“The greatest thing about our computer science program compared to other schools’ is that it exists,” said Mr. David Feinberg, Academy’s head of our computer science courses.
According to Feinberg, most schools either don’t have a computer science program, or they only teach an introductory-level course. Our school’s program has the introduction, the AP level class, and even courses more advanced than that. The importance the school places on elective courses like computer science allows students to explore fields of study in a greater depth than at other schools.
CA’s program has been growing rapidly. When Mr. Feinberg was hired, the computer science program had only 40 students. Now, there are over 130 students involved in some type of computer science course. These numbers show huge increase in interest for computer science, which is both wonderful yet hard to accommodate.
Feinberg feels that there is a lot of value in computer science from an academic standpoint. He says, “A straight-line-to-calculus math curriculum misses important elements that computer science captures.” He also feels that computer science builds stronger students in general.
Fixing error-ridden code provides an opportunity for students to practice the scientific method. By working in a “safe place to be dumb,” students can make and fix mistakes free from judgement.
Unfortunately, it is hard for some students to find time in their schedule for computer science. Being an elective class, our schedule makes it difficult for students to take both computer science and a music or art class. Because of this, some students have to prioritize and choose the class they feel best fits their interest.
Academy’s CompSci. program is a wonderful way for students to explore a field which can help them in almost any other realm of study they encounter. By creating such an advanced program, the school has successfully diversified the classes available to the students. Although only an elective course, computer science is an important part of the Columbus Academy curriculum
