Grier School

Computer Science & Applications

Grier's Computer Science & Applications department offers classes appropriate for a variety of student ability and grade levels, including an elecitve semester course on 3D printing, an introduction to programming, and an AP level class for the most advanced students.

Whether students want to bolster their confidence and competence with everyday applications, experiment with new technology, or become immersed in computer programming, Computer Science & Applications courses at Grier ensure students leave Grier prepared to navigate technology in college and beyond.

Courses

List of 10 items.

3D Design - Grades: 9-12

Techniques of three-dimensional (3-D) modeling utilizing appropriate software. This includes the creation and modification of 3-D geometric shapes, use of a variety of rendering techniques, and texture. Students will learn how to use a 3D printer to print some of their models.
Advanced 3D Design - Grades: 9-12

Students will continue their study of 3D modeling. This class primarily will use Sculptris.
AP Computer Science Principles - Grade: 11 or 12

AP Computer Science Principles will provide a broad overview of the field of computer science. This course teaches students programming while emphasizing problem solving and logic. Most projects are open-ended and students will be working on them either in pairs or by themselves. Students will be able to critically analyze computing innovations as well as create applications that express their interests. Units include: How the Internet Works, Digital Information, Algorithms and Programming, Big Data and Privacy, and Building Apps in JavaScript. Each student prepares two performance tasks to be submitted to the College Board and they are required to take the AP Course Exam. Prerequisites: Computer Science I.
Animated Graphics - Grades: 9-12

This course will introduce students to basic methods and practices in animation. Students will be using the industry standard animation and interactivity tool Adobe Animate CC (previously known as “Flash Professional”). Classes will consist of demonstration, viewing of related works, hands-on experimentation, and critique. Assignments will further the student’s exploration of animation approaches and techniques.
Computer Applications - Grades: 10-12

Students will expand their skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and OneNote. Students may also create projects using free Web tools.
Computer Programming - Grades: 10-12

The curriculum teaches the foundations of computer science and basic programming, with an emphasis on helping students develop logical thinking and problem solving skills. Languages covered will be Python and Javascript. This course is a prerequisite for Honors Computer Programming and AP Computer Science Principles.
Honors Computer Programming / Mobile Apps - Grade: 11 or 12

Students will design and build applications to run on their own smartphones and will use the latest tools and technologies available for mobile app development. Students will learn about the fundamentals of building mobile apps with React Native, mobile app structure, using the various components for user interaction, and the basics of custom functionality.
Robotics - Grades: 10-12

This course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing.
Robotics / Computer Applications - Grade: 8 or 9

This course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing. Students will also expand their skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and OneNote. Students may also create projects using free Web tools.
Web Design - Grades: 9-12

Students will examine the Internet’s history, development, and structure. Students design and create web pages. Students will insert text, images, create links, modify page properties, edit HTML code, insert tables, and create and animate rollovers. Students will learn how to use Photoshop to optimize images.

Female Teachers of STEM

Faculty

List of 1 members.

Carol Deremer

Director of Technology

Zai Focuses on Summer STEM
10/1/2019
Zai D. is another Grier student who shared with us her amazing summer experience. Zai spent the summer before her senior year at Grier visiting Grier alumna Cas C. (‘18) at the University of Chicago, before attending a program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, then another program in Washington D.C., and spent time researching with PhD students!

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Grier Junior is Computer Science and Engineering Young Scholar
9/17/2019
As Isabelle F. enters her Junior year at Grier, she is returning from six weeks researching as a Young Scholar in a Penn State University Lab where she worked 30 hours per week alongside a Computer Science and Engineering professor to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) that can identify plastic in images to raise awareness of the ubiquity of plastic and make sorting mixed recycling more efficient via automated systems.

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Grier Recognized With College Board Diversity Award
3/28/2019
Grier School has earned the first College Board AP^® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles. Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP Computer Science courses. Out of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, Grier is one of only 685 to accomplish this.
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Dancing Robots!
12/10/2018
Students in Mrs. Carol Deremer's Introduction to Computer Science class designed and built dancing robots. Over a course of nearly three weeks, students designed, constructed, and programmed the robots using Lego Mindstorm components and the Lego Mindstorming software.
Through this project, the students learned programming fundamentals that they will implement next semester as they begin coding. Enjoy watching the robots dance, spin, wobble, bounce, and sway!
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IT Corridor Expands Tech at Grier
10/3/2018
Recognizing the importance of STEM in preparing students for the future job market, Grier has developed an IT Corridor. The expansion of existing space includes a 3D printing lab, robotic engineering facility, and classrooms for teaching computer science courses, including AP Computer Science.
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Lab Days Enrich Learning During Marking Period One
9/28/2018
During the Marking Period 1 Lab Days, Science classes certainly made great use of the extended time by conducting chemistry labs, physics demonstrations, taking nature walks to identify trees and fungi, and releasing trout into a local stream. Students in Art classes enjoyed deeply focusing on their work during the prolonged studio session. Budding engineers in Robotics class set their first robots in motion in Grier’s newly renovated IT Corridor. Acting students used the time to practice stage make-up techniques. The variation in the daily schedule didn’t hinder students taking private voice and music lessons. Learning Skills teachers used the longer period as an opportunity to prepare their students for upcoming tests and projects, getting the students organized and teaching study techniques. These are just some examples of the many interesting and beneficial ways teachers opt to use their extended periods.
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Mary and Emily Win World Robotics Championship!
5/1/2018
Two Grier seniors just won the FIRST® Robotics World Championship in Detroit! The FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) is a prestigious and highly competitive program for high school students. Teams worldwide participate in building professional grade metal robots that are up to eight and a half feet tall, controlled by a laptop and joystick via WiFi, and constructed over the course of six weeks. Over 3,600 active teams from 27 countries around the world participate in the FRC.
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Shaping the Future of Design
3/29/2018
Students in Technology Director Ms. Carol Deremer’s Advanced 3D Design class create a variety of three-dimensional objects using different software and techniques to achieve the desired outcomes. This spring semester The Advanced 3D Design class is the natural follow-up to the fall semester’s introductory course.
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Robots Dance in Computer Science Class
12/11/2017
Students in Mrs. Carol Deremer's Introduction to Computer Science class designed and built dancing robots. Over a course of nearly three weeks, students designed, contructed, and programmed the robots using Lego Mindstorm components and the Lego Mindstorming software.
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A Room with a View: Recording Technology Class
11/8/2017
There is a very tiny room above the Grier School auditorium, visible only through an open archway overlooking the performance space. This room is known as the Crow’s Nest, and it is accessed through a suitably tiny door nestled beside a dormitory staircase. Not just anybody is allowed in the Crow’s Nest, but students in Recording Technology Class are among the few, privileged souls allowed entry.
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Robots Dance in Computer Science Class
12/9/2016
Students in Mrs. Carol Horner's Introduction to Computer Science class designed and built dancing robots. Over a course of nearly three weeks, students designed, contructed, and programmed the robots using Lego Mindstorm components and the Lego Mindstorming software.
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