Software Development

Software Development

Classroom Languages

Textbooks

Online Resources

  • AP Classroom This website has help me keep students on track to take the test. It is a good curriculum guide that is easy to follow along with exercises and quizzes.
    https://apclassroom.collegeboard.org/8/home
  • Repl.it
    • Repl.it – no need to really go into depth, but Repl.it has been a teaching tool that is free for educators. I have both AP and beginning students using this website. I love how the AP students are learning instantiating of different files an exception catching way before they are supposed to because of the environment that repl.it offers.
  • GitHub
  • http://runestone.academy – the course is called CS Awesome and has a teacher google site and list serv as well as summer PD available too
  • http://www.csawesome.org – This is the teacher site that has lots of resources to support Runestone (requires registering w Barb Erickson etc through Runestone) I’d be happy to do a run through or demo if interested –
  • https://openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english3e/ – This is the website I use for my CS class prior to AP. It is in Python and the exercises are easy and amazingly enough not all the answers are online.
  • https://programmingwithmosh.com/python/python-exercises-and-questions-for-beginners/ – great site with exercises that can be used either for assessment or beginning of class activities
  • https://www.practicepython.org/ – another online resource for quick fillers for the class curriculum.
  • https://www.crashwhite.com/apcompsci/materials/index.html – AP Computer science resources that can give any class structure that one may want. I do not use this step by step, but will use certain chunks of this curriculum.
  • Java Graphics suck. Less sucky is the Doodlepad.jar library that can be imported but needs a classpath added to the compiler steps; it’s a combination of AWT and swing without the FX tools. You can build simple graphics using geometric shapes and it runs pretty quickly. Takes a minute to configure for the IDE, but can also run from the command line http://www.doodlepad.org
  • Phidgets for education.. check it out think Arduino buttons and sensors for Java – we make a simple game controller with arcade style buttons .https://www.phidgets.com/education/
  • Code Combat This is a fun website (free modules and paid modules available).  This is for the beginner programmers, and I use it with Python.  Students need to move the image through the screen by coding simple lines.  This is a great “break” for the students from the daily programming lectures and exercises.  Super visual!  https://codecombat.com/teachers/classes
  • Geany IDE
    Repl.it seems slow to run Java sometimes – but Geany IDE (Geany.org) to be the perfect combination of simple editor and compiler in one – without a lot of training students how to use the software, and the lack of a lot of autocompletion forces students to learn the syntax.  One can add packages like phidgets and Doodlepad from custom build commands – available in the settings
    Students map a drive to Google Drive and eventually Github so they are backing everything up, and can access it at home.
  • CodingBat – Everyone has used it – but use the custom authoring tools and have students try to solve them – These are not easily Googled…lol. Better yet – once in a while – give students a paper version of a coding bat problem and put their name on it. Split the class in two teams – have students give their sheets to someone on the other team and they will type in and then notate the errors.  Use as a points system, etc. – not a grade or a quiz grade – and they will love it.