I don't know if anyone here will be able to answer my question but, by the end of grade ten what should a Computer Science student know about computers and programming languages? Like what kind of keywords, commands, operators etc. By the end of that year would should a student have a good grasp about computers?
I'm in the Simcoe County District School Board. I'm just curious because it seems that in my class we're moving at a pretty slow pace.
I think you should know about computers before you select a computer science course for your course selections.
I believe it is up to the school board to decide what you should know by the end of the semester. It is up to you to decide what you want to know by the end of the semester.
Keep in mind that anything you can learn in school you can find online. So if they are moving too slow for you, it doesn't hurt to google things you want to learn about.
As for what you should know, my understanding is that universities want you to be good at math but don't expect you to know how to code much. But it never hurts to know more than that.
Yeah I know I can look up stuff on the Internet, and I have...a lot of times, but I was just curious. I have gone WAY beyond what I learn in my classes. I was able to learn some of Java, learn LUA, and learn many new things about Turing.
I was just curious as I have already gone through an introductory course and through half of my 11th grade class I have been learning the same material I learned in grade ten.
that is usually how schools run. personally i learned a lot from the people on this forum and through online resources. the most i probably learned was when i did computer competitions online. the reason is they might require a skill that you might not know yet and then you learn it. so it kinda forces you to learn it.
the reason is they might require a skill that you might not know yet and then you learn it. so it kinda forces you to learn it.
Better word would be an algorithm? At least that's what it's like for me. Competitions keep forcing me to learn new algorithms.
Bobrobyn
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:03 am Post subject: RE:Computer knowledge!!
What I think would be great to learn is how to actually open up a computer and know what's inside it, so if you had to plug a video card in, you could...or if you wanted to replace the harddrive, RAM, or something else, you could. That's something that many compsci students, in university, don't even know about The insides of a computer can scare some compsci people, hehe.
As for compsci stuff? Well, anything you want, really. The highschool classes are more of an introduction...and easy credit...to compsci. If you want to learn more, go ahead. Not? Well, that's okay too. You can always take another compsci course. Just know that unless you have a great compsci program at your school, it's probably going to be pretty slow, sadly.
You have to look at it objectively. Computer Science isn't really as wide spread to people as other sciences(Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and even Earth Science). As a consequence, not many people enroll in it. The people who do enroll are looking for an easy credit(possibly technology credit, if it is a requirement to graduate). Now, not everyone is born with the gifts of a sharp learning ability, a logical mind, or great clerical perception. These three characteristics are the three pillars, you can learn the language, figure out the problem, and spot the errors in code. If you don't have these, Computer Science will be very bad to you, and you will likely struggle. If the course is made harder for the upper 10% of a class, the course will become even less popular. Resulting in it not being offered at all due to lack of interest.
Then the question gets posed, is it better to have a slow paced Computer Science class, or no Computer Science class at all? With these slower classes, it may drag people in, and in time, the courses might become popular enough to offer an advanced course or similar for higher graded students.
You have to look at it objectively. Computer Science isn't really as wide spread to people as other sciences(Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and even Earth Science). As a consequence, not many people enroll in it. The people who do enroll are looking for an easy credit(possibly technology credit, if it is a requirement to graduate). Now, not everyone is born with the gifts of a sharp learning ability, a logical mind, or great clerical perception. These three characteristics are the three pillars, you can learn the language, figure out the problem, and spot the errors in code. If you don't have these, Computer Science will be very bad to you, and you will likely struggle. If the course is made harder for the upper 10% of a class, the course will become even less popular. Resulting in it not being offered at all due to lack of interest.
Then the question gets posed, is it better to have a slow paced Computer Science class, or no Computer Science class at all? With these slower classes, it may drag people in, and in time, the courses might become popular enough to offer an advanced course or similar for higher graded students.
That's an interesting way of looking at it. I guess I'd agree that a slow compsci class is better than none. Especially since it introduces students to computer science that probably wouldn't have thought about it before (like I was, as an example). The only problem I can see is students thinking it's "too easy" and not wanting to continue, or students might get the impression that computer science really is "that easy" and want to continue on in it. I guess the best way to go is for teachers to use the class to motivate students to learn outside of class, or even allow advanced students to work ahead.
My brother is taking the grade 11 computer science course, and they're just getting to for-loops in Java about now. Four months into the semester. That's crazy slow.
Edit: I just noticed: My post count is currently the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
who says computer science is less popular than math and physics? considering we are in the middle of the IT revolution, it is definitely one of the most popular majors in most schools, definitely more than math and physics. (its comparable to engineering/business)
I'm talking high school, which is the context of this discussion. Although Computer Science as a major is on a decline. Its statistics and its not really debatable.
Most people are aware of Physics and Mathematics, and have exposure to them in some degree. However, that can't be said about Computer Science. Sure, they are exposed to it, but they don't know it, nor really care. So, when offered a course in it, they are less likely to choose it than something they have some familiarity with.
I haven't actually been to any other school that offers computer science so I guess what I'm asking about wouldn't apply to every school.
I have noticed, however, that there have been a decrease of students in my class from grade 10 to 11 (about 30 students in grade 10 and the following year only about 12 students).
I kind of wish that my class would move faster, but what I have read above makes a lot of sense. I wish that by the time I graduate that I would know a good amount of two languages. At my school students don't even start to learn Java until grade twelve. I guess I kind of thought that because other courses that I take are really full and the teachers struggle to cover everything, I thought the computer science courses would do the same.
I don't know if anyone here will be able to answer my question but, by the end of grade ten what should a Computer Science student know about computers and programming languages? Like what kind of keywords, commands, operators etc. By the end of that year would should a student have a good grasp about computers?
I'm in the Simcoe County District School Board. I'm just curious because it seems that in my class we're moving at a pretty slow pace.
No they shouldn't unless a grade 10 course for computer science was offered before hand. I knew about programming and simple scripting because of the amount of 3d work I do and the scripts I write to compile models. I'm in grade 11 and I with out a doubt walked into that class knowing nothing about programming. However knowing about computers is a broad topic. What kind of knowledge are you talking about? There is knowing how to navigate your computer, fix it, find problems and know how to optimize how it runs. Language is something that I guarantee that no one can fully grasp in one semester with out additional research and help such as using these forums.
Well my school does offer a grade 10 course, but at the beginning of the grade 11 course we learned (re-learning) pretty much the same material as the grade 10 class.
In grade 10 we mostly focused on Turing, how programming languages work, some history on computers and it's languages, and we also briefly studied hardware. So I guess I mean how much could/should a student know about within the above topics.
What I was really looking for was what grade 11 students should know at the end of their grade 11 computer science course? But I see now that it would depend on the school itself. For a more specific school, I go to Twin Lakes SS in Orillia, Ontario, if that helps.
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At least that's what it's like for me. Competitions keep forcing me to learn new algorithms.
