Four Bryant High School seniors are on their way to becoming independent programmers.
Jackson Koon, JC LeCompt, Carson Maurer, and Brasen Winchell are all part of Bryant’s new Computer Science Independent Study, led by instructor Brenda Qualls.
The course allows the students to design, code and implement a single application across the school year, complete with a presentation in the spring. To participate in the initiative, which carries a weighted grade, students must have completed an AP Computer Science course and passed the AP exam. They must also create a proposal at the beginning of the year and follow a weekly planning form that details progress on their individual projects.
Qualls said she spent two years figuring out how to implement the program into her classroom and thinking through whether it would work.
“It’s an approved course through the Department of Education, but I had never taught it before,” said Qualls.
Eventually, it was decided that they would do two classes in one, with the independent study workers placed in the back of the classroom while Qualls instructs other students. Because she doesn’t teach them directly, the arrangement stays within Department of Education regulations.
Koon, LeCompt, Maurer, and Winchell, who have all studied under Qualls in previous classes, were afforded the opportunity to be part of the inaugural class.
“It allows them the freedom to work on their own project. I knew that they would do the work,” she said.
All four students plan to pursue computer science degrees after graduation. Winchell’s project is a mirror smart home device which will provide daily stats like news and travel patterns as people get ready for the day. He said because a large amount of planning is done in their free time, the class is preparing them for future realities.
“It’s a good exercise in practicing self-discipline,” he said.
Maurer said another advantage of the independent study are the projects themselves. His focuses on data determining what time images were taken, all the way back to the early 1900s.
“It helps us build a portfolio, whereas with a traditional class, you do what you have to do,” he said.
Qualls said she plans to continue the independent study next year, and already has students asking to participate.
“It makes our program stronger, if kids know they can take this senior year,” she said, adding that the benefits have shown themselves already. “My rapport with these guys has increased. They know I trust them. If they hone in on problem-solving skills now, they will carry that throughout their lives.”
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