curriculum for .5 computer science credit

[willowcreek]

Any ideas about a rather self-contained, but good, indepdent computer curriculum/program for a semester computer sciece course? --at least the basics--he's not a techie, programmer type.

[hpymomof3]

I'm not sure what exactly you are looking for but I found this by doing a search of these boards:

http://www.pss.msu.edu/courses/

I'm not sure how to post a link so if that doesn't work it is a class at MSU (Michigan State University). It is an online class listed as non-credit class and it is called HOMECMP.

I just signed my 14 year old daughter up to take it. I needs to be completed by December 18 and the class started a few weeks ago so I'll have to go at a little faster pace then the original syllabus. The student works completely on their own and they can choose which lessons to do.

It covers several different topics: Word, Power Point, Excel, Graphics, Mail, Internet and several more topics.

[NancyL]

HpyMom- Please let us know what you think of the course. I emailed the staff about the class and they said there's a wide variety of people that take it, so they can't say for sure how much time it takes. It looks like it covers a nice variety of skills. I was planning on taking it myself, my dd is doing APComputer Science online this year, so I didn't want to add any other computer classes for this year. I was thinking of doing the MSU class later on if the Microsoft Office Class I am doing wasn't too stressful.

I am taking the Potters School Office Class this year. (for adults) I am amazed at all the things there are to learn (we're on the 2nd chapter) The book we use is Office 2007 with CD by Rutkosky and it's very good. You follow the directions, follow each step that they describe, and it's not that hard. The CD gives you practice documents that you can manipulate the text, change the headings, add color, etc, then save it if you would submit it for a grade. It's actually pretty fun. We are going to do several chapters in Word, then go to Excel, and Powerpoint. At the pace of one chapter per week, it's very manageable. If you wanted to work harder I'm sure you could do 3 chapters per week easily. The teacher said he offered summer school classes last year for the first time as a trial and it worked well. He used the GatherWorks software, but it wasn't through the Potters School. I guess there's up to 3 years of courses with Microsoft Office. (through the Potters school) Someone told me that you can take the Certification courses and they are about $200 per subject. (Word, Excel, Access, being separate subjects) I also think it that with the book you could easily teach yourself all the information. The book cost about $75, however, and I don't think I would have spent the money for it without having the class to make me get it!

I regret that I waited so long to learn all this--it's been available on our software, but I wasn't really knowledable about all the features.


Keep us posted about the MSU class! (it's through the Agriculture Department)

[atozmom]

Here's one that is on sale through homeschool buyers co-op. If you are not a member yet, it does not cost anything to join.

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=1006

Sorry, I have not used it, so I can't review it. But they do have demonstration videos.

HTH :)

[Julie in MN]

I am probably going to use Computer Science Pure & Simple, possibly skipping the first chapter & going thru both books. Here's a thread where I asked others about doing that:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120484&highlight=pure+simple

Here's an additional list I wrote for someone else:

1. My dh & ds have been doing a Thames & Kosmos kit called "Microcontroller." It involves some electrical circuitry, and then ties into gathering data on the computer, but I don't really know what I'm talking about... We got it used because it's pricey.

2. I've looked at Computer Science Pure & Simple. It's a workbook & CD-ROM (MicroWorlds) combo written by Phyllis Wheeler and designed for homeschoolers. You can buy it from her website or from regular booksellers. It's the CD-ROM that's expensive. She does have some younger kid stuff, too.

3. Alice.org is pretty popular & used in a local Christian co-op here for grades 7-12.

4. Before we settled on #1, I had compiled a whole list of ideas. I'll copy the rest of them here, with the disclaimer that I never really looked into any of these myself:
- SimpleCodeWorks .com
- StageCast .com
- YoYoGames .com
- Hello World! Computer Programming for Kids, by Sande
- Snake Wrangling for Kids, by Briggs
- AnimationCamp .com
- ClickTeam .com
- Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now! by Pelland (I think I got this idea from the Potter's School, & they have others, but you've looked at those I think)
- Besides Potters, there are online courses at Home Grown Programmers . com

[CynthiaOK]

My son is taking a basic computing course (required for all degrees at his university) that really just goes through Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other basic computing issues. He is using a text that seems pretty self-explanatory, Microsoft Office 2007 - the Cushman series. It comes with a dvd also.

If you are looking for more of a "how to fix it", "how to make it work", "how to program it" course, this would not be it. But it's been good for my son and is certainly not too rigorous.