntax because all languages work in similar ways. For example, all languages have variables, but the way you define them is different from language to language.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes! Many of the assignments we did in class required you to give and receive feedback from classmates. This feedback helped me improve my code and find easier ways to do things.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I think that computer science, in general, is a great course for many different people. If you are more of a math and science person, computer science is great for you because you get to use math in computer science. But if you are more creative, you can come up with great ideas for things to code!