Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 12:57     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any advantages to taking the computer science elective for high school credit in middle school? My kid wants to keep playing in the school band but at the same time seems to think he can do more advanced stuff in high school computer science if he does the A/B foundations class in 8th grade and drops band.

From my perspective he has 4 years of high school and can do computer science then, but am I missing something about pre-requisites or course load that makes it better to do in middle school?


Same convo I'm having with my kid. She really, really wants to do band, and I said it's her choice, but also that if she wants to keep doing band in HS each year (which she does), she will likely need to go to summer school for the tech credit (in addition to health). She says she's willing to do it.

She really isn't interested in technology/coding, and I can't imagine her doing the AP class, so she's planning to do the engineering class they offer in the summer before 9th.


My kids both took the foundations of tech class in person over the summer. If she has the time to complete it in person, it's a fun, collaborative, hands-on class with no homework. Both mine said it was like a camp. Maybe the engineering class will be similar if it's offered in person?


The engineering course had an in-person class last summer. Seems much better than doing it online. Told my kid that if he does band next year, then he needs to do in-person summer school.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 10:42     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:It’s an easy class but surprisingly difficult to do well on the exam.


+1 And it’s only an easy class depending on the teacher and background the kid may already have in computer science.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 10:39     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
If your son wants to take multiple computer science courses, it makes sense to start early, OP. Neither of my kids were interested, so they took AP Comp Sci Principles in 9th grade as their tech requirement.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 10:36     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any advantages to taking the computer science elective for high school credit in middle school? My kid wants to keep playing in the school band but at the same time seems to think he can do more advanced stuff in high school computer science if he does the A/B foundations class in 8th grade and drops band.

From my perspective he has 4 years of high school and can do computer science then, but am I missing something about pre-requisites or course load that makes it better to do in middle school?


Same convo I'm having with my kid. She really, really wants to do band, and I said it's her choice, but also that if she wants to keep doing band in HS each year (which she does), she will likely need to go to summer school for the tech credit (in addition to health). She says she's willing to do it.

She really isn't interested in technology/coding, and I can't imagine her doing the AP class, so she's planning to do the engineering class they offer in the summer before 9th.


My kids both took the foundations of tech class in person over the summer. If she has the time to complete it in person, it's a fun, collaborative, hands-on class with no homework. Both mine said it was like a camp. Maybe the engineering class will be similar if it's offered in person?
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 09:58     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Also almost nobody gives college credit for the fake AP CS class only the good one that uses Java.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 08:47     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
It’s an easy class but surprisingly difficult to do well on the exam.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2025 08:44     Subject: Re:Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There's some advantage to waiting and taking AP Computer Science Principles in HS for the tech credit, because it's an easy first AP class, with a weighted grade.


MCPS doesn't rank students, and colleges know it's a fake AP when they recalculate GPA, so no.


How on earth is AP CS that “easy”. The stats show that only 12% of kids get a 5.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 22:22     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Band if they enjoy it. And if they have any plans or interest to continue playing the instrument in HS band. If your cluster HS has a good music program, should prob stick to Band.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 22:07     Subject: Re:Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There's some advantage to waiting and taking AP Computer Science Principles in HS for the tech credit, because it's an easy first AP class, with a weighted grade.


MCPS doesn't rank students, and colleges know it's a fake AP when they recalculate GPA, so no.


It's a graduation requirement anyway, so why not?
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 22:06     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:Are there any advantages to taking the computer science elective for high school credit in middle school? My kid wants to keep playing in the school band but at the same time seems to think he can do more advanced stuff in high school computer science if he does the A/B foundations class in 8th grade and drops band.

From my perspective he has 4 years of high school and can do computer science then, but am I missing something about pre-requisites or course load that makes it better to do in middle school?


Same convo I'm having with my kid. She really, really wants to do band, and I said it's her choice, but also that if she wants to keep doing band in HS each year (which she does), she will likely need to go to summer school for the tech credit (in addition to health). She says she's willing to do it.

She really isn't interested in technology/coding, and I can't imagine her doing the AP class, so she's planning to do the engineering class they offer in the summer before 9th.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 22:03     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
You can take tech ed in a fake summer school class.
Don't give up an elective you love for a weak tech elective.

Foundations of CS is not a prereq for anything in high school.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 22:01     Subject: Re:Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:There's some advantage to waiting and taking AP Computer Science Principles in HS for the tech credit, because it's an easy first AP class, with a weighted grade.


MCPS doesn't rank students, and colleges know it's a fake AP when they recalculate GPA, so no.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 21:40     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Anonymous wrote:Are there any advantages to taking the computer science elective for high school credit in middle school? My kid wants to keep playing in the school band but at the same time seems to think he can do more advanced stuff in high school computer science if he does the A/B foundations class in 8th grade and drops band.

From my perspective he has 4 years of high school and can do computer science then, but am I missing something about pre-requisites or course load that makes it better to do in middle school?


Check the specific HS course offerings. We only have 3 comp sci classes at our HS, so students don't have to worry about losing out of an advanced class due to prerequisites.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 21:09     Subject: Re:Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
There's some advantage to waiting and taking AP Computer Science Principles in HS for the tech credit, because it's an easy first AP class, with a weighted grade.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2025 20:50     Subject: Advantage of taking computer science elective in middle school
Are there any advantages to taking the computer science elective for high school credit in middle school? My kid wants to keep playing in the school band but at the same time seems to think he can do more advanced stuff in high school computer science if he does the A/B foundations class in 8th grade and drops band.

From my perspective he has 4 years of high school and can do computer science then, but am I missing something about pre-requisites or course load that makes it better to do in middle school?