Upper School

Upper School Technology

The primary goal of CSG’s technology department is to introduce students to current and emerging technologies and to help them develop the fluency necessary to be users of an ever changing list of devices, programs, and literacies. The department offers both technology courses and computer science courses. “Technology” courses focus on applications and what, how, when, and why, to use specific technologies for a specific problem. “Computer Science” courses focus on problem solving and understanding the properties of the hardware, software, and/or networking used in a given technology.

Technology Courses

REQUIRED: 1 SEMESTER COURSE

The required semester course, Technology Project, is taken in Form IX and is required of all new students in Forms X, XI, and XII

Course Offerings & Descriptions

Technology Project

Partial-credit, graded course
Required of all students in Form IX and new students in Forms X, XI, and XII
Prerequisites: none
Semester 1, ¼ credit
Summer Options: This course will also be offered during the first and second terms of CSG’s Summer Programs

Designed to build students' knowledge of the ever-changing hardware, software applications, and online research tools available to them at CSG. Students are introduced to new technologies and will explore ways in which these technologies can be utilized in their class work.

Fulfills the graduation requirement in Technology.

Social Activism through Computer Science

Open to any student in Forms IX, X, XI, XII
Prerequisites: none
Fall Semester, ½ credit

In this project-based semester, students learn Python programming and gain a basic understanding of variables, conditionals, and loops. They will use their knowledge of Python to create a program for the One Laptop Per Child XO computers. All projects will have an educational focus and all will be offered to the worldwide community as open source (i.e. free) and uploaded to the list of downloadable “activities” for the XO. This semester can be considered a prerequisite for AP Computer science for those students who wish to progress toward that goal.

This semester/course may be repeated.

Real World Technology to Shape an Ideal World

Open to any student in Forms IX, X, XI, XII
Prerequisites: none
Spring Semester, ½ credit

This semester will provide students with an introduction to the principles of computer science and its place in the modern world. Students will acquire a fundamental understanding of the operation of computers and computer networks while examining design, privacy, and social issues.

Advanced Placement Computer Science A

Offered online through Online School for Girls
Full-credit, graded course
Full year, 1 credit
Prerequisite: must have completed Algebra II and have taken a programming course or have programming experience
Open to students in Forms X, XI, and XII
A final graded assessment is required; taken during the academic day in April, it will count as a CSG final examination or a major portion of a student’s fourth quarter grade

This course introduces computer science concepts including basic program form, development of algorithms, data types, control structures, and object oriented design using the Java programming language. The course culminates with the AP Computer Science exam. The course should be of special interest to any student who wishes to study computer science at the college level. The instruction for this course occurs online and students are enrolled on a first-come, first served basis. CSG students who wish to take this course should enroll in the spring. Adding the course during the summer may not be an option as the class fills quickly and can have a large waiting list. Students will be required to report to the department chair once every six day rotation for a check-in.

One Laptop Per Child Learning Course

Full-year independent study course
Pass/Fail
Open to all students in Forms IX, X, XI, XII. However independent study courses are only available to students after the first semester of their freshman year
Course study options for both traveling and non-traveling students
Seniors are not eligible to travel since the trip occurs during Senior May Program
Prerequisites: none

The primary purpose of this course is technology through service. In this course, Upper School students share digital skills with underserved populations. Students acquire, deliver, and teach about the XO computer developed by the One Laptop Per Child initiative from MIT (http://one.laptop.org/). Students learn about the XO laptop, the open source software that it operates, how to network the computers with one another and with the Internet, and how to troubleshoot hardware and software. They each take apart (and put back together) a computer, develop a curriculum, research existing curricula and activities, and plan and prepare lessons for the delivery period. The culminating project is the trip during May Program. All hours spent in service while on the trip count toward the minimum number of service hours required for graduation. Non-traveling students develop curricula to be used worldwide by underserved populations.